Rustic & Industrial Dormer Bedroom Reveal

Welcome back. I’m happy to say Taylor’s small dormer bedroom is finally done!

And we’re honored to say that this bedroom has been featured in This Old House magazine! Woohoo!

Jason and I began this room several months back as our 1st DIY project together. It’s also the first completed room in our 100-year-old bungalow. It just needed some final touches and today I get to show you the finished (love that word) bedroom!

It was quite a challenge turning this oddly-shaped 100 square foot room into a functional bedroom. In fact, the appraiser didn’t want to list this space as a bedroom due to the sloped ceilings. I’d love to invite her back to see it now. 😉

Let’s rewind to see how the room looked the day I viewed the house…

The reason I wanted to get this project done 1st was that Taylor was having to sleep on a mattress on the floor. Not only did he need a bed but also a desk because he spends the majority of his time studying when he comes home from college on the weekends.

We were able to accomplish both plus add tons of character all while staying within our budget. I wanted Taylor’s room to feel like a cozy, rustic, industrial bedroom that looked like it belonged in the attic of a farmhouse.

The majority of the budget went into the built-in bed that we made with stock kitchen cabinets. They were well worth it since they add tons of storage in this small, 97 square foot bedroom. The trundle drawers underneath hold extra pillows and blankets.

Click this link or the picture below to see how we built the bed!

The wall lights make the built-in bed a perfect place to grab a blanket and catch up on a good book. The wooden planked wall adds to the cozy feel of the room. If you want to go the easy route with planking the wall, you can buy these peel and stick reclaimed wooden planks or this cheaper option of reclaimed barnwood peel and stick wallpaper.

When I think of rustic + industrial, the 1st catalog that comes to mind is Restoration Hardware. They inspired the desk we made from plumbing pipes.

I love mixing new with old. The desk organizer is new and came from Target. I converted an antique copper heater into a lamp which I’ll show you how to make in this post. What I really love doing is making something new look old. I saw a similar reproduction vintage office sign online but it was sold out. Jason and I figured out how to make it ourselves.

On the left side of the room, I hung a trio of Restoration Hardware inspired lithographs of cities that Taylor has visited. I’ll have a tutorial on those also. Update: the tutorial can be found here.

Covering the popcorn ceilings with white planking adds to that farmhouse charm.

Don’t you love a good before and after?

I’m so pleased with how well the room turned out! I think this room has taken future projects to a whole new level and has inspired me to move forward to the next room remodel. I really hope that you’ve gathered some inspiration to decorate your home!