A £3 IKEA hack helped transform this bedroom into a scandi-inspired retreat

This bedroom was given a full budget Scandi inspired bedroom makeover thanks to some clever shopping and a smart £3 IKEA hack.

The smart makeover from Julie Pentelow from Swindon is full of budget bedroom ideas, that look chic and stylish. The busy mum had already given a few rooms in her home a facelift and was inspired to start work on the bedroom.

'I was inspired to transform our bedroom after seeing people in Facebook groups giving their spaces a new look,' Julie told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. 'I wanted to achieve something similar, so I decided to give it a go myself.'

Budget Scandi-inspired bedroom makeover

After browsing the internet for different ideas, Julie fell in love with Scandinavian design and decided to base her new scheme around that look. 'The minimalist style provides a lovely sense of escapism, so I wanted to make my bedroom the same,' she says.

Before

Although Julie had a chest of drawers and bedside tables, the room felt messy and a lot of the makeover came about simply from clearing the clutter with smart bedroom storage ideas.

Taking the time to find homes for everything instantly made the room look bigger and feel more relaxing, and storage boxes helped to store what she didn't need out.

After

Julie started by clearing away the clutter and painting the walls in Dulux's Overtly Olive (available at B&Q). She then gave her old IKEA furniture a smart makeover with a simple £3 leather handle IKEA hack.

‘I really liked the look of leather pull handles on furniture,' she says, 'They're used a lot in Scandinavian-style makeovers, so I thought I'd make some myself.'

'I ordered a strip of brown leather from eBay for £3 and cut the handles to size, then I used gold noticeboard pins to make it look like the fastening of the handle and stuck them into the drawers with a bit of extra glue for stability.’

Julie swapped the handles on the chest of drawers that now sits neatly in-between wardrobes and her bedside table. To complement the simple upcycled furniture idea Julie invested in some smart budget buys.

‘I already had some of the cushions I used on the bed, but the others I bought were only £5 each – I spent £15 in total at Home Bargains,' Julie says. 'I made use of warm yellow tones to complement the cooler white and grey shades on the bed.'

She also picked up some artificial plants from B&M and IKEA for £20 to make the room feel more homely. She position one of the small potted plants by the headboard and a taller plant next to the bed.

Mini bistro lights have been strung on a cane ladder to create a sparkling feature in the evening, while a mirror, artwork and wall hanging decorate the walls. Julie already had some white bed linen that complemented the look, but she added to it with a few snuggly throws.

Having received plenty of compliments about her new-look bedroom from family and friends, Julie couldn't be happier. ‘We’ve saved hundreds by decorating ourselves and we've got a new-look bedroom!’ she says.

What do you think of the leather handles? Is it something you'd have a go at doing?