I've seen it a thousand times. Bed centered on one wall. TV centered on a dresser about 2 feet from the foot of the bed. A bedside table or box used as a bedside table with an alarm clock, an empty glass, a book that never gets read, and random trinket to the left of the bed and blinds over the window.
This could be considered and very often seen as a traditional apartment bedroom. Simple and functional, but not very fashionable.
I have had a number of fellow apartment renters ask me why would you spend time and money decorating the bedroom when all you do is sleep or turn out the lights in there. You'd be surprised at the psychological effect that waking up to a well decorated bedroom that gives off a good feel can have on you to start your day.
My advice is to take a little time and don't be afraid to shell out some clams on dressing your bedroom up a little bit.
Here are a few great decorating ideas to help get you started:
Mix Browns in With Your Blues- If you love various shades of blues, use those when painting or picking fabric to make the color of your room personal to you. Blue is a color that promotes rest and relaxation, but be sure to mix in some brown and white tones to help keep things feeling warm. If you do all blue...your room will feel like it's freezing. Brrr. Plus, using wood tones help add a classic feel to the modern/contemporary that blue gives a room.
It's In The Bed
Often overlooked as a decorative piece, the bed is the most important aspect to the feel that your bedroom decorations can give off. Don't just assume you can place any bed in the center of a room and simply decorate around it. If you have a four post bed with a high frame that can have fabric draped over it, it will stand out much more than a simple pulled out futon (yuck). A huge piece of furniture like the oversized four post bed may seem like a pain to move, but it's presence can make you seem like you are sleeping royalty. Draping fabric over the high frame makes the feel even more elegant and can help you block off the outside world while you sleep. Be sure to keep in mind that your bed is the centerpiece of the entire room and can have your whole decorating scheme based off of it.
Mix Up Your Patterns
Don't just make all of your fabrics the same color with the same pattern. That can get old and boring. Instead, mix up your pillow cases with complementary colors and patterns. Then offset these with a solid throw blanket that matches the pillows. Add art to the wall that meets all of the fabrics somewhere in the similar area of the color wheel and most importantly....put yourself and your tastes into the decor. You could even vary your textures as long as the colors are complimentary to add layers.
Get Dramatic
Don't limit your decorations to the traditional approach. Take things to the next level. Angle your bed from a corner of the room. Add a huge plant in the other corner. Place bold curtains over the windows and huge accented pillows on the bed and paintings on the wall. Taking the dramatic approach can both add your own personal flavor and will add that little bit of edge that your bedroom may need.
Whatever your favorite colors, textures, or patterns are...it's important to have fun with your style and express yourself. Don't treat decoration like a chore...treat it like you are creating art!
