Category Archives: Bedroom Design
Bedroom Design: 5 Ways to Make your Bedroom Feel Luxurious
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Want luxury in your bedroom? Creating extravagance in your sleep space isn’t as hard as you might think. Try these five things and you’ll feel like a star in your boudoir in no time.
Make your bed a focal point
No matter how plain or ornate, the bed itself can be the focal point in a space and add to the luxury. Place the bed on the most inviting wall for the layout of your room (walking into the foot of the bed is best). Always make your bed and fluff the pillows, no matter what time you rise.
Use down
Unless you’re allergic, down is the ultimate luxurious item in any bedroom. Start with a feather bed (on top of your mattress and under your sheets) for the ultimate comfort. And no bed is complete with down pillows, so you get that cushy feeling every time you turn in.
Buy high thread count sheets
Purchase the highest thread count you can afford. Always go for 100 percent cotton and never synthetics. Your will thank yourself when you hit the hay and when you awake.
Arrange fresh flowers
Fresh flowers or greenery is a nice added touch and inexpensive. A small bedside arrangement of roses or wildflowers adds color and will make you feel like a king or queen.
Add fragrance or fresh air
If your home is in the country, fresh air is a must and will awaken your senses every morning, If you’re a city dweller and need to keep windows closed to block noise, add soothing lavender for scent. Use a diffuser, place lavender sachets in your pillowcases, or spray lavender on your bedclothes and bedding. Lavender treats insomnia and will relax you, even after the most stressful day.
Bedroom Design: 4 Ideas for a Multipurpose Guest Room
Post by Tracy Kaler.
A multipurpose room might seem like a design decision from days of yore, but more and more people –– particularly in urban areas –– are living in less square footage. That comes as no surprise since doubling up on functionality is practical for both space and budget.
A space that can be easily re-adapted is the guest room, particularly one that is used only several times per year (such as when your old college roommate comes to visit).
Here are four ways to make alternate use of your guest room after your guests have checked out.
1. The Guest Room/Nursery
If needed, use your guest room as a nursery and when Aunt Brenda comes for a visit, move the baby into your room for the weekend. This inviting dual-purpose space is lovely enough for a newborn, or your most discriminating in-law.
2. The Guest Room/Office
One of the most practical solutions for a multipurpose room is a guest room and office in one. This modern take on a traditional layout –– with a temporary wall separating the spaces –– works beautifully and enables one person to catch some sleep while another is hard at work. The room also functions well as a home office. This design is perfect for a city apartment guest room.
3. The Craft Room/Guest Room
Clever built-ins and a sewing machine turn an extra sleep space into a project area. The uncluttered approach leaves guests plenty of room to sprawl. Pleasant and practical for work, play, or rest, this versatile guest room receives a good amount of natural light through the double window and skylight.
4. The Guest Room/Children’s Room
These clever built-in bunk beds are ideal for kids or teens. This cabin could very well be a second home, in which case you could move the children into your room (perhaps on folding cots) when you have overnight company. This space is also convenient for a family of four if you have a couple with children come for a stay.
Bedroom Design: A Guide for Choosing Bedside Lamps
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Shopping for bedside lamps? Selecting lighting for your bedroom may seem like an easy task, but there’s a lot to think about, particularly if you often read in bed. Aesthetically, lamps should compliment the décor; choose a ceramic mid-century light for a retro bedroom, and pick a faceted crystal base for a more traditional feel. But regardless of style you’ll want your lamps to do their job, so here are a few tips to shed some light when shopping for bedside lamps.
Choose the right height
Most designers will agree that a bedside lamp’s height is most important for optimal use. As a rule, the bottom of the shade should just about align with your chin while sitting in bed. This, of course, is partially based on the correct height of your bedside table, which is ideal if it is even with your mattress.
Keep the shade light
Dark shades provide little light, and in a bedroom, will only darken your space. (Control natural light with window treatments as needed.) Stick with a white, ivory or other soft, neutral shade –– fabric and paper usually work best to provide the right amount of brightness, as well as a classic look.
Bulbs matter
To control the amount of light, a two-bulb lamp will work well. Your lamp can have one bulb for reading and one for overall ambient light. If a lamp has a single socket, try a three-way bulb so the amount of light will vary from dim to bright.
Think about the switch
When shopping for lamps, look at the control or switch. Will this be easy for you to turn on and off from bed? You might opt for a lamp with a switch on the cord, which may require less reaching as you drift off to sleep.
5 Ways to Introduce Pattern by Paint into a Bedroom
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Paint is a simple and relatively inexpensive decorative element, yet it can drastically change the aesthetic of any space. From a simple ivory eggshell that adds life to a dull room, to a cleverly painted bold pattern on an accent wall, paint is the decorator’s best friend, and in a remodel, should be yours too. Here are five cool ways to bring pattern by paint into a bedroom.
An accent pattern is introduced in this space and enhances an otherwise plain corner. Want to try this at home? Select contrasting colors, as shown, or for a more subtle effect, use similar tones.
If you think wall patterns might be too busy, have a look at this graceful chevron design, which adds pizzazz and transforms this clean, almost under-decorated bedroom.
Painted stripes are a terrific wall treatment for any bedroom, including a nursery or child’s room. Make a statement and paint extra wide panels horizontally; or, go for a wallpaper look with narrow vertical stripes. Tone on tone or complimentary colors work nicely. Stripes typically work well above wainscoting, as well.
Have an old dresser that’s ready for a yard sale? Transform the piece from shabby to chic by painting the frame a dark chocolate and the drawers a soft white or cream.
If you’re lacking in the artwork department and your budget is dwindling, why not create your own? Purchase a stretched canvas, find a pattern at Cutting Edge Stencils
Children are entitled to a stylish bedroom, too. This wavy backdrop is a perfect motif for the in-between age, or any age, really. Great looking and not too sophisticated, this design will add color and panache to rooms with even the simplest furnishings.
Bedroom Design: 5 Things I Must Have in My Bedroom
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Everyone has a wish list when designing a bedroom. Some things may be for aesthetic purposes only, while others may be functional. Here is my lineup of must-haves that I can’t live without in my personal sleep space.
1. Nightstand with a drawer
As much as I adore bedside tables, I need a proper nightstand with at least a single drawer, if not double. I like to keep everyday items like eyeglasses, earplugs, tissues, hand lotion, lip balm, and more, tucked neatly away so these necessities are nearby when I need them.
2. Decorative throw
Whether I drape it over a chair or leave it at the foot of the bed, a throw has its place in my bedroom. I prefer a knitted or crocheted style, which adds texture and is ideal for snuggling.
3. Ceiling Fan
The sound of a fan soothes, the light, yet constant breeze cools, and the circular movement relaxes. Any bedroom I own or sleep in on a regular basis must have a ceiling fan.
4. Television
Sleep specialists will profess that TV in a sleep space is a big no-no, but I find a big screen a necessity in my bedroom. I rarely watch while trying to fall asleep, but on occasion, reality television or late-night comedy clears my head and prepares me for the following day.
5. Window treatments
Even though I don’t feel relaxed in complete blackness, I prefer city lights at their dimmest setting when I crawl into bed. I also fancy sun in the morning, however, so blackout shades provide too much darkness. A lined roman shade and lined curtains on my oversized bedroom window control light in both morning and evening hours. This combination filters just the right amount of sunlight, and subdues the 24-hour brightness of Manhattan at night.
