By following a few simple rules it’s possible to transform a nicely decorated bedroom into a truly beautiful one.
A personal sanctuary that expresses your own unique personality and those favourite colours. emotions and dreams that we hold dear. We spend upwards of a third of our life in this most private room of the house. Isn’t it worth taking the time to get the ambience and feel just as we would wish it to be, as surely there can be no finer environment to reflect our tastes and ideals on a totally personal level?
Colour tones -
Starting with the colour scheme it’s a fine start to choose soothing tones or a restful palate of monochromatic shades rather than bold primary colours. Gentle hues of green, lavender and blue will always create a calm and serene atmosphere, whilst toasty browns, pomegranate shades and topaz set a mood of coziness and comfort. Or simply select your favourite colour and gently tone it down using accent pieces of the same hue around the room to create harmony and balance.
Ceiling treatments -
The bedroom ceiling is the fifth wall, and yet so often gets overlooked. It’s what we see when we lie in bed so don’t just settle for a bland, blank surface.
Instead, try adding a subtle pattern or soft colour. Painting the ceiling a slightly lighter version of the wall colour helps to visually lower the ceiling and create a feeling of comfort and intimacy.
Other solutions might be to stencil or wallpaper the ceiling in complementary textures or try adding architectural elements in the form of coving or beams.
For ultimate luxury, a canopy or tented bed with dressings that hang from the ceiling, can envelope you in warmth and sensuality whilst adding unique texture and a romantic flavour that changes completely the flavour of the room. Most iron beds or wooden beds will lend themselves to this type of embellishment with spectacular results. Traditional metal beds are particularly suited to canopy ornamentation and as a way of visually linking the ceiling with the rest of the room, it has little equal.
Keeping things simple -
But it’s worth remembering that too much frippery can ruin a room design and simple, sophisticated elegance is the best approach, whatever style of decorative theme you decide upon. Too little space between the bed and side walls or larger pieces of furniture will create instant claustrophobia. In effect, this means furnishing the bedroom with only what you need. A bed, a bedside table or two, a dresser and chair are necessities. Anything more is in danger of becoming superfluous, except for those lucky enough to have room to spare. As such, choosing correctly sized and styles of furniture is crucial.
It’s a good idea to start out with a floor plan and work out exactly where everything is going to fit. Furniture should be in keeping with the shape and character of the room, so it’s pretty obvious that it’s a good idea not to try to squeeze a large brass bedstead into a small room, however much in love you might be with the design.
It’s a trap that many, sadly, fall into!
Conversely, if the bedroom is large with higher ceilings, a bedstead with a high head end or tall headboard will help visibly draw the room height down. Large rooms will happily provide a home for an ottoman or a handsome piece of furniture at the end of the bed.
(please see our blog article for some suggestions here)
And just as large furniture is a no-no for a small room, smaller furniture and accessories will look lost and sad in a large room. It’s all about proportion.
Accessories -
Should be kept to a minimum. Quality rather than quantity is the key. Choosing a beautiful piece of artwork, stone statuary or an evocative sculpture, will be far more alluring than lots of little dust-gathering ornaments. Just add flowers, a cluster of family photos and some strategically placed large church candles, and then leave well alone.
Storage corners -
By having plenty of storage options, clutter and non- essentials can be kept from sight, in turn creating an airier, calmer environment. Roomy bedside tables with drawers and doors are great for hiding books, lotions and reading glasses, as is an old trunk or coffer at the foot of the bed for storing sheets, blankets and pillows.
Chests of drawers make for perfect storage solutions as do shallow boxes for sliding under the bed that can be hidden with a pretty bed valance.
Create a private nook -
Indulge yourself with a cosy corner to sit and relax. Where space allows, create an intimate reading area with a comfortable chair and foot stool or chaises longues at the end of the bed or in a quiet corner.
Alternatively, install a cottagey window seat under the window to enjoy the view and natural light. Cover the same with beautiful window dressings to help frame the window and the view, whilst adding softness, pattern and texture. Sheer curtains that filter light can add a wonderful dreaminess to the bedroom, blown by cooling summer breezes.
Luxurious linens -
More opportunities to indulge, this time with luxurious fabrics. Beautiful linens add instant warmth and luxury to the bedroom. Egyptian cottons and quality linen sheets afford us the premier hotel treatment for the little extra time taken to launder and press. Incorporating other sensual fabrics within the room will heighten the effect with soft faux fur bedthrows and maybe a soft mohair or cashmere throw on the arm of a chair.
Piles of cushions and pillows provide an extra feeling of cosiness and extravagance that is just perfect for the bedroom just as rich accent rugs on the floor and some softly sympathetic mood lighting for reading or a background glow, will serve to link the whole story together.
Dedicating your bedroom as a cherished space to relax and renew, free from computers, televisions and other modern world distractions, will yield the ultimate dividends with a mood to delight and captivate.
Tags: Brass Beds, Iron Beds, Metal Beds, Original Bedstead, Wood Beds
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