Styling a masculine bedroom: A dramatic men’s bedroom makeover

There’s no doubt that styling a men’s bedroom can be tricky. Achieving a masculine bedroom that isn’t cold or boring, or the cliche of a ‘bachelor pad’, is no easy feat.

So when we saw this dramatic men’s bedroom makeover by Kristine Franklin from The Painted Hive we just had to share it with you! She’s found the perfect balance between masculine and inviting, has packed it full of personality… and best of all, done it on a budget! Here’s how she did it…

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With more than a few room makeovers under her belt, Kristine was ready to tackle the challenge of this bedroom which had certainly seen better days.

“I knew I wanted to create something light and fresh to help open-up the small dark space. I also wanted it to have some depth and personality,” Kristine explains.

When it comes to styling a masculine bedroom, a palette featuring black, timber and leather is pretty much no-fail.

“Once we’d agreed upon this colour palette, it was pretty straightforward choosing the elements to fit that scheme. The military edge was introduced when I came across the old campaign stools. I actually up-cycled these from old directors chairs I got on Gumtree.

“The subtle military theme was bolstered by the army-style blanket. This was actually a happy accident! I just happened to have one lying around and knew it would work perfectly in this space.

“The khaki seen in the kilim cushions just works in the space and the cushions themselves add texture and style.”

Priding herself on budget-friendly makeovers, we asked Kristine to share some tips on how to style a room and keep it on budget.

“It’s no secret, I’m a self-confessed penny-pincher!” laughs Kristine.

“I will save wherever possible and I spend a lot of time hunting down affordable alternatives. This is super important if you want to save, but accidentally fall in love with a product that’s well over budget!

When budget is a priority, you need to keep an open-mind and try not to get caught up with every tiny detail. At the end of the day, it’s the big picture that counts, so I try to focus on that as my end goal.

“This might mean scouring second-hand sites or trawling the internet for items I can hack. Sometimes I come across an item that’s not exactly what I’m looking for but it’s an absolute bargain — and I find it hard to pass up a bargain!

“Then the challenge becomes about making it work! Often it’s these unintended items which actually help dictate the direction of a space, or end up being the star of the room.

“This masculine bedroom makeover cost just a few hundred dollars. I’m pretty proud of that!”

Although Kristine is known for her upcycling sills, the charcoal bed is a new addition.

“The original bed was actually one I picked up for free a few years back when I was staging my friend’s house for sale. It was always a bit rickety and after several failed attempts to repair it my brother decided he wanted something new,” explains Kristine.

“In order to be able to build the room around the bed, we went for something quite understated with a charcoal upholstered bed from eBay that cost a little over $200.”

A tip to save on a new bed is to also buy the mattress online. For example, Latex Mattress Australia offers huge savings on their Australian owned and made latex mattresses.

It’s hard to ignore the centrepiece of the room… that impressive large-scale owl artwork.

“I knew from early on in the makeover that I wanted to include some sort of artwork that would make a real statement. But large-scale art is rarely cheap!” says Kristine.

“I found the image for free on Unsplash and really liked the composition of it. But it wasn’t the right mood, so I edited the colours in Photoshop and added a filter to it.

“You don’t need fancy programs like the ones I used to get the same result. There are plenty of free apps you can try out if you want to do something similar and stay on budget!

“I had it printed onto peel-and-stick canvas wallpaper and made my own frame. All up it cost less than $100. But best of all, it’s completely custom and unique — no-one else has the same artwork!”

Known for using a mix of old vs new pieces in room makeovers, Kristine share her best advice on how to get it right.

“This room had a mostly contemporary feel to it. It was just a matter of using a few old items to provide that vintage touch it needed to create character and interest,” says Kristine.

“As long as everything is super clean and thoughtfully curated, you can get away with using lots of old items and still have a fresh feel.

“Alternatively, you can just use one vintage item — especially if it’s a prominent piece. This can work really well in a modern room, giving it personality as well as a unique edge.”

Thank you so much Kristine for sharing this incredible masculine bedroom transformation with us and your best design and budget-saving tips. To see more DIY projects and room makeovers, visit her website The Painted Hive or take a look through her Instagram.

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