The Big Reveal: Avery’s Bespoke Bunk Bed Room

Welcome to the much-anticipated reveal of Avery’s newly transformed bedroom! After weeks of dedicated effort and creative vision, we’re thrilled to unveil a space that perfectly captures her evolving style and practical needs. Get ready to be inspired by her custom-built bunk beds, a magnificent wall mural, and an array of thoughtful design elements that make this room truly her own.

Designing girls’ bedrooms is a passion of mine, and I often share comprehensive guides, like my post featuring 28+ inspiring bedroom ideas for girls. Working with Avery on her dream room was an incredibly rewarding experience, albeit one that tested our patience! What started as a pre-Christmas project extended into a longer journey than anticipated. The timeline was largely dictated by external factors, such as the installation of new carpeting in both Avery’s and Attley’s rooms, over which we had limited control. Add in a family vacation, and our usual swift DIY pace slowed considerably. However, as any home decorator knows, good things often take time, and this transformation was undoubtedly worth every moment and ounce of effort.

For your convenience, I’ll be sharing links to all the sources throughout this post, and a comprehensive list will also be available at the very end. You might recall the reveal of Attley’s room a while back, where we embarked on a furniture shuffle between the girls’ spaces. The dresser now residing in Attley’s room once belonged to Avery, and these ingenious IKEA Billy Bookcase hacks previously graced Attley’s space. This is how Avery’s charming bedroom looked for the past few years—a truly adorable and much-loved sanctuary.

However, when Avery expressed a desire for some significant changes to her room instead of traditional Christmas presents, I knew I couldn’t say no. It was such a thoughtful and mature request, demonstrating her growing personality and refined taste. As she’s gotten older, Avery has developed a distinct preference for deeper, darker colors, embracing a more sophisticated style that moves beyond typical childhood aesthetics. Additionally, she had been begging for bunk beds, envisioning endless sleepovers with her sister and friends.

Given that we had already ingeniously transformed her secondary closet into a cozy bed nook for her twin bed, the idea of converting this space into built-in bunk beds felt like a natural and exciting progression. This approach maximized every inch of her room while providing the desired sleeping arrangements. What makes this DIY bunk bed project even more remarkable is that we constructed the majority of it from scrap wood salvaged from our garage. Even the ladder was crafted from materials we removed from her walk-in closet during the renovation. This resourcefulness meant that the entire bunk bed installation was an astounding 95% FREE – a true testament to the power of creative DIY!

Enough with the preamble! Are you ready to dive into the heart of this transformation and see Avery’s spectacular built-in bunk beds?

The Dreamy Built-in Bunk Beds: A Cozy & Functional Retreat

One of the most defining features of Avery’s new room is undeniably her built-in bunk beds. These custom-designed sleeping arrangements are not just beds; they’re a cozy, private retreat integrated seamlessly into her space. Built-in bunk beds are a fantastic solution for maximizing floor space, especially in children’s rooms, while offering a unique, tailored look that freestanding furniture simply can’t match. The decision to convert her existing closet nook into this impressive feature allowed us to create a snug, inviting corner that feels both personal and adventurous. The careful planning and execution ensure that these beds are not only beautiful but also incredibly sturdy and safe, a paramount concern for any parent.

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The coziness factor of these bunk beds is off the charts! We carefully integrated functional elements to enhance her comfort and enjoyment. To ensure she has ample illumination for late-night reading sessions, we installed charming accordion lamps and utilized the clever magic light trick, providing adjustable and atmospheric lighting without the need for complex wiring. Personalization was key, so we adorned the space with meaningful decor. This includes a heartfelt DIY photo canvas capturing cherished moments of the girls with Joe, alongside an inspiring “you are strong” metal sign, serving as a daily reminder of her inner strength.

For the lower bunk, we opted for a clean and inviting aesthetic, featuring a welcoming “stay awhile” sign. This playful touch underscores the bunk beds’ primary purpose: to foster memorable sleepovers. We eagerly anticipate the day when quarantine restrictions ease, allowing Avery to host friends (beyond just her sister!) in this inviting bottom bunk. The blend of comfort, utility, and personal touches truly makes these built-in bunk beds the heart of Avery’s redesigned bedroom.

The Enchanting Wall Mural: A Statement of Style

Beyond the impressive built-in bunk beds, the other major showstopper in Avery’s room is undoubtedly this gorgeous wall mural. Much like the captivating mural we featured in Attley’s room, this exquisite piece is designed by Bari J for Murals Your Way. A wall mural has the transformative power to instantly elevate a room, creating a focal point and injecting personality that paint alone cannot achieve. For Avery, this specific “Nocturnal Mural” was a perfect choice. Not only does she absolutely adore owls, but she also fell in love with its deep, dark background color—a sophisticated hue that is almost black. This mural perfectly aligns with her preference for darker, more mature tones, adding a dramatic yet whimsical touch that anchors the entire room’s design. It truly serves as a piece of art, setting a unique mood and reflecting Avery’s unique taste.

Thoughtful Design Details: Bringing the Room Together

Every element in Avery’s room was carefully curated or crafted to align with her evolving taste and functional needs, creating a cohesive and personalized space. We breathed new life into several inexpensive IKEA furniture pieces that we’ve owned for nearly a decade. A common misconception is that laminate IKEA furniture cannot be painted, but as we demonstrated in our guide on painting IKEA laminate furniture, it’s absolutely possible! Avery personally selected a rich, dark purple color for these pieces, a choice that highlights her growing maturity and sophisticated aesthetic. Witnessing her confidently make such a design decision truly brought a tear to my eye (I’m not crying, you’re crying!).

Complementing these painted pieces, I reupholstered her existing bench with this exquisite beautiful purple fabric, adding a touch of luxury and softness to the room. Above the bench, hanging gracefully in the window, is her charming DIY felt ball letter “A”, serving as a perfect, personalized centerpiece for that wall. These small, thoughtful details contribute significantly to the overall custom feel of the room, proving that budget-friendly solutions can still yield stunning results.

Beyond aesthetics, functionality was also a key consideration, especially for a growing tween. We enhanced her DIY floating desk area to make it even more efficient and organized. This was achieved by installing an inexpensive pegboard system from IKEA, perfect for hanging various supplies, and adding practical paper storage to keep her creative and study materials neatly tucked away. We cleverly re-used this vibrant art piece, giving it a fresh look by simply adding this inexpensive hanger frame. This combination creates an inspiring and clutter-free zone where Avery can focus on homework, unleash her creativity, or simply unwind.

Oh, and I almost forgot one of my proudest—and Avery’s favorite—DIYs in the room: her unique light fixture! It started as a simple macrame basket, to which I cleverly added a pendant light kit and then hung it from the ceiling. This project perfectly embodies our philosophy of budget-friendly creativity, proving that you don’t need to spend a fortune to achieve a high-impact, personalized look. It’s perfectly imperfect, stylish, and incredibly inexpensive, adding a touch of bohemian charm that she absolutely adores.

So, what do you think of Avery’s transformed bedroom? The ultimate satisfaction comes from Avery’s absolute love for her new space – that’s truly all that matters. But, I must admit, I’m pretty thrilled with it too, especially since I’m the one paying the mortgage! This project was a testament to how thoughtful design, creative DIY solutions, and a collaborative spirit can come together to create a truly magical and functional space that grows with your child. It’s a space where she can dream, play, study, and host friends, all within a style that is uniquely hers. We hope this bedroom makeover inspires you to tackle your own home projects with confidence and creativity!

Source List for Avery’s Dream Bedroom

• Wall Color: Falling Snow by Behr
• Owl Wall Mural
• Purple velvet fabric on upholstered bench
• DIY felt ball letter
• Painted IKEA furniture pieces + hack

The remaining items in the room (or similar items for those things we DIYed or purchased second-hand) are below. Just scroll through the images and click on any of them for full product details.

Curious about my systematic approach to transforming rooms and spaces throughout our home? Be sure to explore Designer in a Binder®. It’s my tried-and-true method for decorating with confidence and achieving stunning results.

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