Hello everybody and Happy New Year!

I recently decorated a client’s bedroom and transferred it from drab* to a beautiful, cosy bedroom heaven.

Here are some practical tips how you can do the same at home.
 
*) It had a yellow wall and beige carpet, thanks to the previous owners. And a mishmash of second-hand functional furniture which were always meant to be just temporary, but two years later were still there. You know the story, we all have done it.

This is what it looked like before:

And this is what it looks like now:

Bedroom decoration by INSIDESIGN

1. Layout

This bedroom is good size, but two of the walls are broken by doors and one reserved for windows. The layout became fairly obvious: the bed on the only wall it fits and the dresser opposite it.

When thinking of the layout in your bedroom keep these points in mind:

• Traffic paths – keep access to all doors, wardrobes, ensuite and both sides of the bed clear and wide enough. You walk in the room when it’s dimly lit and don’t want to hit your toes to random pieces of furniture on your way to the bed.
• Outlook – What do you want to see when you lie in bed? If you have a beautiful view, can you turn your bed to face it (while still preserving clear traffic paths)? If you can’t face the window, think carefully what to have opposite your bed – this will be the last thing you see before going to sleep and the first thing you see when you wake up. Hopefully it’s not piles of dirty laundry and once worn clothes. Opposite the bed is also the place for the amazing artwork so that you can admire it. Not above the bed.
• Storage – Are you a hoarder or a minimalist? Do you require small bedside tables just for the sake of them or do you pile your book and magazine collections on them? This impacts the size of your bedside tables. You need to store socks and underpants somewhere, unless there are drawers in your wardrobe. They need to be accessible when you come from shower and perhaps not under the window if you have neighbours.

Opposite the bed is the best place for your amazing artwork.

 

Bedroom decoration by INSIDESIGN

2. Style and materials

My Client (let’s call her “MC” for short) likes casual, modern furniture; no frilly bits or mid-century legs in this house. Because the house itself is quite modern, I tried to incorporate a lot of wood to soften it and make the atmosphere more natural.

We chose straight legged, solid, teak furniture. The dresser, bed and bedsides are not from the same range or even the same shop, but because the materials and styles match, it creates a harmonious, consistent look.

MC chose the wallpaper herself. She had seen it in a hotel room and it took me forever to track it down (all the way from Sweden, I’ll have you know). We chose a dark wall paint to other walls in a matching colour to compliment the wallpaper and I’m very happy with the result. This dark grey has got a lot of purple in it depending on the light, and it adds drama and mood to the room. It contrasts nicely with the crispy white trims and doors.

The old awful carpet was replaced by a luxurious near-white pile loop wool carpet. That’s a good choice for a household without pets or small children. (Note: check your domestic situation before choosing it to your house.)

Bedroom decoration by INSIDESIGN

Tips for you:

• Don’t be afraid to use moody, dark colours – bedrooms are used for sleeping, they don’t need to be light and bright. Colours not to use in bedroom: bright red, orange, anything invigorating and aggressive. I wouldn’t use large sharp patterns either (think black and white chevron).
• Choose your style and stick to it. Bedroom benefits from harmony.
• Double-check that your colours go together and always check the paint colour in different lighting conditions.

3. Decorate with soft furnishing and accessories

This room was quite masculine and formal once it was renovated and the furniture was in. To make it more casual we chose off-white and charcoal pure linen bedlinen. They are meant to be wrinkly and the casual effect is instant. Added plus: no more ironing!

We chose the linen to go with the wallpaper – bright white would have made the wall look dirty (like in the picture below).

Bedroom decoration by INSIDESIGN
 

The final touch was the curtains. The room already had plantation blinds for light control. We chose off-white flowy sheer curtains from Alhambra’s new Dandelion range and installed them floor to ceiling, across the whole wall and to pool on the floor. The floor-to-ceiling curtains hide the fact that the windows in this room are set quite high. The vertical lines of the folds make the room look higher. And the sheer curtains filter light beautifully. With a couple of dusty pink cushions and a throw the room became instantly feminine and dreamy.

To do at home:

• Choose your soft furnishings and accessories carefully to match the room colours and style. Lovely things in shop might not be lovely things in your room.
• Invest in new bed linen and make sure the colours compliment your room and don’t pull it down. Buy the best you can afford.
• Consider installing curtains. Blinds are practical, curtains make the room magical. Always install the curtains higher and wider than the window to give an illusion of a large window, and all the way to the floor. Pool them if you want. Not if you have kids or cats.

 

Bedroom decoration by INSIDESIGN
 

What do you think of this bedroom update?

Please get in touch if you’d like some help to decorate your bedroom!

Back to the beach now people!
 

Sari