Update A Bedroom In Ten Minutes

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.

Need a headboard? Try these ideas.

Adding a headboard to a bed can create a terrific focal point, add storage, and add a finishing element to a room. Gaining storage is a plus for small bedrooms and adding architectural detail often completes a large one.  My advice on this project - some are DIY - use the best quality materials you can. Hire a pro if you cannot fabricate a high-quality product. Since you'll look at it daily, you want it to be the best it can.

1) Shelf headboard. This is a very quick idea that adds storage as well as architectural detail. This custom shelf is painted yellow for a cottage style room. Purchasing free-standing shelves from a big box store works well but be sure the shelves are affixed together; you can even add doors to the shelves.  Adding moldings creates a built-in look. 

2) Fabric headboard.  A very standard idea that has many variations. Soft, attractive, a place to add color and texture, this option is less expensive than a four poster or sleigh style bed. Make it a high quality fabric like Sunbrella or Ultra-Suede so it is durable, cleanable and safe.


3) Upholstered wall. Rather than defining the area just above the bed, use fabric and batting to pad the entire floor-to-ceiling space behind the bed for a great look.

4) Floating Shelves.  While not the best alternative for a child's room, floating shelves are a sleek way to add detail above a bed. Great for guest rooms when books, lighting, toiletries and other items are within reach for guests. This affords you the opportunity to change the decor and re-position the shelves as needed.

5) Recessed shelve haves. If you have a large niche - common in California tract homes, flanking the bed with recessed shelves looks nice and functions well. In a large room, you can create this on one wall and add depth to the space. The shelves are perfect for books, photo frames and collectibles; be sure to tuck in some lighting.


6) Panels.  Any type of panel, whether it's wood or fabric or a found object, can be hung as a headboard and add an artistic element. Ideas include mirror frames, Asian artifacts and even plywood painted or stained to complement the room decor.

7) Architectural salvage. Windows, shutters, doors, old mantles and other elements salvaged from prior use, make wonderful headboards. How about an old gate, a wrought iron fence, and even the mirror from an old bedroom set? For simplicity hang a wooden curtain rod above the bed and drape an old quilt or decorative fabric over it so it becomes the headboard.

Beautiful bedroom update ideas.

Need to refresh your bedroom? With so many products and options available which do you choose?  Here are three bedrooms with directions for making the changes.  

  

    

Some simple changes transform this casual bedroom into a sophisticated guest retreat. The walls, once a pastel green, were refreshed with a light blue hue, and the white ceiling became a soft blue. Crown, base and doors moldings remained white. Adding a transitionally styled iron bed frame was the most significant change.  Draping inexpensive sheer fabric (less than $15 per yard) over the frame creates a soft, inviting place to sleep. Instead of the two-drawer nightstand, an end table - the same height as the mattress - provides a landing space, shelving for books and a clock, and its new open style fills the void next to the bed with just the right element. Adding a deeper toned area rug beside the bed rather than in the center of the room makes the room seem more open, and is better underfoot for guests. White big box store bedding, a yellow throw and brightly colored pillows in blue and complementary orange, finish the bed. Lighter artwork, all in the same transitional versus cottage style, refreshes the space and provides the finishing touch.

While this room looks significantly different, there are some shortcuts to be considered.  Purchasing ready-made shelves from a discount store, and tying them together with molding, is the largest change. They create a headboard with storage, end table function and additional space for lighting. Warm tones of beige on the wall and an area rug in the same hue, provide a warm backdrop for the new white trim and doors.  The doors, while hinged French doors instead of sliding wooden doors, can be created without the expensive price tag. Using reclaimed doors from a salvage yard is one solution, sustainable and cost-effective.  Another is to apply molding over inexpensive mirror squares to a slab door. Hinges are required here since the added dimension would not allow the doors to slide. Bedding remains white, but as with the accessories, the addition of blue accents, is the ideal contrast to the beige and white. A simple wooden bench completes the transformation.

Re positioning the bed in this space was key to the change. In front of the window, the bed took up less space in the room and the open weave headboard does not restrict light from entering.  The walls went from pale yellow to a deep ivory. Blue was the accent color in the 'before' space and became the feature color in bedding, bed drapes and pillows. An inexpensive "found" headboard separates the window and bed and enables pillows to be propped up, adding dimension and texture to the bed.  A Roman Shade lets more light in than the prior sheers and is tailored and neat.  The bed drape was constructed by nailing MDF trim to the ceiling, and applying the fabric at all four corners.  The large scale damask fabric contains the ivory wall color and a soft blue that is used again in the tailored bed skirt. Ivory bedding is ideal for many spaces, and maintains the neutral backdrop to keep the small bedroom from looking crowded.  Adding a bolster pillow in a solid blue with ribbon trim, and a patterned blue lampshade, completes the transformation.