Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Don’t Put Your Decorating Plans on Snooze: Wake up Your Bedroom with a Few Inexpensive Tricks

It doesn’t look terrible, but maybe a little bland. Since you just bought a new Simmons queen size mattress about a year ago and the furniture is still serviceable, redecorating your bedroom is low (very low) on your list of priorities. But it doesn’t have to be. Having a sanctuary that you can retreat to after a long, busy day is important. Making one or two inexpensive changes can update your bedroom’s decor and breathe new life into the room you spend roughly a third of your life.


A can of paint can go a long way to taking the snore out of your decor. Sure, the color is okay and was certainly trendy (eight years ago), but a fresh coat of paint with a neutral or contrasting color for the ceiling, window and baseboards will give you a new perspective.


Ditto for new bedding. Matching the color of your bed linens to the color of the walls and/or the window treatments introduces a unifying theme into your bedroom. Selecting a bedding set that also includes decorative pillows is an easy way to make the bed more inviting. A pile of pillows in different shapes with varying textures will create visual interest, making the bed more of a focal point.


If your bedroom furniture is a hodgepodge of much loved hand-me-downs, there’s an easy fix. And it doesn’t have to mean purchasing a brand new bedroom suite. By replacing a couple of mismatched pieces with matching nightstands you will harmonize the room while adding functionality, especially if you select ones with drawers and/or open or enclosed shelves.


Nightstands are also a great place to put lamps. Even if your bedroom has overhead lighting, having a bedside table lamp is handy, especially if you are in the habit of reading in bed or if you not particularly fond of being the one always stuck with having to climb out and turn off the light. A floor lamp judiciously placed in an unused corner of the room can help make it brighter.


Consider replacing the unrelated dresser and chest of drawers with an armoire. Or if an armoire is not feasible (either due to budget or space restraints), perhaps putting the chest in the closet and incorporating it into a closet organizer system would be the ideal solution.


Bare floors, even hardwood ones, can either be cold or make the room appear cold. A bedside rug made of wool might be the perfect motivator to get you up and out of bed in the mornings. Even if you do have wall-to-wall carpeting, an area rug can create instant ambiance, warming up the room with a splash of accent color.


And don’t underestimate the power of accessorizing. If the budget won’t allow for new paint or one or two new pieces of furniture, consider hanging some prints on the wall, replacing just the duvet, buying a thrifty pack of accent pillows or adding economical storage options such as baskets.


For the room that’s not just a place to sleep, these design tips will help you wake up your bedroom decor, allowing you to create an ideal environment for sleeping, staying in bed on a rainy Saturday morning or just hanging out with the kids.

1 comment:

Gordon Diffey said...

Quite often redecoration and new furniture can go hand in hand. Little changes can have a big effect in rejuvenating the bedroom. But if your budget is tight then you are right, a carefully thought out redecoration can be the short term answer.