How We Created a Boho Modern Loft Bedroom

April 3, 2019 /

For my daughter’s 11th birthday, she asked for a loft bed. And naturally, one thing led to another and this ended up turning into an entire Boho Modern Loft Bedroom Makeover.

Boho Modern Loft Bedroom

I started the process with her by looking at all kinds of loft beds on Pinterest to really get an idea of exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be surprised on her birthday, but I was nervous I would go in the wrong direction if it was a total surprise. So I kept her in the process as much as possible to make sure I was on the right track. The more we nailed down exactly what she wanted her room to look and feel like, the more I realized that just buying a loft bed was not going to work. She wanted a Boho Modern feel to her space and I wanted clean lines and a more minimal bed frame. So Tim and I decided to design a very simple loft bed (mostly from 2x4s) for him to build.

Afterwards, Peyton and I distressed the wood using a variety of objects in the garage, such as hammers and nails and screws. And then I stained the wood. We really wanted the wood to look a bit older, so it took me several steps to get the color right. I started with one coat of Minwax Provincial stain. This was definitely too dark and brand-new looking for what we wanted, so I added a light white-wash, followed by a little bit of sanding, and finally a coat of Minwax Weathered Oak stain. In the end, we were very happy with the color and look of the wood.

I didn’t want the ladder to completely match the bed, so we visited a vintage/junk store and Peyton picked out an old distressed white ladder. Tim was able to cut it to size and secure it to the bed.

Along the way, Peyton was involved in some, but not all of the decorating process. She helped choose a few of the fundamental elements, like the rug and floor pillows, but then I hid them away and gathered some of the smaller items (plants, pillows, wall hanging) in secret. A lot of the things were items I already had in the house, but I was able to re-purpose and style in a new way for her room. We found some free pallets on FB Marketplace and Tim cut one in half so I could make a cozy sitting area for her.

Peyton had also asked if we could update her desk area. She loves to paint, draw, and write and we wanted to give her an inspiring space to be creative.

She chose the black Ikea desk legs and then Tim just cut a Maple board from Home Depot to fit. I stained it with Minwax Driftwood and then topped it with several coats of Minwax clear Matte finish.

Most of the desk accessories were a surprise to her. A lot of it we already had around the house, but I also found a few things at Ikea and several art/office supplies on clearance at Target.

In the end, Peyton absolutely loved it. She said it felt like a dream and it was far beyond what she expected. I’m so glad we were able to pull it all off and make her happy.



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