The bedroom is a space where you begin and end every day. It should be relaxing, enjoyable, serene, and designed just the way you like it. Here are a few tips that with advanced planning you can make a shopping trip to a big box hardware store, a discount home goods store, IKEA, a thrift/consignment shop a success. Some of the easiest changes are a walk-through of your own home taking inventory of what you have. You can gather some fabulous items and install a new bedroom in about 10 minutes. Take a look at these ideas.
First change one of the largest surfaces. Add an area rug. Yes, you can also place one on top of carpeting if that's what you have. Select the right pile height, position it correctly and it will not be a trip hazard. You can do it for no cost if you simply swap one from another room. Are the bedroom colors not the same as the living room so you're not sure of the swap? An accent color could be fab and allow you to add more of the same color in pillows and accessories to pull it all together. You can get fabulous 8' x 10' wool or sisal area rugs at big box import stores for approximately $200. I've even found some at www.rugsdirect.com that are wool!
Next, improve your lighting. It can be as easy as moving a fixture from a room that you don't use much to the bedroom. Since we always gather in the family room, my living room lamps were unused. They're a bit formal but add sophistication in the bedroom. What a great change. You can certainly find attractive lamps for under $100 at big box stores, discount stores, or simply refresh the one you have with a new shade. Some styles of pleated shades are dated, and if your hardback shade has a yellow interior, replace it. Have only six dollars? Head over to your local Home Depot store, select a spray color from Rustoleum, and refinish the fixture you already have. Even swapping a light bulb from an incandescent to a soft white LED makes a wonderful lighting change. Put your overhead lighting on a dimmer and save energy while you create precisely the right moods. Even table lamps can be dimmed with an inexpensive cord control. For a more sophisticated system you can install Lutron Caseta which is available in my local showroom WWW.TOT-home.com.
Sometimes all you need is a little bit of color. Pillows will do the trick. Yes, I know, pillows have to be taken off to sleep in the bed, but they make a difference in how soft and inviting your bed is. With all of the discount retail shops available, you can purchase 4 pillows for approximately $50. If you can sew, check out the discount section of your local fabric shop and you can make a pillow for under $10. Have a little more time? Make or buy a pillow headboard. Soft and inviting, use any color you like to make a statement. It'll be something soft and colorful to lean up against when you're reading or TV watching in bed.
Add color and texture with seating. I always like to have a place for people to sit when I design bedrooms. It's amazing how many people don't have a chair. It can create a soft corner filler. If you have the room depth, add a bench at the foot of the bed. Both benches and chairs are functional since while you don't want them to be cluttered with clothing, but you can put your bed pillows on a bench, lay your clothes out for the next morning on your chair, even sit down easily put on shoes. With a bench, you gain added storage when you tuck baskets underneath. I've placed shoes, cat toys and even my small weight set in mine. If your room is particularly small, tuck an ottoman or pouf under and next to other furniture.
One of the easier things is swapping art from room to room. How about creating a feature wall? Layout and hang a new vignette. Have only one piece? Move it to a new wall. As with lighting, discount shops have a good collections of canvas art for under $25.
If you really want to dress your room up, bring in some new fabrics. Get a new comforter or duvet, add a throw, and if those two things are out of the budget, put on a bed skirt. I often scour the local fabric shops for fabric remnants and hang them over simple curtain rods as decorative art.
Improve your storage. This is a simple as having baskets to throw shoes into, have a place for pillows, clear the clutter of paperwork and newspapers next your bed, and even stack the books you love to read inside.
Don't have a dime to spend? Then simply rearrange what you have. Place the bed on a different wall, even in a small room that can be done. Try angling furniture - like a chair, small shelf, or a plant in the corner. Do you need a dresser opposite the bed or can it become a nightstand? There are so many creative ideas, if you need a little assistance check out my blog archives and Pinterest boards.