I think most people will agree that your bedroom is the most personal room in the house. It’s the one room where you’re allowed to stamp your personality on it more than anywhere else. Guests aren’t likely to go into your bedroom, so you don’t have to worry so much about restricting yourself to designs that others will like.
For some, designing a bedroom is very difficult. However, I’m here to tell you it’s not actually as hard as you think. When you really start to plan things out, you realize there are only a few main considerations. Once they’re sorted out, your bedroom starts to take shape and look fantastic.
So, here are the main things to think about when designing the perfect bedroom:
The Style/Theme
First and foremost, you need to think about the style of your bedroom. I’m not going to tell you how you should style your room or what theme you should go with, it’s entirely up to you. Different people have different tastes, and the great thing about bedroom design is that you get to express yourself freely.
It’s very important that you think about the style/theme from the get go. This is because it will decide how you choose some of your other things down the line. Everything should be geared towards the theme, and the purchases you make will have to fit with the style you have in mind.
How do you choose a bedroom theme/style? You can do many different things to try and unlock your design inspiration here. Firstly, just think about yourself and what you like. It’s okay to want to design your bedroom in a way that’s maybe not that popular generically. As long as you’re happy with it, that’s all that matters. Having said that, if you don’t have any ideas in your head, you can always check out current trends for inspiration and ideas.
From a practical standpoint, you might want to think about designs and styles that are easy to achieve. I know there are some people that like to go really crazy and have fully-themed bedrooms. Things like Chinese/Asian inspired rooms are somewhat popular, but they’re harder to put together because you have to look for very specific things. Just bear that in mind if you maybe don’t have the money or resources to spend trying to design a bedroom.
The Bed Itself
Next, you have to pay attention to the bed itself. This is the main feature of your bedroom, and your choices here have huge consequences. Not only do beds help complement the tone and style of the room, but they also have consequences on how you sleep every night.
There are three main things to think about when you’re putting together the ideal bed for your bedroom; the style, the mattress, and the sheets. All of these things combine to give you a bed that really sets the tone for the whole room and provides you with so much comfort.
How do you choose the style of the bed? In truth, this is entirely down to you, pick something that you like and will complement your vision for the room. For example, you might be thinking about designing a very modern room. In which case, you may consider a bed with a sleek metal frame or a really low down bed with a modern design. You’ll be avoiding big oak beds or ones that are styled with fancy metalwork. It’ll be kept simple as that’s the modern style.
With regards to the mattress, this will most definitely be a personal choice. There are no style benefits to any type of mattress, it’s purely a comfort thing. The perfect bedroom doesn’t just ooze style, it should also be comforting and make you relax. This is where the mattress comes into play as the perfect firmness for you will help you relax and feel comfortable. So, get looking and try out various ones until you find one that suits you best.
As far as the sheets go, they’re the complete opposite to the mattress in that they’re purely design based. You want to buy some sheet sets that match the style and color scheme of your room. Again, this depends on the style you’re going for. If your room follows a monochrome style, then you’ll obviously be looking for black/white sheet variations, and so on.
Additional Furniture
As well as your bed, you need to think about additional furniture in your bedroom as well. Unless you’re a proper minimalist, you won’t just have a bed and nothing else. There will be other things such as a chest of drawers, a closet, a dressing table, etc.
Now, when you choose additional furniture, I implore you to ask yourself one question; do you really need it? This helps you avoid cluttering up your room with bulky items you don’t actually need. For example, do you really need two bedside tables with drawers in them and another chest of drawers? In all likelihood, you can fit your underwear and other clothes in the bedside table drawers and don’t need the other set of drawers too! Example number two; do you actually need a dressing table? Some people always like to get ready in the bathroom or just enjoy sitting on the floor in front of a mirror. If you don’t find yourself thinking ‘wow, I desperately need a dressing table’ then don’t buy one!
So, only get additional furniture that you need. Also, try and find stuff that’s practical and space saving. Space is a huge thing in bedrooms, you want to create as much of it as possible. As such, your furniture choices should be designed around storing things and freeing your room of clutter. Let’s face it, you’ll need a closet and some drawers of some kind, then the rest is up to you.
Again, don’t forget to pick things that match the style/theme you chose right at the beginning. If you went for a modern design, don’t buy some antique furniture as it will just stick out against the color scheme and style.
Lighting
Finally, there’s the lighting in your bedroom. This is the last element you need to think about, and then everything will come together, and you’ll have the perfect bedroom.
Naturally, as with everything else, the style of the lights should reflect the theme of your bedroom. Also, you should think about whether you want little bedside lamps as well, to provide you with a warmer light at night.
Personally, I think there are two things you should do with the lighting in your bedroom. Firstly, make sure you have dimmer switches. A dimmer switch allows you to control the lighting level and really set a nice mood depending on how you feel. Secondly, make sure you install a switch next to your bed. This is absolutely essential as it means you can turn the lights on and off and dim them without getting out of bed. It saves you the despair of getting nice and comfortable, settling down, then realizing you have to get up and turn the lights off.
When you break a bedroom down into these key parts, it becomes much easier to design it. You’ll put together a room that follows your chosen style with everything complimenting it. Not only that, but you’ll also have a room that’s very comfortable and encourages you to relax - which is exactly what a bedroom should be like!