Arden’s Room Refresh: Girls Bedroom Ideas on a Budget

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Last year, I completely DIYed my son and daughter’s best friend’s bedrooms. We have grown really close with this family and are so fortunate that our kids all get along so well. I have had the pleasure of renovating several rooms in their home. You can see the mirror I bought for their living room in this post. More to come on their house in some future posts.

After seeing the result of her friend’s bedroom makeover, my daughter was dying for a little room makeover of her own. We had already made some great progress in her room, but it definitely needed some special touches. I knew I wanted this project to be an example to my daughter of how we could create something beautiful without spending a ton of money. Here are some of my favorite girls bedroom ideas on a budget.

Start with a Mood Board

To start the project, I created this mood board. A mood board is a great place to start for anyone unsure how to start a design project at your home. I highly recommend planning it out visually like this. If you need help, click here to read more about my design services! If you’re looking for some simple girl’s bedroom ideas on a budget, you’ve come to the right place!

My style is light and classic, so even though this is a kid’s room, I wanted it to reflect the style of the rest of the house. I started by adding this lovely trim to create an accent wall right behind her bed. I painted the trim and the wall behind it a gorgeous shade of blush pink, and the rest of the room is painted a light gray color. The two colors blend beautifully.

Beautiful Trim Detail

Decorative trim is an easy and inexpensive way to create a feature wall. I’ll be sharing more about the steps in this project soon. Since this is a little girl’s bedroom, I opted for more decorative trim than I used in my son’s room or in other areas of our home.

If you’re not ready to tackle wall trim but want a fun accent wall in your home, there are so many other options. You could add a gallery wall of their artwork mixed with vintage thrifted art. You could use wall decals to give the appearance of a mural, or you could apply a fun wallpaper. 

A Functional and Pretty Bed

The feature wall is a beautiful backdrop for this adorable day bed. Rather than a traditional twin bed arrangement where the bed sticks out into the middle of the room, the day bed leaves tons of floor space for playing. The day bed is also a great way to create more seating since it can function as a couch.

Much of this room is sweet and has a muted color scheme. If you’re looking for a place to add a pop of color without putting bright colors on the walls, try adding fun pillows to the bed. They’re easy and inexpensive to switch out and can give a personal touch that evolves with your child’s interests.

Statement Curtains

Beyond the bed, you can see the window coverings. I was so happy to get some Roman shades that she can open and close herself. It makes a difference when your child can be independent and safe in their own room! We combined the beautiful white shades with these floor-to-ceiling linen curtains. Check out this blog post for a tutorial on how to hang them to create the illusion of height in your room. These windows let in incredible natural light, but it’s also nice to create a cozy space when we’re winding down for bed.

Perfectly Thrifted Decor

In this perfect little nook to the left of her fireplace, there was just enough room to tuck this gorgeous dresser I found at a thrift store. If you’re new here, you should know that thrifting is one of my favorite things to do. I truly believe you can get more personality in your space for less money by choosing gently used, second-hand items, especially when you’re designing a kid’s room. They’re not always gentle with their things! 


The art above the dresser is also thrifted, and I hung it from our picture rail, which really elevates the look of this area. I collected a couple of bins and trays to corral her accessories, and this space came together perfectly.

Architectural Gold!

This next section of the room is a total show-stopper. Living in an old Victorian home has its ups and downs, but this fireplace as a focal point is a huge winner. This fireplace isn’t functional, but even if it was, it wouldn’t be appropriate for a child’s room. So, to mimic the warmth of a fire, I collected battery-operated candles of various heights and sizes and put them together in the fireplace to create this magical scene.

Girly and Classic Decor

You could also use string lights to create a similar cozy glow. The mantle is decorated with some simple faux plants, but would be a great place to display collections of your child’s favorite things. The mirror came with the house, but click this link for a very simple DIY wall art project that would be perfect for a little girl’s bedroom.​

Over to the right is a built-in bookshelf that is so adorable and fun to fill with books and room decor. Out of the frame to the right is her closet, one of this project’s most incredible transformations. I’ll be going into more detail in a future post, but here are some sneak peek before and after photos. 

Before

After IKEA Pax Installation

Today (filled with all her stuff)

My daughter is over the moon with this room, and my favorite part about it is that it didn’t break the bank. With a little creativity and a few simple DIY projects, I was able to transform her space into a beautiful room fit for a little princess. These are the things I did to transform my daughter’s bedroom, but we don’t all have the same exact space. So here are some other ideas you might consider to give your daughter’s room a fresh new look.

More Girls Bedroom Ideas on a Budget

Cozy Multipurpose Seating

Are you short on space? If you’re working with a small room, you may need to get creative with your space. Grab some extra throw pillows for the bed that can also be used as seating on the floor. A storage ottoman is also a great seating option that doubles as storage or as part of a very cool fort!

Budget-Friendly Design

Are you not interested in spending a lot of money on a kid’s room? Me either! My goal is to create beautiful, expensive-looking designs on a tight budget. You’ll be amazed at the difference a fresh coat of paint can make in a small space. Also, I can’t recommend enough that you take the time to shop your local thrift stores for old furniture you can give new life.

White Walls Mama

Are you opposed to a fully color-drenched hot pink room? Me, too! Rather than painting every wall your child’s favorite color, choose a soothing color (that you can live with) and choose other elements in the room to represent their personal style. 

​It has been so fun creating a special space for my daughter that really represents her personal style. I look forward to helping her update it as she grows up!

If you’re interested in updating a room in your home but don’t know where to start, I’d love to help you by creating a mood board like the one I shared above. Contact me for more information. 

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