As you move into your brand-new home, you want your bedroom to look anything but bland and boring. Bedrooms can be difficult to decorate. You don’t want to make such bold design choices that they feel over-stimulating and you have a hard time falling asleep, yet you still want the look to show off your personality.
Our ideas should help you jump right in and find a style that works for you.
Choosing a Theme
It’s helpful to start with a theme you like to guide your decisions. Some people choose a specific thing, like a beach or country cottage theme. Others simply choose a colour palette they like and make sure all decorations fit that look.
You can be as general or as broad as you like, but the pieces you choose should fit the theme. For instance, if you prefer the contemporary look, you might have a black platform bed. In a room with a shabby chic theme, on the other hand, the headboard might be made from white wicker.
Distinctive Bed Frames
The bed is the focal point of every bedroom, so choose a frame that makes a statement. Four-poster beds look stately in almost any room. You can choose to add a canopy or not. Headboards with a fabric background can look more casual. A crisp, neutral colour can help the room feel light and airy, but you could also choose a patterned fabric if you’d prefer something funkier.
Flooring
Most people choose carpet for the bedrooms because it feels nice underfoot when you get out of bed in the mornings, especially in the winter. Carpets in the bedrooms don’t have the same type of wear-and-tear you get with carpets in living rooms, so feel free to choose a light-coloured carpet without worrying about stains. Upgrade the padding underneath for a more luxurious feel.
You might also choose hardwood or laminate floors in your bedroom. This works well in many different types of rooms. Area rugs can still keep your feet warm. A sheepskin ivory area rug can set a unique tone for the room.
Furniture Arrangement
The furniture should fit the room. A king-size bed could fill up all of the space in a smaller room, while a queen bed might look too small in a large room. Think about any other furniture you might want in the room. Traditionally, people would also have two nightstands and one or two dressers in the master bedroom. Today, though, many master bedrooms have large walk-in closets, and people choose to put all of their clothes in the closet. This frees up space for a small seating area or a vanity.
In the kids’ rooms, you’ll likely want space for a dresser and a desk. If you’re short on room, a loft bed with a desk underneath could be a good solution. Some families also have communal homework areas in the home. The kids don’t need a desk in their rooms.
No matter what pieces of furniture you want, you have to make sure there’s enough space to walk around. This might mean purchasing smaller pieces or getting rid of something that’s just not working.
Lighting
The lighting in the room can set the tone, so you’ll want to carefully consider all of the builder’s offerings. For instance, recessed lighting in the bedroom can give it a modern feel, but a chandelier will give it old-world charm.
In addition to any overhead lighting you might have, you’ll want matching lamps on either side of the bed. These could be attached to the wall or set on the nightstands. If you have a little reading nook, you’ll want appropriate lighting for that area too.
If you really want to take your bedroom design to the next level, consider getting a few accent lights to highlight the artwork on your walls.
Colours for a Bedroom
In general, you want to select colours that aren’t energizing. People often think this means you have to select boring neutral colours, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
For instance, if you love red, you can incorporate it into your bedroom design by adding splashes of the colour against a neutral background or by selecting a muted shade of the colour.
In the kids’ bedrooms, you might choose to have a little more fun with the colours. A girl’s room might look nice with a mixture of baby pink and dark browns. A boy’s room might look nice with navy blue and white. In fact, consider asking your children what colours they’d like for their room. Part of the fun of getting a brand-new home is being able to select the colours.
Artwork and Decorations
Having artwork or other decorations throughout the space is what will really define the room. However, you don’t want to go overboard when picking artwork. A few well-chosen pieces usually work better. Again, the pieces should match your theme. A picture of the beach at your favourite vacation destination would look nice in a beach-themed room. Your grandmother’s cross-stitch could fit in a room with a country or vintage theme.
You want your bedroom to be an oasis of calm, so stick with furnishings that please you. Keeping a consistent look throughout the space is the best way to make your room look put together.
As the final touch to your bedroom oasis, consider design ideas for a customized closet as well!