In the bedroom

Hearing the bird chirping in the morning just makes me smile. The daffodils have all but gone now but a few of my tulips are starting to bud and I'm ready to plant my seeds I received in the post from Sarah Raven.  But today I'm not talking gardens, but bedrooms, that place we all go to when we're done for the day.

Apart from the obvious elements which every bedroom needs, there’s the desire for it to look either glamorous or quirky and any other number of pleasing adjectives. It makes perfect sense that we spend money on a room that we get to sleep in every night. Sometimes we spend so much money making our other living spaces look good that we neglect the one room in the house that deserves it the most!

A few clues that your bedroom needs updating:

• You last painted the room when you moved in 20 years ago and you haven’t changed any of the furniture in the last 10 years.
• You’re still using the same duvet covers you bought 10 years ago.
• The curtain fabric is threadbare and perishing from the sun but you don’t want to replace them because the fabric is no longer in stock/ you've got vertical blinds.
• The cushion covers you bought to go with the duvet cover are worn and faded and the inners have gone all flat and sad looking (By the way, down/feather cushion inners never have this problem).
• Everything is the same colour, the pillows, the duvet, the curtains, the lampshades and the cushions on the bed.

If you've answered even one of them, it’s time for an update.

You can change a room from looking dead boring to boutique hotel inspired by changing the accessories and bed linen and installing some jaw dropping wallpaper or art.

Wallpaper:

Think about how you want to change the room, what kind of atmosphere you want the room to have and work from there. If you’re into a vintage cottage look then a patchwork quilt on your bed might be the way to go, but don’t go pairing that with modern geometric wallpaper because the contrast between the two different looks will be jarring and just plain messy. Hanging wonderful wallpaper alone won’t change the room if you've neglected to think about how the existing bed linen, cushions and throws will suit it.

Halcyon House

Colour:

Colours evoke different emotions in each of us. Painting the walls a different colour can lighten and brighten a dull room. Naturally dark bedrooms look fabulous painted in inky muted colours and create a cocooning intimate feel if you are brave enough to wander beyond the light paint colours. Dark is not for everyone so I suggest painting the back of a long strip of spare wallpaper in the colour you have chosen and sticking it up on the wall for a few days so you get an idea of how it will look and more importantly how you it makes you feel.

Fenton&Fenton

Bed:

Headboards frame your bed and since it is the biggest piece of furniture in the room is an obvious focal point. If you don’t like the colour of your headboard, have a cover made. Hang a rug or a stunning piece of fabric over the bed if you don’t have a headboard.  

here

Lighting:

Consider changing out the lampshades/bases. I love big statement lamps but we all have different taste. Changing the lamp bases for larger bases with more texture will also add interest to the room.

Bed linen:

This is my favourite part of decorating a bedroom. This is where you can be bold and really inject some colour. Bed linen gets washed often which means it doesn't last for years and years. It needs replacing. My mother taught me to have at least 3 full sets of bed linen including pillowcases; one on the bed, one in the wash and another in the linen cupboard but I can’t say no to pretty bedding so I have way more than that, but 3 is a good number to start with. Freshen up your linen cupboard by investing in good quality bed linen. If you want a more casual unstructured look then linen has that natural crease which will give the entire room a chilled out vibe. I was always a white only bedlinen kind of girl which I've stuck to for the last 20 years, but lately I've been venturing into colour and pattern, interesting flat sheets edged with embroidery and even coloured fitted sheets. Layering coloured and patterned pillow cases will also create an interesting focal point on the bed. Here I'm showing off my new bed linen from Zara Home UK, I've mixed up all the different blues and patterns and I love how it looks.

Mirrors reflect light, bounce it around the room, create interesting shadows and can look fabulous hung or propped behind table lamps. If you have a carpet that’s a bit boring or looking a bit shabby but you don’t want to replace it, bring in a textured rug to liven it all up.

here

Accessories:

Cushions and throws add the final touches to a bed, but cushions are like Marmite, you either love lots of cushions or you don’t. I happen to love them. Plants add another dimension to the bedroom. they add a little greenery to the room and let’s not forget the power of art on the walls. 

here

I love the pillows on this bed as well as throw on the headboard, but for some reason the round mirrors and the lamps clash for me, they need to be either rectangular in portrait style or to be hung up a little higher.

here

So there you have a few ideas to bring a little beauty into your bedroom and make it a space you actually want to spend time in.

Until next time!

Sharon