5 Bedroom Design Tips

After I clicked the little 'Design & Decorating' button on my own blog, I realized that I have been remiss in my design duties! How could I leave my readers high and dry in the design department? With the refocusing of my blog, I am more than happy to focus on bedroom design tips! Let's get this bedroom started!

Tip 1: Pick a color to focus on for your room.

When you come into a bedroom and think wow, you see a connection within the room. The items aren't just thrown in the room, there is intentional design. Many times a color draws the room together. Sometimes a particular style gives the room a feeling of comfort. If you want to fuse a room easily and on a budget, choose one main color then choose a few colors that match. Write down a list of items that you need for your room (especially ones that no longer match your color scheme) and start searching for those items in the exact colors that you want. When you mesh these colors throughout your room, it will immediately look much more intentional and will begin to create your own "wow" effect.

Tip 2: The bed matters the most.



Polka Dot Stripe Bolster Pillow Via Turtle Dove Lane

A beautiful room with a nasty bed is still a nasty room. 
The bed matters most. Why? Because it's a BED - room, not a dresser room or a nightstand room. If you haven't dressed your bed, your bedroom is naked. Or maybe just the dweeb of the house. Find a comforter, duvet with a duvet cover, quilt, or stylish blanket to clothe your bed. Sheets matter too. They don't matter to the person passing by your room when they miss the turn to your bathroom, but you know what is hidden underneath your bed topping. Have sheets that match your bed covering and make you feel happy to slip under the covers. Finally, top your bed with some beautiful coordinating shams. Remember those colors on the last tip? Make sure to integrate these into your shams as well as on your bed covering.

Tip 3: Space for you, space for him.

This tip is assuming that this is a shared bed, if this is not the case please skip to tip 4. You both need space in your bed, duh, you both sleep there. But what about the room itself? Each person sharing a bedroom needs adequate space within the room to feel that this is their space. When a lady enters a room, she doesn't want to feel as if she just stepped into her husband's bedroom and that she just sleeps within his space. In the same way, a husband doesn't want to feel as if he just stepped into his wife's bedroom and that he only gets his section of the bed each might. A shared bedroom can't be over feminine and it can't be over masculine. Space for the lady, space for the dude.

 

Tip 4: Don't mistake soothing for boring.

Texture - Brown Flower Pillow Case Via Momo Rad Rose

I've heard people say that they want to use muted tones for their bedroom, but then proceeded to fill the room with flat beige colors with nothing to catch the eye.  BORING!  I'm all for using muted tones.  Some people really don't like a colorful room.  However, when you choose to go muted with the color scheme, you must heighten the other senses!  Choose textured wall art to create extra dimension to the walls.  Choose a bed covering that is quilted to add texture.  Throw fluffy pillows on the bed or use a pattern that is muted yet exciting!  AKA creating a "soothing" space is no excuse to create a boring space.

Tip 5: Move out.

Okay, so you got me.  I don't literally mean, move out of your room.  I do mean move out everything that has nothing to do with a bedroom.  Mainly, a bedroom is a room in which to sleep, change clothes, and perhaps read a book.  Why then, do most of our bedrooms resemble a jungle of junk?  In my personal opinion, if you want to watch television, go to the living room.  If your husband or children are hogging the television, design a television sharing schedule.  Alright, back to the bedroom.  Move out extra frames cluttering dressers.  Keep items needed for sleeping, changing, and reading.  You will never regret moving out!

What is your biggest hang up when it comes to designing your bedroom?

 

Have you already conquered all five tips?

Thank you for stopping by Designing Life's blog!  I hope to keep updating my blog with more "Design & Decorating" posts as well as posts on "Home Organization," "Simplifying Life," and "Printables 4 Life."  If you love printables as much as I do, hop on over to my Etsy Shop Designing Life to browse my designs.  Stop by again soon!

Modern Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas

Unless you are enamored with country style decor, I would like to propose that there are much better choices for Thanksgiving than the traditional country style Autumn decor.  Below are some examples of what not to do with your Thanksgiving decorating.  Keep your decorations bright and significant.  If it doesn't make an intentional statement, it may be making a statement you didn't intend for it to make.  A mix of neutral colors do not neccesarily reflect a classy Thanksgiving color scheme.  Just because they are all neutral and seem to blend doesn't make them a perfect match for your decorating this Fall.  Finally, mixing holiday decorations in a basket, hurricane, or vase does not create a foolproof centerpiece!  Stick with two main types of items when filling a hurricane; in this case, more is NOT the merrier.

Personally, I wish to decorate for Thanksgiving without abandoning my class and my taste.  I wish for the comradary of the country Christmas with the decor that says "I have style."  If you are guity of some of the decorating faux pas, don't dismay.  Simply tuck those tired decorations away and take a look at some new items to jumpstart your Thanksgiving decorating.

Modern Brown Design

Modern Orange Design

I hope you enjoy this collection of Thankgiving Items!  If you are interested in more Holiday Decor ideas check out my Holiday Decorating E-design!

Unique Find: Empire Chest of Drawers



Unique Chest of Drawers at Antique Store



A little over a week ago, my husband and I were in Buena Vista, Virginia.  We love visiting the area because of the beautiful mountains, unique sites, and for all the wonderful antique stores in nearby Lexington.  During this past trip, we found a new antique store in downtown Buena Vista.

The store front used to be a local hardware store, but it had closed within the past few years.  The owner pulled up the linoleum in the store and discovered a beautiful hard wood floor underneath.  As we talked with him about his new venture, an antique store, he explained that a friend suggested that he put some furniture and glassware in the store and see if it sells.  What is the point of leaving an empty store front empty when waiting for it to sell?  My husband and I are more than thankful for his venture, because we were able to find the perfect chest of drawers to replace the small children's dresser that we were still using in our bedroom.

I saw it first.  I walked over to this substantial solid wood chest of drawers and could tell that it was an older piece.  I was the one who was supposed to find a dresser for myself, but this chest of drawers was a little to big and manly for my taste.  So I pointed the piece out to my husband and kept walking.

My husband walked over to the piece and fell in love.  He loved the hand cut dove tailed drawers, he loved the thick pieces of wood used for its construction, and he loved the spacious drawers.  When we looked at it together, we realized that the piece was constructed with cut nails and was definitely earlier than the 1900's.  One look at the price tag and we were hooked, this chest of drawers was coming home to Mississippi.

Let me tell you right now, when a piece of furniture is made right it is extremely heavy!  The interior of the drawers were made of pine, but the exterior was some other wood that definitely added to the weight.  With some difficulty, we loaded the chest of drawers into our truck and brought it inside for the night until the next day when we rented a U-haul trailer to tow behind the truck.

That night we did a little research.  The tag in the antique store had suggested that the chest of drawers was Empire style, so we had a good starting point.  When we began to research Empire style, we found that the style originated over in Europe.  However, this piece had nothing to do with the European Empire style.  This was actually an American Empire Style piece dating from around 1850 to 1860.  Typically, most American Empire furniture pieces were made with mahogany; therefore, we are pretty sure that we have identified the exterior wood on the piece.  The biggest difficulty in determining the type of wood used in the chest of drawers was in the fact that over the years the finish had formed a beautiful cracked texture over the entire piece.  Our new chest of drawers was an American Empire Chest of Drawers from the 1850's constructed with beautiful mahogany.

Comparison Shot:  Old versus New

The chest of drawers made the trip home with no trouble.  My husband was more than happy to replace the small children's dresser, which he had been using out of necessity, with an outstanding antique chest of drawers that more than doubled his storage space.  Though the piece is large, we were able to integrate it into our room across from our bed.  What a wonderful piece of furniture to wake up to every day!  I am truly in love with furniture and enjoy every day that brings me closer to filling my home with unique furniture finds!

Attention to Detail in Home Decorating

When I first began my venture into Interior Design, I paid little attention to detail.  The details came at random and I experienced my life as one unrelated event after another.  This was no difference in my outlook regarding the details during my first year as an Interior Design student.  It took time to realize that it was all about the details.

Whether in my own life or within home decorating, each detail is an opportunity to excel.  Instead of looking at my life as a scattered collage of unrelated pieces, I must realize that each piece is a mosaic that must be relished and experienced to the fullest.  In design, I realize that each element within a room is a unique chance to convey who I am as a person and who I want my family to be.  Each item of decor whether it is a bookshelf, a sofa, or a piece of art says something about me and also expresses my care for my guests.

Doing Nothing Is Doing Something
Many people believe that they can simply leave a room alone to play it safe.  Sticking with the basics may seem like a good idea, but it still communicates.  A guest room without a box of tissues, a trash can, towels, and extra pillows and blankets is saying to the guest, "your host has not considered your needs."  Similarly, a living room without coasters, end tables, or comfortable seating is telling visitors, "I hope you don't stay too long!"

If these messages are being relayed to your company, imagine what you are saying to your family without realizing it!  Each and every detail in your home has the potential to be a constant reminder to your family that you have considered their needs and are actively taking care of them.  The strategic placement of a shoe basket at the front door keeps the floors clean and makes the parents of the household less likely to have to fuss with children about shoes being all over the house.  A homework box on a child's desk allows for a parent to easily monitor a child's progress on assignments, but keeps away the stress of having to ask for assignments and makes it seem less like a trust issue.  Each detail that is attended to actually allows for stress to be removed from a household and for organization and peace to reign.

Just as the image on this blog mentions, you want your house to be about something genuine.  Genuinely seek ways to demonstrate your thoughtfulness throughout your household as you consider the details that can make your lives and homes run more smoothly.  Remember, doing nothing is not a solution, so be intentional about what is being said through your choices in home decor.