Your bedroom is a sanctuary, and you should treat it as such. Unless another part of your apartment is begging for a design touch-up, you should concentrate your creative energy on making your bedroom a more livable place this spring. Some bold ideas that can help you spice up your bedroom’s look and feel when you embark on this project include:
Introduce the Natural
As the place where we start and finish each day, drifting off into a restorative sleep that we hope will help us wake up in a better mood the next, it is appropriate to complement the synthetic elements of a bedroom’s design with some organic ones. A natural hardwood nightstand is a start, but live plants are what we are really after here. Juniper bonsais and peaceful zen garden flowers can give your bedroom a sense of calm that will help sleep easy, and start your day inspired. Arrange these objects so that you will see them when you first open your eyes in the morning.
Set Up a Display Space
Do you stash all of your decorative trinkets on your bedroom windowsill for back of a lack of a better display space? Or have you tried to space these trinkets throughout your room, filling every surface because you do not think these items fit together? While it is possible that the comedy-and-tragedy mask duo your friend brought you from Venice looks out of space next to the porcelain dog keepsake you have kept in a special place ever since your childhood dog passed, these items and others just may work together when set on the right staging area.
Lay Out an Area Rug
Wool rugs have a long-standing tradition of being an essential part of cultural and social life in Central Asia and the Far East. To many families in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iran, a rug is a coveted family heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation. In the West, fine hand-woven rugs have become popular because they serve both aesthetic and functional purposes. Find a Persian carpet that tells a story, without being so busy that it detracts from other key features of your bedroom’s design. An area rug that extends between six and twelve inches beyond your bed in any direction is a great way to highlight your bed’s importance, and it can make your bedroom feel bigger.
Switch Up Your Focal Point
Laying a fine, handcrafted rug under your bed will make your bed the focal point of your room. Alternatively, you can invest in an attractive and design appropriate headboard that will draw attention to your bed or even serve as a focal point in its own right. Other options include a single, minimalist piece of art positioned in the otherwise sparsely decorated expanse of wall above your bed; adorning matching bedside tables with identical lamps or vases to create symmetry; and storing an oak or cedar chest at the foot of your bed.
Strategically Position Mirrors
The placement of mirrors in a bedroom can have a dramatic impact on the feel of the room. If you decide to place a wall-size or panel of mirrors on one wall, you can generate the impression that your room is twice its size. This is a bold move, one that should only be carried out if you are entirely satisfied with the room’s pre-existing design. If you do not want to take this jump, test out the placement of mirrors in different corners of your room, and see what kind of vibes you get. The hanging of a series of mirrors alongside one another in a portrait-like fashion is another bedroom design trend you may want to test out.
Enhance Lighting
Homeowners and apartment dwellers are waking to the importance of quality lighting in their homes. If you live in a well-appointed luxury apartment, you may already have some great groundwork to work with. When it comes to bedroom lighting, there are two main features most of us are concerned with: closet and bedside lighting. Effective closet lighting helps us find articles of clothing we are searching for in the fray of dozens of other shirts, belts, or jackets. It can also help us make easier judgments on clothing items we test out together when coordinating our outfits.
Bedside lighting is important for a few reasons. First and foremost, it can help illuminate the way to the bathroom or kitchen for middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet and water runs. It is also essential for those of us who like to read before we go to bed, as there is nothing more annoying or second-wind invoking than having to get up out of bed to turn off an overhead light. Finally, the flick of a bright bedside lamp’s switch following the buzz of an early morning alarm in the middle of winter when it is still dark outside but the time has come to rise and get ready for work can help jumpstart your day.
Regardless of whether you are looking for a more modern or traditional look for your apartment bedroom, invest some time and energy into improving your bedroom’s design this spring and you will not regret it. Appreciating and enjoying the space we live in is vital to our quality of life, so make those changes that your gut is telling you to make!
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