Showing posts with label bedroom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bedroom. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Interior Design Tricks to Make Your Bedroom Look Bigger

The idea of a sprawling bedroom is appealing to some people, but many of us have only a small space to work with. Luckily, with a few interior design tricks, you can maximize the space in your bedroom. Here are 7 quick tips for making your small bedroom look bigger.

Tip 1: Clean, Clean, Clean

When space is at a premium, you don't want your lovely bedroom furniture to compete with scattered collections of books, shoes, and clothing. Keep your open spaces clear and orderly by using clever ways to hide the clutter. Keep your closet closed. Look for shelves and armoires that can be drawn shut to keep contents out of sight. Table and bed skirts are also great ways to make the room look tidier.

Tip 2: Keep Open Spaces Open

Don't close off your precious floor space with too-big furniture or too many pieces. Opt for smaller furnishings with clean, simple designs. Modern furniture is a great choice. Chaise loungers and ottomans leave more open space than heavily cushioned couches. Shove your furniture up against the walls to make the most of your space, and always leave a clear walkway through the bedroom.

Tip 3: Lighten Up!

You might have heard that dark colors are slimming. That's true for interior decorating, too. If you fill your room with dark furniture, dark carpeting, and dark walls, you'll make it look smaller than it really is. To get the opposite effect, use light-colored neutrals or pastels to open up the room.

Tip 4: Keep it in the Family

The color family, that is. For example, if you've decided on a blue color palette for your bedroom, use a variety of pale blue hues that complement each other on your fabrics and upholstery. This will give the room a monochromatic look that's anything but boring. It will also make the bedroom appear wider and more open.

Tip 5: Match it Up

If you have bedroom furniture, drapes, and sheets all in contrasting colors or busy patterns, you're breaking up the natural continuity of the bedroom and making it appear fragmented and small. Instead, match the furniture to the walls and the drapes. You don't have to use the exact same color on everything, but keep the tones similar.

Tip 6: Let There be Light

Nothing brightens up a room like ambient light, be it natural or artificial. Be creative with your use of luminosity. Hang wall sconces and use drop-down ceiling lights that don't take up floor space. Opt for sheer curtains, and place candle arrangements in front of mirrors for a sense of depth and space.

Tip 7: Bigger is Better

It might seem counterintuitive, but a few quality pieces of large furniture in a small bedroom look less crowded than several smaller pieces. Choose your bedroom furniture with care. Only select pieces that harmonize well with your color scheme, and look for ottomans and tables with hidden storage spaces.

These interior design tips can be put to good use by anyone with a small space they want to enlarge. With a few subtle changes, you'll soon have an attractive bedroom that's comfortable enough to relax in - and that's the whole point, isn't it?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Enhancing Your bedroom with Moroccan style decorating

For a colorful and exotic design theme in your bedroom, you might discover the Moroccan style decorating. If you like rich jewel tones along with exotic woods and inlaid decor then you are guaranteed to love this theme for your bedroom. Using a design theme with Moroccan decor will have you feeling like you are in exotic days.

Augment your decor with bed and nightstands which add interest to the overall style. Take a look at adding dark wood items for better appeal. Various types of pieces which look pleasing with this interior decorating scheme include exotic inlaid style pieces.

It's necessary to buy the proper type of window treatments for your bedroom. Combining drapes or curtains with this decorating scheme normally works perfect, however be sure they are heavy . If you are looking for a pleasant style include some fabric drapes.

Providing area rigs to your bedroom can pull everything together. Don't forget that your flooring is a big part of your theme, so be positive to focus on something that coordinates or matches with both the colors together with the decorating theme. Contemplate adding luxurious rugs in rich colors like reds and purples that set off the other colors in the design theme.

Much like anything else, it's good to used the proper lighting fixtures for Moroccan style decorating. Lighting which is colorful and subdued is appealing for this home decor. Try installing some bedside lamps to your bedroom in this interior decorating scheme for an alluring look.

No decorating scheme would feel it’s best without the matching decorative items, so take a look at decorating with some flower vases and photos in frames. Decorating with accessories which reflect an exotic look ought to look beautiful with this flavor of room design. Accessories add personal style to the room so you want to make sure to focus on ones that exude your own personality.

Redesigning or remodeling your bedroom in Moroccan style decorating doesn't need to be hard or pricey. Just shop for your accessories with care and you will likely get a designer style without having to hire a designer.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Lamp Shades for Bedrooms


How to avoid making mistakes when choosing lamp shades for your bedroom and how to choose even when you don't know where to start.




Lamp shades come in many shapes, colors and designs and they are a great way of enhancing your bedroom décor provided they are in keeping with the style of your room.

If you are not sure what style of room you are hoping to achieve, start with thinking about that because a room with different styles vying with each other for attention is never going to look good.

For example, you could have a contemporary bedroom which has a minimalist theme with plain walls, window treatments and bedding and a simple metallic bed. Then you could add some superb lamps and shades in chrome and glass, even a contemporary chandelier and it would look a million dollars. Your lamps shades and lighting might be the focal point for the room in this instance especially at night.

On the other hand, you might choose a period look bedroom with a carved wooden bed and more ornate curtains with valances in rich colors. With a bedroom like that a couple of tall candle type table lamps with small shades in pleated silk might look more appropriate.

Then there are the nursery type shades which are designed and only appropriate for small kid's bedrooms or shades and lamps featuring football teams, movie stars, cartoon characters or ballet dancers suitable for older children with a particular hobby or favorite theme.

In fact, many of us are better at designing bedrooms for our kids than we are for ourselves. That's because kid's rooms lend themselves nicely to a theme whereas we are often afraid of choosing a particular look and end up choosing bedding we like with one look, lamp shades we "don't mind" with another and curtains from a third. We may cast an eye over our color selections making sure everything "goes together" but we are still not keeping to one style.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are those who decide that everything must come from one rage and they choose curtains, bedding and lamp shades which have the exact same design. That is too over the top and can make your bedroom look contrived. Or we choose everything in plain white or cream for fear of "getting it wrong".

If you are at a loss for how to design your bedroom, it may be that you just need make a decision that you will take the time to design it rather than let things you see in the stores and buy on the spur of the moment lead you into a lack of design.

Perhaps you just need inspiration.

If your home does not lend itself to one particular style or another and your bedroom is quite featureless that can be a problem. If you don't know where to start designing your bedroom and lighting, spend some time looking through interior design magazines and web sites so that you can pick out the kind of looks that you like until a particular look or theme solidifies in your mind.

You don't have to follow the magazines or the sites and buy everything they suggest - that would probably be prohibitively expensive. It's the general look that you like that you are trying to find. And don't rule out browsing through lighting catalogs and sites either because you would not be the first person to fall in love with a particular lamp shade or light and build a bedroom around it!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Choose the Correct Bedroom Wall Lamps


Your bedroom is the place in your home that provides peace and relaxation away from the stresses of every day life. You want the room to reflect on your personal style while providing the right ambiance for the moment. One way to inject mood into the room is with the correct lighting. Lighting comes in a variety of styles from the typical table lamp to the wall lamps and sconces.

When choosing the right light, take into consideration your wall colors and how they will affect the intensity of any type of lighting. Bright colored walls need less light than a room painted in darker colors. The light will also determine how you feel and function in a room as well.

What purpose will your bedroom serve? Do you use the bedroom primarily as a place to enjoy intimacy and sleep? Or is it a multi functional room where you read, watch television or do other hobbies? No matter what purpose the room serves there is a style of lighting to meet the need.

There are several types of lamp fixtures typically used in the bedroom. They include ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, ceiling fans with lights, track lighting, recessed lights and wall sconces and swing arm lamps.

The bedroom that's used for a variety of purposes needs to have layered lighting to provide light for specific areas that doesn't overlap. Layered lighting may require wiring on separate circuits. A study area lighting switch should be separate from indirect lighting that highlights featured art.

Task lighting is a major consideration if reading is a common activity in the bedroom. Swing arm wall lamps are a good choice, especially if one partner doesn't share in your love of reading in bed. The swivel arm on the lamp allows you to focus the light where you need it. The light should be positioned behind the reader. This will eliminate shadows and glare in your partners face. Each lamp should have separate power switches and dimmers. This way one lamp can be turned on while the other remains dark or dimmed.

The dressing area is very important in the bedroom since most people dress in them. A dressing table or area should have wall lights on either side of the mirror. This helps to eliminate shadows the face. For applying makeup easily, an adjustable mirror with magnification helps to reduce the amount of extra lighting needed.

For watching television, consider indirect lighting. A recessed light or wall lamps with low voltage bulbs the indirect lighting required to counterbalance the glare of the TV and still provide enough illumination to the wall area.

Many people choose to have a ceiling fan with or without lights in the bedroom. These are great for adjusting the temperature in the bedroom and providing a romantic feel. Make sure there is a dimmer control for a lighted ceiling fan.

Bedroom lighting should be soft and provide ambiance while promoting relaxation. Whether you choose to use swing arm wall lamps, sconces or table lamps, all lighting should be controlled with a dimmer switch. With careful planning in your lighting needs, your bedroom can provide you with just the right amount of comfort.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Tips For Choosing the Right Accessories For Your Bedroom


Are you searching for a simple way to enhance the décor in your bedroom without spending a lot of money? One way to do this is by accessorizing. You can turn a dull boring bedroom into a beautiful exciting one simply by adding the right accessories. So how do you choose the right accessories for your bedroom? The tips listed below will help you get started.

1. Dress Up Your Bed - Since the bed is normally the largest piece of furniture in the room and is always the center of focus you should start with it. Buy a comforter set for your bed that will brighten up the room. Choose something that enhances the décor you already have but make sure it is a design that you truly like. After all, this is one of the most important accessories in the bedroom.

2. Add Bed Pillows - Once your comforter set is in place you should look for decorative bed pillows to complete the look. Choose patterns that enhance the bedding not ones that take away from it. If you get too colorful or choose patterns that clash it will ruin the look you are trying to achieve. Therefore, you need to stick with simple patterns or solids that bring out the color of the bedding.

3. Choose the Right Window Coverings - Your windows are more important than you might think. You can choose window curtains that match your bedding or something that brings out the color you choose for your comforter set. The choice is yours but you do want to make sure they match the overall design. You should also be able to pull your curtains back during the day and let the sunshine fill your room.

4. Lamps and Candles - Adding a couple of lamps to your bedroom will give you options when it comes to your lighting. This allows you to set different moods and make your bedroom a great place to relax and read a good book or set the mood for romance. Candles always make a wonderful accessory that enhances the décor, gives off a romantic light and can fill the air with an alluring aroma.

These few simple tips can help to transform your bedroom into a relaxing haven or a romantic get-a-away simply by using a few accessories to brighten up the room and enhance the décor you already have.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Teen Bedroom Decorating Ideas

Just as adult decorating decisions are often triggered by a life change, such as a new baby or a major social event like an at-home wedding, your child may want to celebrate a personal milestone with a new bedroom. Right before starting middle school is a popular time to give the bedroom a new personality, but the desire may hit any time between about age nine to sometime in high school. Do your homework and you'll be ready for this adventure whenever it arrives. The pages in this article provide a number of different decorating ideas for your teen's bedroom.

With all of today's product choices available in a variety of price ranges, redecorating a room can be a fun project you and your teen or preteen can share. Let your child know you support (within reason) his or her wish for self-expression through room decor and even an independent-minded child will turn to you for help and advice as well as funds.

­On the ticklish subject of funds, you may already know that, while kids this age are painfully brand conscious, most have no desire for the high-end looks adults crave. Fun, funky, and free-spirited designs hold more appeal, and even kids who appreciate the finer things are likely to want a more unrestrained version of a traditional look.

If you and your child can come to some agreement about such major items as a desk, a bed, and window treatments, buy the best "real" furnishings your budget allows. Then, fill in with fun, low-cost novelties like beanbag chairs in jellybean colors, funky lamps, and dramatically colored bedding you won't mind replacing when a new look comes along in a few years.

Painted walls are a practical choice at this stage of the game. Paint has a fresh contemporary feeling, and, better yet, it's the least expensive, fastest way to make a big change in a room. You'll want to tell your child that paint looks a lot darker and more vivid on four walls than in a tiny paint chip and that professional designers usually advocate choosing a color two or three steps lighter than the color you like best on the paint chip. That said, buy the smallest container you can of several colors in the running, and have your child paint an area about three feet square on one wall with each of the colors. Let your child choose the hue that looks best. (One big exception to starting with the paint color is if your child has already picked out a fabric. Then, you'll probably want to suggest paint to coordinate with the lightest color in the fabric.)

Youngsters are trying on nothing less than their own self definitions when they embark on a room redecoration, so be patient. You can be a big help in minimizing impulsive decisions your child may regret without making your intervention into a power struggle. Try playing interior decorator with your child as the client: When a few choices have been identified, tape fabric and paint swatches and photos of selected window treatments, accessories, etc., on a large piece of white poster board. Your child will be able to see at a glance what works and what doesn't. If you find it too confusing to pull all their likes together in a visually coherent way, keep in mind that, in general, preteens and teens want either a very dramatic room or one that looks as much like a studio apartment as possible.

If you have any extra money or ingenuity to spend on this project, use it to create as much storage as possible. Include both open/display and hidden, and, above all, make storage easily accessible if you want them to use it. This is one area in which little kids and big ones are pretty similar!

If your teen is older, you ma­y want to consider how you'll use the room once he or she is independent. If the room will become a home office, a daybed may be the best choice. If it will become a full-time guest room, you can go with a full- or queen-size bed with all the trimmings. Either way, each page in this article offers unique decorating ideas for a teen bedroom that will always say "welcome home".

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Naturally Smart Teen Bedroom Decorating Idea

If you and your child appreciate modern style, you may be open to today's inventive combination units that put sleep, storage, study, and play areas all together. Cleverly designed and w­onderfully functional, these spacesaving systems have warm appeal when they're made of naturally finished wood.

When it comes to decorating a room around a unit like this, soft contemporary style is a natural. Bright colors and stylized motifs lend a cheerful note that appeals to any age, from tot to teen.

To complete the room, desks, bookcases, and other furniture pieces are widely available in naturally finished wood. Look for those with polyurethane-lacquered worktops that extend the life of the wood without obscuring its attractive grain. Can you have a casual room and substantial furniture? Naturally!

Friday, August 7, 2009

The Bedroom Every Bachelor Should Have

Let's face the facts ' every man wants to have a woman-trap for a bedroom. A bachelor pad should be a statement of masculinity as well as a trap for women. How can a single man bring out the most in his bedroom so that he feels comfortable in it all the time and also has a place where he can bring any lady friends he meets along the way? He should start by picking out the perfect design among the many headboards on the market. One major consideration would be leather headboards, since leather has a very elegant but masculine appeal to it.

The rest of the bedroom can be designed around the headboard d?r, creating a theme. This shouldn't be difficult for most men, since they have more basic style needs and preferences than women. For example, a man knows right away if he likes contemporary style because he can identify the simplicity of his taste. If he likes intricate and imposing design, he'll go for a classical look. Often, men like rustic or western d?r, and a wrought iron and wood bed may be a great addition to the bedroom to bring out such a style. It's really easy to create this type of design, especially after choosing a headboard with a rustic look or the correctly carved pattern to make it appear western in style.

The master bedroom furniture may be the largest element in the room but is by far not the most important in creating a bachelor's bedroom. Often, it's the small things that really make it appealing to both the tenant and the visitor. Having personal items in the room, like photos and frames or little knick knacks here and there make it feel lived in and comfortable. Without these little touches, the room will just feel like an impersonal space, similar to a hotel room. Even wall hangings of prints that are chosen randomly can be a key to personality and can add flavor to a simple and empty bedroom. A few throw pillows or an area rug can easily impart character to an empty space and make it feel more inviting for both home owner and guest.

A final consideration is the size of the bed. Many times, it may not seem important to a single person to upsize, and they may stick with a small twin or full sized bed for simplicity's sake. Still, if today's bachelor wants to impress or intends to invite a woman up for a nightcap and perhaps a little something more, king-sized furniture may be more appropriate. King wood beds tend to seem the most masculine and may be the first choice of many bachelors looking to outfit the perfect bedroom for their needs. A bachelor is lucky to be able to design his own space without the requirements of a wife or girlfriend being taken into account. He has complete freedom of choice, and he should take advantage of the opportunity to build out the perfect bachelor's bedroom while he has the chance.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

How to generate ideas for your bedroom design?

Dear friends,

So, you want to design your bedroom. Hmm... looks like you areserious about it.

Lets' get started quickly. whenever I hear someone say he/shewants to design/decorate a bedroom a lot of things come to mymind.

But, let me clear one thing, design and decorating are twodifferent aspects. When I say design, I mean a whole lot biggerperspective. Design includes a lot more maturity in terms of howyou perceive a space from within.

Of course I will cover more about design in some other article.Decoration is more close to everyday actions that can be takenin order to change or alter a space. Decoration deals withaccessories used in a space. Very small things, such as curtainrods, their color, lampshades, small statues, table cloths,light fittings, are all parts of the detailing.

It is not that design does not deal with these aspects, butdecoration is more do-able easily than the whole design process.

If you are not aware of the decoration techniques, or where tostart, I will give you a list of some place where you canobserve and get inspiration.

1)Of course, the World Wide Web: this Internet is a good placeto start. But the information on the internet is not alwayscompiled and sorted out, the way you want it to be, so you mighthave to look deep.

2)Local Book stores: Interior design magazines, books, brochuresfrom furniture manufacturers is a good source of inspiration.These books and magazines do their best to find out Works ofsuccessful designers, which can be quite inspiring.

3)Exhibitions: Exhibitions held by manufacturers of interiordesign products, can be a good source as well.

4)Movies and TV shows: Yes, these have a very high projectbudgets, so spend thousands of dollars every year to decoratethe sets. Just keep your eyes open and you will definitely findsome good themes in these too. 5)Look for hobby groups around inyour city, look for seminars of those who are successfulartists. Bedroom decoration includes detailing and payingattention to small things. Visit art galleries, where you canfind some good paintings, other related artwork, which canenhance the beauty of your space.

Finally I would like to say that it's your room and you are theonly person who knows better about your likes and dislikes. So start out immediately because "When There Is Will, There Is AWay".

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Guide To Master Bedroom Remodeling

One of the most pleasing decorating makeovers you can carry out is that of remodeling the master bedroom because this is a room where people spend a great deal of their lives but it can easily be more than just a place to sleep. When the bedroom is a good size it provides more versatility to enjoy it in other ways a place to relax in during the day or evening and not just at night. In Europe of course, in particular, France and Italy, the master bedroom has always had a more sensual feel it.

The main aspect of change if you remodel your master bedroom in to a more sensual place is the color scheme and you can achieve this by using shades of red, cream and peach. Of course to improve upon this and enhance the atmosphere further you will need the subtle use of mirrors and candles along with some beautiful tropical plants; I am sure you can see the appeal to this already. Although there are people that like to read in their master bedroom whether it is on the bed itself or in a relaxing chair this is not a new idea as it has been practiced for centuries when people spent more time in their bedroom.

Be sure to provide enough light for reading, which can be done without having to flood the room with harsh reading lights by placing softer lighting throughout the room. The colors used when you create this type of bedroom are paramount for it to work well, so use shades of antique amber or slate blue for example. If you are trying to achieve a sanctuary effect when remodeling the master bedroom, then soft pillows, luxurious throws, landscape paintings and mirrors will promote private reflection.

If you add the comfortable chair and a standing lamp then you will have a retreat that also doubles as a reading room. When remodeling a master bedroom this way, i.e. designed to create a place where you retreat from the world and unwind, it should provide feeling of total privacy which can be improved by displaying photos of friends, family, and places you love. To create a room where you will feel relaxed and have a good nights sleep then you will need to use darker shades of brown and blue, natural woodland and forest colors also work well.

Summary

Where space is not a problem then by placing a small television or writing desk, it can make the master bedroom feel like a place that you can completely retire to. If you are going this far then why not add a mini fridge and drink making facility which could turn your bedroom into a the equivalent of a personally designed hotel suite. Unlike other rooms in your home, remodeling the master bedroom can be allowed a great deal of flexibility; however, beware you don't go too far and find that once in there you don't have much of a reason to leave it.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

5 Tips for Preparing Your Guest Bedroom for Overnight Guests


Expecting overnight guests? Preparing a stylish guest suite is a snap with inspiration from 5-star hotels.

Preparing a stylish guest suite is a snap with inspiration from 5-star hotels and these five tips:

1. Create an environment that promotes a great night's sleep. Make the bed super comfy by adding a thick duvet and lots of fluffy pillows. High thread-count, 100 percent cotton sheets are also a must.

2. Stock the guest room with magazines and books, and put together a snack tray or basket filled with light snacks and bottled water.

3. Lay out bathrobes and place rolled bath towels at the foot of the bed in case your guests would like to freshen up upon arrival.

4. Hang a small mirror in the guest room to provide a spot for touching up makeup or putting on jewelry. A long dressing mirror is also a nice addition.

5. If your overnight guests are family or close friends, it's always a nice touch to display photos of time spent together in the past; everyone enjoys a trip down memory lane.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Enhancing Your studio apartment with Country style decorating


Enhancing Your studio apartment with Country style decorating

To get a calm and comfortable decorating scheme in your studio apartment, you might consider the Country style decorating. This is an interior design that derives its beautiful looks from country stuff - snow shoes, baskets and the like together with basic red, green and blue tones along with beige. Decorating with country decorating will make you feel like you are in the country.

You need your sofas and chairs to enhance your room appearance. This theme works nice with things which are stained or painted pine. By and large, Country style decorating looks perfectly with simple style.

If you really want your studio apartment to have a unique touch, you would be smart to shop for decorative accessories such as artwork and accent pieces. Find decorative items that have a comfortable, unfussy theme. Making the most of decorative items can serve to add your own unique touch on the interior decorating scheme.

To make your decorating theme look it’s best, it�s crucial to invest in the appropriate lights for Country style decorating. When decorating with this type of room design, you�ll strive for your lights to be of a country or natural theme.
Selecting accent lamps in this style to your studio apartment will likely be a beautiful path to enhance on your home decor.

It�s valuable to install a suitable form of window treatments for your studio apartment. You are looking for a plain look, so take this into account when buying curtains. If you seek a put together design think about using some plain curtains.

Bring your decorating style down to the floor by displaying suitable accent rugs. Purchasing the most fitting type as well as colors of floor decor is crucial. Acquiring braided or oriental rugs in earthtones ought to become a fascinating addition to the room design.

See how easy it is to decorate a studio apartment in Country style decorating? If you engage smart shopping practices at flea markets and yard sales you will be able to save loads of cost and adopt a custom decorating style for a lot less cost.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Ideas for How to Decorate a Bedroom


The bedroom is one of the most fun rooms in a house to decorate. Unlike your family room, living room or kitchen, your bedroom is a place that is meant just for you to enjoy instead of being a public place. It should be a room where you feel tranquil, relaxed at home. When decorating a bedroom you should choose items and colors that you love and that you find peaceful and comforting. Here are some ideas on how to decorate a bedroom to get you started.

When decorating a bedroom, you first need to get an idea of the space so that you have a better idea of what furniture will fit in the room and how it should be placed to make the most of your space. Start by taking measurements of your bedroom. Be sure to take notes on the locations of any windows, doors or closet doors including where they are positioned along the wall and how wide they are. Then, take a piece of graph paper and draw out the floor plan of your room. Draw the perimeter of the room and then mark in any doors, windows or closets. You may also want to include notes on the location of electrical outlets if you plan to run a TV in your room.

Next you will either need to choose furniture or decide how to arrange the furniture you already have. If you are starting with new furniture, take into account the measurements of the room so that you don't buy bedroom furniture that is either too large or too small for the space. No matter how you try to squeeze it in, a king sized bed probably isn't a great choice for a tiny bedroom. Decide the maximum size bed that can comfortably fit in the space. Next, see how deep and wide items like dressers and armoires can be to fit well around the bed and still leave room to walk in the bedroom. Take your notes with you when shopping for furniture to be sure that everything you select will work in your room.

If you are using your existing furniture you will need to determine if you have too much furniture for the space or if you need to buy an additional piece or two to supplement what you have.

Monday, June 15, 2009

How to Decorate a Small Bedroom


Learning to decorate a small bedroom without creating a cluttered space can feel like a difficult challenge. There are two parts to the equation of successfully decorating a small bedroom. First, you’ll need to create a storage system that will let you fit everything into a small bedroom without making items inaccessible, or creating wall to wall clutter. Then, it’s time to use some professional design secrets, like a limited color palette and varied light sources, to create the illusion of a larger space. With these easy tips for storage, color choice, and lighting, you’ll be able to decorate a small bedroom so that it doesn’t seem very small at all!

Storage: Banishing clutter

When it comes time to decorate a small bedroom, many homemakers panic because there’s simply nowhere to put everything! If finding room to store all of your belongings in such limited square footage seems impossible, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Professional interior decorators and organization experts agree that inadequate storage is in fact one of the toughest obstacles of living in a small space. However, with these the creative ideas, you can create a sustainable storage system in a small bedroom. The key is to find wasted space and make use of it. Get or build a wooden closet organizer so that you use every inch you’ve got. Kick out the spiders living under your bed and add a few plastic bins or rolling drawers down there for some extra storage room. Fill those containers with items sealed in vacuum space bags, and you won’t believe how much you can fit! Now that you’ve got everything put neatly away, it’s time to move on to the next phase of learning to decorate a small bedroom: making it look great.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

8 Tips for Decorating a Small Bedroom


When decorating a small bedroom then it makes sense wherever possible to conserve the floor space you have in order to make a cramped room feel larger than it really is. Below are some small bedroom decorating ideas which should help you to achieve the right result for such a small space.

1. If you do not have enough space in the room for small bedside table then why not place a wall mounted shelf next to the bed. It will have enough space on it to place an alarm clock, books, photos and other items which will personalize the space for you.

2. If you do not have the room for a bureau or closet then use under bed storage instead. They can either be made from inexpensive plastic or if you wish you can have some made to order from wood. But it is important that you have enough space beside the bed so that you can pull them out when you need access to them.

3. For those of you who want to watch a little TV before going to sleep then fit either a wall or ceiling mounted TV stand. You will be able to purchase one in any good DIY store or store that specializes in storage products.

4. The colours that you use on your walls in a small bedroom should be neutral tones and only 2 or 3 hues of this colour should be used in the room. It is important that you paint the moldings and doors in the room in the same colours as the walls by using contrasting colours you will be making the room feel smaller than it is. The ceilings should be painted white as they will provide a sense of height to the room.

5. The furniture for such a room should be clean lined and have small delicate patterns on it which will help to foster the illusion of space.

6. Open up the room by maximizing any views that it may have of the outdoors by using light fabrics or blinds at the windows.

7. Ensure that the room is well illuminated as this will also provide a sense of space in such a small room.

8. If you are able to add a mirror in a position opposite a natural form of light as this will help to provide further light into a room and therefore create the illusion of space.

Hopefully the small bedroom decorating ideas that have been provided above will help to create the haven of peace and tranquility that you are looking for in such a confined space.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Simple And Easy Bedroom Decorating Tips


As every one will tell you we all want our bedrooms to be warm and inviting as well as a place where we can get away from the stresses and strains of modern living. But for many decorating a bedroom can be a daunting task. But hopefully the bedroom decorating tips that we provide below will give you the chance to produce your dream bedroom.

Accents
The best way to achieve this is by using decorative pillow and then pile them high on your bed. It is important that you use a variety of shapes, styles, sizes, colours, patterns and materials for these.

Also you could use candles as a great accent item which will add a splash of colour to any room and can add a wonderful mood altering scent to the room as well. Another way to add scent to your room is by strategically placing some pots of pot pourri around your bedroom.

Little Girls Room
If you want to add wonder and enchantment to a little girl’s room then why not consider using special lighting. How about adding a small decorative chandelier to the design of the room they are quite inexpensive and your daughter will enjoy looking at the light as it sparkles on the chandelier glass.

Color in a Bedroom
If you want to achieve a much fresher look in your bedroom then why not consider using more neutral colors instead. There are many items within a bedroom which can be easily adapted to match a bedroom design and by using neutral colours on the walls this will help you change the colors of the room more easily simply by changing the bedding and accents that you have in it.

A more personalized room
To achieve a more personalized look to your bedroom why not gather a few small mementos that are based around a particular theme and them display them either in picture frames or a shadow box. However when grouping such items together it is best to group then in odd number (3 or 5) as they look much better than even numbers of items together (2 or 4).

How to create the illusion of space in a bedroom
To create the illusion of space in your bedroom then use cool light colours (white, blues or greens) as this will make the walls seem to recede. Also paint the moldings around the room in the same colour. Plus look at the furniture if you have in your room (a king size bed placed in a small room just does not work). Also remove as much clutter from view as possible and this will help to create the illusion of space in a room. If you can place a mirror on a wall opposite a window as this will reflect light back in to a room further creating the illusion of space and making the room feel bigger than it is.

Hopefully the bedroom decorating tips which have been provided above seem simple and inexpensive and will help to provide that look you are after for your haven from the stresses and strains of modern life.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Your Haven From the Outside World

Simply put, a bedroom is a space in which you can take refuge from the outside world, rest and reinvigorate yourself. It can be a small and functional space, an elaborate suite of rooms, or anything in between. It depends upon the size of two things: your home and your budget.

No matter what the size of your bedroom, it has to serve just one critical purpose. It has to provide you a comfortable place to rest – everything else is just icing on the cake. And resting comfortably, of course, starts with the bed.



Choosing a Bed
Beds come in various sizes and configurations. Larger rooms can hold a Queen or a King sized bed; smaller rooms a single or a full sized bed. You can opt to have just a frame to hold the mattress and box spring, you can choose to have a headboard only, or you can decide to have a headboard and footboard.

Beds can be elaborate and ornate, or simple and practical. Beds are made to fit any design theme you can imagine, so let your creative side emerge when designing your bedroom. But remember, you must budget yourself properly so that you can make the single most important purchase for your comfort: the mattress.


The Importance of the Mattress
The comfort of the bed is all about the mattress. Choosing a mattress is a difficult decision, because there are dozens of brands to choose from, and a confusing array of styles and characteristics. You must pick the appropriate firmness; you must take durability into account; and, of course, you must be aware of the costs involved. The bottom line is, however, that you should be very studious about choosing the right mattress – if you cannot get a good night’s sleep, even the most elaborate bedroom is not achieving its true function.


Closets
Every bedroom, even the smallest, should have a closet. If you are lucky enough to live in a home that is large enough, you might have a walk-in closet with plenty of room for storage. If not, do not despair. Even the smallest closets can be configured to maximize storage space by using one of the many “closet systems” available.


The Proper Bedroom Décor
You can pick any design from Victorian to art deco, but make certain that your choices are calming and restful. All elements of the room should be conducive to a satisfying night's sleep. The master bedroom fulfills its purpose when it is relaxing and inviting, and that includes picking the right colors and/or textures for the walls and the window coverings.


Consider a Master Bath
If your planning a complete remodeling job, including increasing the size of your home, think about adding a master bath. A personal bathroom inside the master bedroom suite will add a great deal of value to your home, as well as provide you with many years of convenience and comfort.


Renovating Your Bedroom: Money Well Spent
Secure in the knowledge that it is absolutely necessary to your mental and physical health to get a satisfying night's sleep, you will not regret spending money modernizing your bedroom. Renovating your bedroom is the type of job in which you might not have to part with a great deal of money to make a big difference.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

How to Make Your Bedroom Chic and Peaceful

How do you turn a humble bedroom into a place that radiates peaceful bliss?
If you can renovate the room, get the floors done in a rose beige or golden beige.

Go for a soothing beige color scheme with golden lighting for a serene and classy effect.

Paint the walls and ceiling in your chosen shade of beige or cream. The unbroken color give the room a sense of spaciousness and harmony.

Add a touch of luxury to the room with a golden chandelier at the center of the ceiling. Let it bathe the room in its gorgeous golden light when it gets dark. The effect in the overall scheme of things is simply beautiful.


Ideally, get a wooden bed and paint the bed frame with the same shade of beige as the rest of the room so it blends in seamlessly into your bedroom.

Keep the decor minimal. Absolutely no clutter is allowed. For that lived in touch, a sheep skin spread in front of the bed would make the room feel really luxurious.

If that sounds to cruel for you, you can always go for a large wool rug laid out in front of the ed. It makes the atmosphere more welcoming.


The dressing table and chair could be of painted wood in a pretty shade of beige to blend in with the surroundings. Just keep all your personal things in the drawer of the dresser and not on the table. At most, you could display a gorgeous bottle of perfume, or two, on the dressing table for the lived in look. Makeup and everything else gets hidden out of sight.

Likewise with the wardrobe. If you can, have a built-in wardrobe to make full use of the space. If space allows it, make it a walk in wardrobe. Whatever the case, paint the wardrobe the same color as the wall so it seemingly disappears into the wall. Keep your clothes and everything else out of sight. No clutter allowed if you want a peaceful ambience. Instead, have a vase of flowers, maybe the perfume bottles on the dresser and a few lighted candles to give your room a soothing ambience.

To break the monotony of an all beige color scheme, you could have a pretty piece of wooden furniture in a natural warm brown. It could be a beautiful book shelf where you arrange your books neatly, or if you aren't very organized, it could have wooden doors to hide the messy shelves.




Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Home Remodeling and Improvement Advice, Contractors Review and DIY Tips

Remodeling Your Home
Remodeling a home can be as simple as changing your interior decorating scheme, or as complex as a major construction job. It can revolve around the ideas and tastes of just the homeowner and his or her spouse, or require the talents and skills of professional architects, designers and contractors. It can be a quick and painless process, or it can involve weeks or months of living in a virtual construction site – it all depends on the planning you do in advance. Planning:Key to a Successful RenovationFor simple remodeling jobs, like, for example, changing the color schemes in a room or a group of rooms, planning might be a simple task. Put together a simple list of needed supplies, block out the time, and visit the local home center for paint color charts and suggestions. Most homeowners can figure out what’s needed: paint, brushes, rollers, a tarp to protect against spills – and even one of those cute little paper hats to keep you from inadvertently changing the color of your hair. This can be a do-it-yourself project, or you might be more comfortable hiring a handyman to do all the prep work, painting and cleanup. Either way, planning for this job is relatively simple, and the successful execution of a project like this is one most homeowners can handle.
The Bigger the Job, the Tougher the Choices
Other home remodeling jobs might be a bit more involved. Perhaps you want to change the entire look of a room by changing not just the color of the walls, but also the drapes, furniture, lamps and floors. This type of job requires more input from more people, and more visits to more stores. It still may be a do-it-yourself job, but you can see that as additional elements start to become involved, additional planning and coordination become necessary for the successful completion of the job. The more decisions that are required, the more complicated things become. Do you want hardwood floors and area rugs, or wall-to-wall carpeting? Do you want painted walls, or an exotic wall covering? Should you treat your windows with drapes or blinds? What color? Which texture? Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Hiring a Pro - Expensive But Worth It
Larger remodeling jobs, such as building an addition to your house, are major projects that require professionals of many stripes, and may include architects, engineers, licensed contractors and applications to the local government for construction permits. Such jobs can be difficult to coordinate and plan, and these are obviously not only more expensive remodeling jobs, but also ones in which costs can become unpredictable. Such home remodeling jobs require meticulous planning, but even then, with so many different tradesmen and professionals involved, lack of coordination can lead to a nightmare of cost overruns and jobs that might take days, weeks, or even months longer than anticipated.
What We Can Offer You
This site exists to give you a brief, but comprehensive, overview into the world of remodeling. Some of the advice we will offer may be obvious; many things you might already be aware of. That’s okay, because if you gain even a single piece of information that you didn’t have before, you’ll leave here just a little bit smarter – and hey, it didn’t cost you a dime. Heck, we may even save you one. We’ll take you through all aspects of the remodeling process – from the big stuff, like room additions, through the small stuff, like picking out a bathroom sink. We’re not going to overload you with lots of complicated do-it-yourself tips, but we will try to point out the who, what, when, where and why of home remodeling. Our site is loaded with links to pages that are packed with information on all aspects of home remodeling, so we invite you to relax, educate yourself and most of all - enjoy!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

How to: Make a bed

From carefully placing sheets and blankets to choosing the right duvets and pillows, get some easy pointers on how to beautifully make a bed.

Crisp, clean linens, a fluffy duvet and perfectly plump pillows: These are the makings of a divinely dressed bed and you can achieve one in minutes with a little know-how, some attention to detail and a touch of care. Here's how to beautifully make a bed.

Alex Newman, author of Hot Property: Easy Home Staging to Sell Your House for More Money in Any Market (John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd., 2007) recognizes the power of a beautifully made bed. She believes every room needs a focal point and in the bedroom, the focal point is the bed. "The more beautiful and lavish, the more people will be stopped in their tracks," Alex says.

Whether you want to impress prospective homebuyers, wow your visiting mother-in-law or challenge the domestic goddess in you, take some pointers from Alex and your bed-making efforts will result in true beauty. Before you begin, work with bedding that matches or complements the colours in your bedroom and consider whether or not want to show off your bed frame or conceal it with a bed skirt. Hide a metal bed frame with a bed skirt. "Tailored skirts are generally more in vogue, but that doesn't mean the gathered kind can't look good," says Alex. "If you have a sleek Roche Bobois-style bed, definitely no skirt."

With bedding that complements your bedroom's decor and a foundation that's skirted -- or decidedly not -- you're ready to make up a perfect bed.

How to make a bed: Bed sheets
Your bed sheets make up the base layer of your pretty bed. For maximum appeal, use clean, crisp sheets either fresh from the dryer or freshly pressed. "If you wash your sheets, the dry cleaners will iron them for less than $10," says Alex. She recommends opting for classic white sheets because it "always looks good" and avoiding dark or intensely hued sheets that tend to look dated.

Place a fitted sheet on your mattress, tucking each elasticized corner under each mattress corner. Tuck any loose edges under the mattress while smoothing wrinkles as you work. Next, place your flat sheet and blanket, pulling up the flat sheet far enough so there's enough length to fold over the blanket. If you're not using a blanket, Alex suggests folding back the edge of the top sheet anyway for a crisp look. Smooth out any wrinkles and visually check to ensure the overhang on each side is about equal in length.

How to make a bed: Hospital corners and decorative blankets
To fold a "hospital corner", tuck in the sheet and blanket edge along the foot of the bed, pulling the fabric taut so it lies smooth. Next, take a corner of the sheet and blanket, pull it taut and angle it towards the headboard as you tuck it under the mattress, leaving a neat angled edge. Repeat on the other side. Don't obsess over perfect hospital corners, but avoid any bulky lumps and bumps. "As long as it's neat and trim, and carefully tucked in, you're fine," says Alex. "We can't all be nurses, now can we?"


There are some blankets that are just too gorgeous to remain hidden under a duvet so go ahead and display these beauties. "Blankets are nice folded at the end of the bed," says Alex. "That suggests a place to relax and read with a cup of tea, while not having to actually climb under the covers." She recommends texture-rich blankets like mohair, cashmere or good polyester facsimiles.

How to make a bed: Duvets, comforters and quilts
You're almost done. With the sheets and blankets dressing your bed, it's time to fluff up your duvet, comforter or quilt and lay it on your bed for its final layer of bedding.

Tip: Choose your bedding's top layer according to your room's decor. "Quilts are nice with anything country -- French, Canadiana, Americana," says Alex. "Duvets can go with any decor and have a more modern look, but comforters work just fine."

Do a visual check to ensure the duvet, comforter or quilt's overhang is equal in length and no loose blanket or sheet edges are left hanging.

How to make a bed: Pillow talk
Pillows are the perfect finishing touches of a beautifully made bed. Fluff up your pillows and place them at the head of your bed, either propped up against a headboard or laid flat. Use an assortment of pillow sizes for visual interest but don't go overboard. The pillows shouldn't make the bed look too top-heavy or bordello-like, Alex warns.

That's it, you're done!

When you make up a beautiful bed, your reward is a welcoming retreat where you can revive and restore your energy. According to mattress retailers Sleep Country Canada, you spend one-third of your life sleeping, so devoting time -- and effort -- to make your sleeping area comfortable and pretty is well worth it.