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2 Beyond the bedding basics: The center of any bedroom is, of course, the bed. Which is why one of the easiest ways to give you bedroom a makeover is to simply get your bed a brand new outfit. Outlet stores and department store sales are a good way to find bed linens at bargain prices. And if you’re the crafty sort, flat bed sheets are your best friend. Use them to make a new cover for your duvet, or to whip up a set of pillowcases, maybe even a sham, to match your sheets (it’ll almost always be cheaper than buying the readymade versions). Fancy it all up with a pair of bolster pillows, or sew up some new covers for your throw pillows – use your decorative pillows to introduce a splash of snazzy new color into the bedroom, a sexy texture, a funky graphic print. You’ll need so little material to cover a throw pillow or bolster that you can afford to splurge a little on a really fabulous fabric.

3 On the wall: Banish the boring wall! I don’t care if you haven’t an artistic bone in your body, or if your budget’s basically nil: trust me, with just a modicum of effort, you can find something interesting to dress up your walls. Install a wall shelf to display your most hilarious old record covers; show off a string of your favorite pictures with just a bit of wire and a few little clips. Heck, even just painting a single a wall in a strong, bold color can do wonders for livening up the look of your room (look for cheap paint in the “oops” section of your favorite home/hardward store). Do something with that area above your bed. Make a headboard by covering a big piece of plywood with some batting and fabric; hang a painting (get yourself some pre-stretched canvas, some paint, and try making one yourself); drape fabric to create a pseudo window effect.

4 Lighten up: If the only light in your bedroom right now is that ugly old ceiling fixture that you inherited when you moved in to your abode, I have just one question: why? Unless you have a thing for that particular sort of dim, dull light that standard-issue ceiling fixtures tend to cast, that light’s not doing you any good. It’s too weak to read by, too bright to be moody, and pretty much unflattering to all skin tones to boot. And given how easy it is to find funky old lamps for dirt-cheap prices at thrift stores, estate sales, flea markets and the like, there’s simply no reason in the world you should have to live with blah lighting. True, these lamps are often in need of a little tender loving care, but as long as the shape of a lamp is good, just about any other flaw can be remedied. Re-wiring a lamp is actually a breeze, and when it comes to cosmetic changes, well, if you can wield a can of spraypaint, you possess just about all the skills necessary to pretty up nearly any lamp.

5 Makeshift night-tables: Forget the matchy-matchy bedroom set – there’s no reason in the world your night-table needs to look like it was born in the same factory as your bed. Heck, it doesn’t have to been born as a night-table at all. Eclecticism makes for a far more fun look anyway – and is generally easier on the wallet as well. So get a little creative. Try a low bookcase, a beautiful old wooden chair scored at your favorite flea market, an old trunk, painted in whatever crazy color you like, maybe even a stack of vintage suitcases. Or save floor-space and install a short wall-mounted shelf by your bedside.  Anything with a flat top at about bed level works just dandy.

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