3 Budget-Friendly Tips to Create a Cozy Space

Kim J-

When we lived in our two bedroom home in Ontario, all three of our boys shared a room. We had a big loft that they all fit into well. When we moved to Manitoba, our new home now had 5 bedrooms! So naturally, all the boys wanted their own room. I remember my husband and I saying how sad it was that they weren’t all together anymore. 

  After a few months separated, they started getting a little too entitled for our liking so we merged them all into one room again. After a year or two, our oldest made it known to us how frustrating it was always having his things touched by his younger brothers. As the oldest often are, he is very particular and careful with his stuff and having it touched and broken on a regular basis was very hard for him. We decided he could move to the other room and his two younger brothers would share. Things weren’t too bad but it seemed every night the youngest would ask his older brother some question that would turn into a scary story. Sometimes it was werewolves and other nights it was some villain from a superhero movie. Again and again, the youngest would wake up from a nightmare and I’d end up having to sleep with him to get him settled back in. Eventually, the youngest started getting scared of the room he shared with his brother because of all the bad dreams he had in there. After a while, he asked to sleep on the downstairs couch. And since his older brother was sick of having him crying in the bottom bunk every night, we agreed. 

A month or two went by, and there was no way we could ever get him to sleep in his own bed. It was just too scary. Our youngest has a HUGE imagination and his brain works a little differently than most. We decided after a couple of months of this issue, that he would probably do better in the room upstairs next to ours. So I got to work making it the coziest, safest feeling room I could. 

Choose Warm Paint Tones

I painted the bottom a creamy white, which my sister-in-law had the paint for, and the top a warm, dark green, that was already in my own paint collection. My brother, Courtney’s husband, lent his time and expertise and added batten to the bottom part of the walls.

Add in some comforting elements

Next, I found a bed frame for $20 on VarageSale (a local buy-and-sell platform). For the headboard, I got creative. When we first moved to Manitoba, I stopped by another brother’s place (Kim B’s husband) while he was cleaning out his garage attic. I spotted a little crib that was far too cute to toss, so that summer I sanded it down. Later, I used the two end pieces and attached them together to make a unique headboard. We also saved money by reusing a cozy rug we already owned, which tied in perfectly with the colour scheme.

At the time, we had the loveliest neighbours across the street who quickly became good friends. She asked if I was looking for a dresser for my son’s room and ended up giving me a beautiful pine one. I sanded it down, painted the base, added new hardware, and varnished the top—it turned out beautifully. At a thrift store, I also came across some antique hardware that made the closet doors look extra charming. For the bedding, I picked up fun truck-themed sheets at Homesense and paired them with his original duvet from Ikea. I added a new diffuser from Young Living, purchased with saved-up points. It wasn’t just a diffuser but also worked as a sound machine and night light—perfect for my son’s needs. Finally, I kept the original curtains and layered in a few cozy touches from Ikea: throw blankets, a fuzzy rug, and pillow covers for extra texture and warmth.

Personalize with Photos & Wall Art

Last but not least, were the pictures. Over a few weeks I found frames, pictures, and decor that would work for his room. My mom printed a couple pictures off to fill some of the frames and my niece, Janice’s daughter, drew a picture of Jesus and my youngest son. 

The Big Surprise: His Room Revealed

This whole time, my son had no idea we were working on a room for him. For the longest time it had been the sewing room, office, and collection room. So the door was shut and he never knew what was going on in there until one day when it was all done and we got to show him his new room. The look on his face was priceless. He jumped onto the bed and hugged it. He still has bad dreams once in a while but he’s mentioned multiple times how much he loves his room and is glad we are just down the hall. It was so fun putting this room together knowing how much it was needed. I also really enjoyed thrifting and repurposing so many of the items that went into it. 

Cozy on a Budget

This budget friendly cozy space only cost between $150-$200! I only bought some new bedding, a laundry basket, a plant, and a fluffy rug.  I encourage you to repurpose things you have around your home or to check out some thrift stores. When you put the effort in, you can really make the spaces around you feel cozy and homey with a very small budget.