Friends! We have a fun opportunity to share a guest post by Julia Weaver, a contributor at Redfin— the popular real estate site. She's gathered helpful tips from designers and industry partners across the country to help YOU transform your bedroom. We were honored to be able to give our two cents along with so many other amazing professionals! SO—are you ready to transform your bedroom into a haven? Here's Julia:
Your bedroom is one of the most important rooms in your house and is usually last on the list when it comes to makeovers. But there is no reason that the bedroom can’t be transformed into your personal retreat – a stylish space to unwind and rejuvenate. Designing a bedroom for comfort and style can be tricky, so we’ve gathered tips from experts, from New York to California, on how to transform your bedroom into a haven.
Devise a master plan for your bedroom
Your bedroom is such a personal space, so determine what your three priorities are, and work from there. These can be anything from comfort, texture, or small doses of bright colors. Deciding on just three priorities helps you to narrow down and eliminate things that might be affecting your restfulness that you might not even realize. – Paro Home
Before giving your bedroom a makeover consider how you want to feel when you walk into the room. Do you want to feel calm and relaxed, cozy and safe or energized? Let your feelings guide your color and textile decisions. – Pattern Observer
Make the space your own
Bedrooms are the place we start our day and end our day, and oftentimes it’s the last place we show any love. Refresh and redecorate your bedroom with whatever style, colors, and linens make you happy. Dress the bed in the most luxurious linens that fit your budget, pillows with fabric you’re obsessed with, and draperies around your windows. Always bring in a comfy chair or two, or small sofa so you truly can retreat, even when it’s just to read or drink coffee, without having to climb into bed. – Bay Hill Designs
Put your comfort first
You spend so much time in bed, having the best fabric next to your skin is one of life’s small luxuries, so consider getting the nicest quality sheets you can afford. Avoid overhead lighting, and bring in soft lighting, reducing your exposure to blue light and helping you drift off to a deep and restful sleep. Place anything visually busy out of view of your bed and reduce the quantity of items in your bedroom. – Adorn House
Layering the bed is a fantastic way of adding color to a room while simultaneously offering temperature regulation. Simple acts like changing the color or pattern of your duvet cover can instantly enhance your mood and bedroom design. Layering blankets and sheets provide the flexibility to stay comfortably cozy throughout the night. – Warm Things
Consider switching around your furniture
Switching up your furniture layout can give your room a fresh, updated feel to it. Before you start moving big pieces around, be sure to keep in mind the scale of your furniture and your room. Also consider the functionality of where you’re moving different pieces to. Changing up your furniture layout gives your bedroom a new orientation and makes a huge difference. –Bandd Design
Create the perfect ambiance
Lighting can make or break a space and in the bedroom, setting the right mood is key. Choose lighting that will give soft illumination without heavy shadows, sconces and bedside lamps are essential in cycling out the harsh shadows of toward lights from chandeliers and pot lights. – Curated Home
A bedroom is all about having an oasis, a respite from the outside world, and layers and textures are essential. Think of different fabrics that envelop you, from a beloved quilt to cushy pillows, even the billowing of soft drapery all create a room that is soothing and relaxing. – Maureen Stevens
Personalize with your favorite things
Just like the old phrase “Home is where the heart is”, we know family is what most of us think of when we think of home. It’s where all of our memories are made, and we share those memories on our walls to remind us of the love that home represents. In times like these, it’s more important than ever to fill your home with those special moments. When you start thinking of ideas to redesign your bedroom, consider turning moments that you’ve captured on your phone into photo tiles. – Sweet Pix
The bedroom where you start and end every day, so it’s important to decorate in a way that inspires and relaxes you. Luxurious italian fabrics available in a beautiful range of colors and prints are a great alternative to tie your space together and make a bedroom that is uniquely yours. – Huddleson Contemporary Fine Linens
Choose the right size furniture
Select nightstands that match the height of your mattress so they are useful surfaces for you while sitting and laying down. They should also match each other to create balance in the room. They don’t have to be identical, as long as they have the same visual weight, it will feel balanced. – J. Fisher Interiors
Scale of furniture is the biggest mistake I see people make. Bigger is always better. The width of the 2 nightstands should be close in scale to the width of the bed. If a queen size bed is 60”-65” wide the nightstands should be 30”-32” wide each. – Tim Green Designs
When giving your bedroom a makeover, select a soothing color palette to create a calm and restful feeling in your room. Be sure to measure your space and select furniture pieces that best fit your needs. For example, if you know you tend to have clutter on your bedside tables, opt for a nightstand option with plenty of storage so that you have an easy hideaway for your things. This also helps promote a sense of calm so that you don’t always have to look at clutter every morning and night. – Heather Scott Home & Design
Reach optimal relaxation
Now more than ever, your bedroom needs to be a relaxing, rejuvenating retreat where you can escape and indulge in a little self-care. Create a calm, peaceful feeling using soft colors, comforting textures through your bedding, seating and pillows, and indirect lighting using dimmers. Most importantly, keep electronics and work out of your bedroom, so you can unwind and get a good night’s sleep. – Suzanne Manlove, Principal Designer + CEO, Arlington Home Interiors
Ultimately, the bedroom is all about creating a space that leans towards re-balance and relaxation. Following a less-is-more aesthetic, pale woods such as the Montego collections solid oak create a connection to nature with its natural beauty. Lights, veins, and graining are celebrated. This grounded approach offers a soothing atmosphere perfect for unwinding. – Maura Dineen, Visual Planner at Moe’s Home Collection
Pick subtle colors to create a calm atmosphere
Choose a subtle paint color or soft textured wallpaper for the walls to create a calm and serene space for rest. Invest in a good comfortable mattress, quality sheets, comforter and duvet to deliver the best sleeping experience. Layer all of the lighting so it can be controlled as you walk into the room as well as from your bed. Unique light fixtures can then be added for tasks such as reading and ambiance. Artwork is personal and can add warm and color to a space. Along with strategically placed accessories that don’t clutter or interrupt the overall design. – Audra Interiors
Achieve a good night’s rest
The bedroom is your final dwelling at the end of the day and we all know how important it is to sleep. Warm colors, soft textures, and a comfortable bed make all the difference. We recommend a calming color palette with blues, grays & whites, comfortable linens and light filtering window treatments along with visually relaxing artwork and candles to complete the Design. Don’t forget to include your master bath in the plan for continuity. -Dennis Frankowski, Interior Designer at DF Design, Inc.
Staying healthy is today’s number one priority and in order to do so there’s nothing more important than a good nights’ rest. Invest in black out draperies, luxurious bedding, a new comfy mattress topper, and a diffuser filled with lavender essential oils for your nightstand. These simple changes will guarantee you a good night’s rest. – Simply Stunning Spaces
Go for neutral colored bedding
Use soft color palettes with a healthy mix of warm and cool colors. Consider using a neutral shell with subtle colors throughout, and lots of texture to make the space cozy. This combination allows your space to be calming, while still being interesting to look at. When it comes to bedding, go with quality, you’ll notice a difference with high-quality linens. Plus, bedding is something that will get wear and tear everyday. Your bedroom is so important—it’s where you start and end each day, and maybe take a pause in the middle of the day. Is your bedroom an oasis? Is it a place you can recharge? Rest? Decompress? relax? Because life is so full and busy and unpredictable—you need a safe space that’s just for you. --Lauren Figueroa Interior Design
During this time even more than most, a bedroom should be a calm environment that encourages deep relaxation and sleep. Calming linens, duvet on top of luxurious percale sheets is always a winner, sticking to calming, neutral colors. I also say to drop all the decorative pillows, they just make clutter on your floor that you have to pick up each morning. You can bring style to your bedroom through minimal wall art and the bedside lamps that don’t add visual clutter. – Bone Collective Studio
As a general rule, beds in hotels always look amazing because they are dressed with layers. So, it makes sense that any successful bedroom makeover would begin with the bedding. Luxurious layering is the key. - Jeffery Rice, Decor Designs, Inc.
Work with Lauren Figueroa Interior Design
LFID is a full-service interior design firm serving West and Southeast Michigan known especially for our Designed in a Day service.
We work with clients from Detroit to Novi to Clarkston, and Grand Rapids to Holland to Traverse City—and anywhere in between! We pride ourselves on creating bespoke, people-centered spaces—because after all, people are what this life is all about!