The bedroom isn't usually very high on the list of decorating priorities. Often it has to accommodate the vacuum cleaner and the like, it isn't bright enough for plants, and the living room is the showpiece anyway. And yet, with a few basics and carefully chosen accessories, you can decorate your bedroom too – atmosphere included. Goodbye storeroom, hello sanctuary!
Create your own personal sanctuary with these bedroom decorating basics:
- Closed cupboards instead of open shelves
- Play with colour – or don't
- Work with what your bedroom offers
- Cushions and throws do more than add cosiness
- How to finish off your bedroom decor
The golden rule of bedroom decorating: less is more. Decorating doesn't mean cluttering. In the bedroom in particular, too many different ornaments, dusty teddy bears and garish colours create visual unrest.
Empty surfaces and harmoniously coordinated tones, on the other hand, create the calm you need to switch off from the stresses of everyday life. You can break them up deliberately, though – with charming accessories that give your bedroom atmosphere and personality.
1. Closed cupboards instead of open shelves
Does your bedroom double as a storeroom? Even if your living space is limited, you can store the vacuum cleaner, clothes airer and the like discreetly. Make use of nooks!
Shelving systems such as those from String, Audo and Tojo can be adapted to suit your room and also offer cabinet modules with doors, so you can discreetly store everyday helpers. Folding screens or room dividers hide bulkier household items.
When it comes to clothes, towels and the like, closed cupboards also have a decisive advantage: you decide what your bedroom looks like, not your laundry. Speaking of laundry, there are now modern laundry baskets and bags in all sorts of designs. Choose one that matches the colours of your bedroom, and it becomes a decorative eye-catcher.
Does your computer corner have to fit into the bedroom too? Modern, space-saving secretary desks hide the tangle of cables and let the computer discreetly disappear when you don't need it. And calm returns!
2. Play with colour – or don't
Colour plays an important role when you decorate your bedroom. Strong but harmoniously coordinated colours, or a dream in shades of grey? The choice is yours. Just don't choose colours that are too bright. Earthy, washed-out tones are popular and also have a grounding, calming effect.
If you'd rather keep your walls white, the many shades of grey and cream offer plenty of options. Blogger Sarah from COCO LAPINE DESIGN shows how it's done!
3. Work with what your bedroom offers
Bed linen, lights, mirrors, rugs – the classic furnishings of your bedroom already provide the perfect foundation for decorating. They come in many different versions. Carefully chosen and harmoniously coordinated, they create a wonderful base that can be completed with just one or two more accessories.
Different lights not only decorate the bedroom but also create atmospheric, indirect light. For example, you can add a beautiful table lamp on the chest of drawers to the ceiling light and the reading lamp on the bedside table. Chosen for effect, the ceiling light can be an eye-catcher too.
Pendant lights in particular are good at bathing the bedroom in soft light. Available in a wide range of shapes and materials, the shade itself becomes a decorative feature of the room.
4. Cushions and throws do more than add cosiness
Home textiles work wonders. Combined in harmonious colours, cushions and throws do far more than provide warmth and cosiness. They give the bed structure and add a decorative touch to the bedroom. Combine your bed linen with decorative cushions in the same colour family and casually throw a bedspread over the bed. A cushion also smartens up the chair where you put your clothes.
5. How to finish off your bedroom decor
A charming accessory or two and understated pictures on the wall complete your new bedroom look. Again, don't use too many colours – pick up the ones from your bed linen and walls instead. And stay true to the style of your bedroom decor.
Not all plants are suitable for the bedroom – especially if heavy curtains keep out the sun for most of the day. Choose easy-care plants that need little light: ZZ plants, ferns, baby's tears and philodendrons are undemanding.
Some plants, such as aloe vera, parlour palms and some types of ivy, are often said to purify the air and are a popular choice for the bedroom. Alternatively, you can decorate with branches – blogger Sarah, for example, has arranged a cotton branch in her bedroom.
Give it a try and turn your bedroom into a sanctuary where you can unwind from everyday life. Enjoy decorating!
Photo credit: Hatice Köse from @koe.se, Sarah Van Peteghem from cocolapinedesign.com, Pepper Schmidt from heimatbaum.com
