Ravamped Sleep Havens
“You’ve made your bed, now lie in it,” the old proverb goes. “With pleasure!” say the bedroom finalists. You wouldn’t have wanted to stand in some of these raw spaces, much less stretch out in them. But our readers are known for seeing great potential in unlikely places. Here are 16 peaceful, clutter-free havens that whisper promises of romance and sweet dreams. Just the ticket after a long, hard day of DIY.
Colonial Cottage Attic Becomes Master Bedroom Suite: Before
Who: Edward T.
Where: Ayer, MA
At the beginning of the project, it was difficult trying to get a bedroom, bathroom, walk-in closet, and storage space to fit in the attic. Creating the custom pattern on the shower and bathroom floors was challenging. Hand-building (and painting) the pocket doors so they would match the 100-year-old doors in the rest of the house was rewarding but took a very long time.
Colonial Cottage Attic Becomes Master Bedroom Suite: After
Who: Edward T.
Where: Ayer, MA
We added a brand-new master suite with a bathroom and a great walk-in closet. We also made our house much more energy-efficient just by adding insulation. We now have plenty of storage and additional bedrooms for house guests. Our new bedroom is a great space, with high ceilings and a wall with 15 built-in drawers. The ceiling fans and the mini-split AC keep us cool even though we sleep in the attic.
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $25,000–$50,000
See all the images from this entry.
Sunny, Updated Master: Before
Who: John K.
Where: Des Moines, IA
Our house is a 1917 airplane bungalow. When we moved in 8 years ago, we made the room that sits on top of the house our master bedroom. We’d been going down two flights of stairs to use the bathroom or shower. We desperately wanted to add a bathroom to this space and give ourselves adequate closets.
Sunny, Updated Master: After
Who: John K.
Where: Des Moines, IA
A month into this project, we found out my wife was expecting. She insisted on being involved with the remodel as much as possible. In fact, I have to give her credit for refurbishing all of the double-hung windows. Absolutely amazing given the fact that last year was the hottest summer in recent history, and we had no air-conditioning up there. We just can’t believe we pulled off this undertaking in 10 months. We are so incredibly happy with the space.
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $10,000-$25,000
See all the images from this entry.
Restoring Original Woodwork: Before
Who: Craig H.
Where: Salt Lake City, UT
Our historic home in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City had been converted to a fourplex in 1950. Not much changed between that time and 2002, when we purchased it. We are in the process of returning it to a single-family home. The master bedroom occupies the space that had been the kitchen and living room of apartment No. 3.
Restoring Original Woodwork: After
Who: Craig H.
Where: Salt Lake City, UT
I stripped, saved, and reused all of the woodwork; made custom screens/storm windows; installed and finished a white oak floor; installed a gas fireplace; and built custom cabinets. All remodeling was done in the evenings and on Saturdays. Every part of the project required a much-expanded timetable—very frustrating. It took over a year to complete this room. But I guess that is just another way of paying for it!
Who did the work: I did all the work myself.
Cost: $1000-$5000
See all the images from this entry.
Stately Bedroom Reno: Before
Who: John O.
Where: Elgin, IL
As with any remodel of an old home, you never know what you are getting into until you do it. The lighting was the hardest. I had to remove the attic flooring and tons of old insulation to get the electrical box for the chandelier in. It took days in terrible heat.
Stately Bedroom Reno: After
Who: John O.
Where: Elgin, IL
All the furniture was purchased secondhand off Craigslist or from estate sales, including the antique chandelier found in pieces in a cardboard box. We painted and repainted several times until we got it just right. The ceiling looks white in the photos but is in fact a very pale sky blue with a darker blue around the edge to create a tray-ceiling effect. Although the paint is a backdrop, it is very important in telling the story.
Who did the work: We did all the work ourselves.
Cost: $1000-$5000
See all the images from this entry.
Romance and Luxury: Before
Who: Trina N.
Where: Sierra Madre, CA
We reconfigured the space by relocating windows and doors. We installed new wood floors, moldings, fireplace, and lighting. We redecorated with custom lighting, custom window treatments, and a custom bed canopy. The hardest part was figuring out all the details so the finished project would look professional.
Romance and Luxury: After
Who: Trina N.
Where: Sierra Madre, CA
We wanted to create a peaceful and romantic retreat, so we chose a soothing color scheme of coral and beige, and brought in texture with fabrics. The best things about our remodel are the chandeliers over our nightstands and the custom bed canopy. They create a romantic ambiance and make a bold impression.
Who did the work: We did some of the work ourselves, but a contractor did most of it.
Cost: $10,000-$25,000
See all the images from this entry.
Bold Use of Color: Before
Who: Heather J.
Where: Franklin, TN
Neon-yellow everything can leave a person feeling a bit frantic. Not my first choice for a bedroom.
Bold Use of Color: After
Who: Heather J.
Where: Franklin, TN
It took many hours up on a ladder and several different color tries to land on this chocolate/charcoal metallic. I did it all myself. Free labor is awesome.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself.
Cost: $100-$500
See all the images from this entry.
Multipurpose Wall Unit: Before
Who: Peter A.
Where: Princess Anne, MD
When we turned our downstairs family room into a bedroom, we wanted something that could be used for clothes but also revert to a wall unit for future family-room use.
Multipurpose Wall Unit: After
Who: Peter A.
Where: Princess Anne, MD
I designed and constructed the wall unit to fit the space, reusing some old wood from earlier remodels. We like how all our clothes fit so well and yet take up less space than in dressers. Plus we have all that shelving for books or whatever.
Who did the work: I did all the work myself.
Cost: $100-$500
See all the images from this entry.
The Candy Store House: Before
Who: Susan L.
Where: Southport, NC
When we bought this second home, in April 2011, it was uninhabitable. Because we had electricity, we could sleep there, but there was no water or toilet. We used lots of baby wipes, bottled water, and the portable john across the street. After a while, neighbors took us in for hot showers and relaxing.
The Candy Store House: After
Who: Susan L.
Where: Southport, NC
Two bedrooms became one with a vaulted ceiling and custom headboard and lights. We saved a property that very well could have been destroyed. People are amazed at what we did for just $75,000. We saved money by buying items from the Habitat for Humanity Restores, repurposing items, and getting tax incentives through the North Carolina and Federal Historic Preservation programs. Videos of our progress over two years can be found at candystorehouse.com.
Who did the work: We did some of the work ourselves but a contractor did most of it.
Cost: $50,000-$100,000 (whole house)
See all the images from this entry.
A Crooked Little Farmhouse: Before
Who: Andrea M.
Where: Crawford, TX
Our family found a 10-acre ragamuffin farm when we were all in need of healing and restoration. We learned, after some neighborly snooping, that our house was originally built around 1904 by a country doctor. The most recent owner was Jack, a hardscrabble farmer from the Depression era, who knew how to reuse every board, nail, and fixture—with little concern for aesthetics. When we see our handiwork has turned out a little lopsided, we smile and say, “Jack would be proud!”
A Crooked Little Farmhouse: After
Who: Andrea M.
Where: Crawford, TX
We look back and wonder how we were able to do what we did. It demanded much of our entire family. The hardest part was wanting to speed up the process. Learning to move slowly and carefully and to pull out each nail safely was a lesson. Now, every inch has been cleaned and restored. I love the warm, inviting colors, the hand-me-down furniture, and the tables made by my dad from barn wood out back.
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $25,000-$50,000
See all the images from this entry.
Refinish and Reuse: Before
Who: Josh and Jenny T.
Where: Searcy, AR
We gutted the entire first floor. We reused many items that were original to the house, including a claw-foot tub and a chandelier. An old brick chimney was left exposed in the dining room. And we were able to use doors from our great-grandmother’s house.
Refinish and Reuse: After
Who: Josh and Jenny T.
Where: Searcy, AR
We turned a blank room into a wonderful master bedroom with an exposed-beam ceiling and a big walk-in closet. We saved money by refinishing the original wood floors. The former master bathroom was turned into a half bath with an old cabinet for the sink base.
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $50,000-$100,000 (whole house)
See all the images from this entry.
The Debt-Free Remodel: Before
Who: Kat H.
Where: Narvon, PA
We wanted to pay in cash for everything. Sometimes we had to put projects on hold until funds became available. While the things we bought were used or inexpensive, we didn’t sacrifice quality. We learned so much about DIY remodeling. When we look around, we see our own work and design. And the entire house remodel was completed debt-free.
The Debt-Free Remodel: After
Who: Kat H.
Where: Narvon, PA
The driftwood mirror is made from wood we collected on vacation. An old pocket door from a house that was being torn down is now the barn-style door to the master bath. Instead of typical his-and-hers closets, we had built-in wardrobes made by the same cabinetmaker who made our kitchen cabinets. Custom cabinets sound very expensive, but we found a local Mennonite farmer whose prices were unbelievably reasonable (actually cheaper than off-the-shelf stuff).
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $10,000-$25,000 (whole house)
See all the images from this entry.
Diamond in the Rough: Before
Who: Barbara W.
Where: Bland, MO
My sister and I found this diamond-in-the-rough foreclosure and knew it could be saved. She and I have always collected antiques and junk, and we had a yard sale to pay for big-ticket items like a furnace and a claw-foot tub. We did all the work ourselves. Also, we have a plumber and an electrician in the family. A big barbeque usually took care of those wages!
Diamond in the Rough: After
Who: Barbara W.
Where: Bland, MO
This restoration was a dream for my sister and me, and we gave it all we had. We would work all week at our jobs, then work on the house with our husbands on weekends. It was a continuous weekend job for all of us for 3 years. But we turned this rundown, neglected house into a beautiful, welcoming home for our families to share.
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $10,000-$25,000
See all the images from this entry.
A Symbol of Renewal: Before
Who: Gary W.
Where: Franklin, TN
We bought this property with the intent to gut and rebuild it. My wife and I enjoy remodeling together. I have the building/construction knowledge while she enjoys planning and decorating. We made the floor plan together, and many unusual points of interest in the home were our own ideas.
A Symbol of Renewal: After
Who: Gary W.
Where: Franklin, TN
We rebuilt the back end of the house after realizing it was rotted. We totally remodeled the interior, removing several walls to open up the floor plan. We added two new porches on the back of the house, one a screened-in porch off the master bedroom. The hardest part: 2010 was a painful year for our family. After several deaths, our new home is a symbol of renewal.
Who did the work: We did most of the work ourselves.
Cost: $50,000-$100,000 (whole house)
See all the images from this entry.
Expanding the Family Farm: Before
Who: Alyssa K.
Where: Carlisle, PA
We purchased this property at an estate sale based on its location near my grandparents’ farm. I grew up helping them with baling and stacking hay, picking and selling sweet corn, and gathering and selling eggs. Our land and theirs are now combined for farming purposes.
Expanding the Family Farm: After
Who: Alyssa K.
Where: Carlisle, PA
We gutted everything—which turned out to be an amazingly messy task since all the walls were made of horsehair, plaster, and old lath. The open-beam ceilings are amazing. I cursed these ceilings while staining them. But after numerous neck and shoulder spasms and more cans of stain than I can count, they turned out beautifully!
Who did the work: We did some of the work ourselves but a contractor did most of it.
Cost: $50,000-$100,000
See all the images from this entry.
Making Memories in the City: Before
Who: Abigail G.
Where: New York City
The hardest part was living there with our two dogs. It was so dirty and messy, and because we were doing all the work ourselves, the apartment was full of tools and materials. Living without a shower or toilet was no easy task, either. We had to go to a bar down the street to use the bathroom. “Making memories,” we kept telling ourselves.
Making Memories in the City: After
Who: Abigail G.
Where: New York City
We did a full demo on the entire apartment: exposed the brick walls throughout, ripped up all the flooring and laid new subfloor and bamboo hardwoods. We installed faux tin ceilings with recessed lighting and fans. Barn doors to the bedroom double as closet doors. Bench seating along the window provides extra storage. I had told my boyfriend I would not move in unless we remodeled. After all the work was done he proposed, and we just got married!
Who did the work: We did all the work ourselves.
Cost: $25,000-$50,000 (whole house)
See all the images from this entry.
Attic Conversion: Before
Who: Laura W.
Where: Waukesha, WI
We live in a 1928 bungalow that had a completely unfinished walk-up attic space. The staircase was very steeply pitched and had to be torn out and rebuilt, taking over a redundant hallway on the main floor. Floor joists were reinforced, and the space was framed.
Attic Conversion: After
Who: Laura W.
Where: Waukesha, WI
This renovation turned our 2-bedroom, 1-bath home into a 3-bedroom, 2-bath. For a family of four, that’s been fantastic. And it’s so beautifully done, it makes us happy to go upstairs! Custom cabinets are built into the knee walls, and a “secret” bookcase provides access to the storage area. I love the skylights, which make the bedroom such a bright and cheerful place.
Who did the work: A contractor did all the work.
Cost: $50,000-$100,000 (whole house)
See all the images from this entry.
A Renovation Decades in the Making: Before
Who: Terence H.
Where: Oconomowoc, WI
This attic was originally finished in the 1960s to be a master bedroom. The contractor dated and signed the back of a piece of molding, which we discovered during the demo. My parents bought the house in 1983, and this room served as my bedroom in high school. Back then, the room had no heat or air-conditioning. I ran an electric space heater in the winter and slept on our enclosed front porch during the summer, when the room was uninhabitable. My wife and I bought the house from my mom in 2002.
A Renovation Decades in the Making: After
Who: Terence H.
Where: Oconomowoc, WI
We had to balance our dreams for the space against the reality that it would be used as a guest room. The key money-saver I have discovered through all of our renovations and remodels is to hire people we trust that do quality work and stay within budget and schedule. This time, we hired my brother-in-law—at least, I think that saved us money!
Who did the work: A contractor did all the work.
Cost: $10,000-$25,000