If your bedroom’s lack of style puts you to sleep, it’s time to revamp it with these easy ideas. Our roundup of simple, affordable updates will give your space plenty of personality, comfort, and function. Don’t skimp on design in your favorite place to escape from it all!
1. Bring Color to the Bedroom
Adding bursts of color can transform a neutral bedroom into a lively retreat. Choose one or two colors you love and repeat these hues in vibrant artwork, bold bedding, and colorful accents. For instance, a green duvet, red throw blanket, and colorful pillows can energize an otherwise neutral space.
2. Incorporate Textures
Altering the texture in your bedroom is a quick and easy update. Use a furry throw in winter and a cotton throw in summer. Textures can suit any taste:
- Traditional: Hand-tufted rugs, woven wools, tooled silver, cut crystal, gilded frames, silk, china, and polished wood.
- Country: Braided rugs, worn wood, rusted metals, chenille spreads, ironstone pottery, blown glass, and ticking.
- Romantic: Velvet, furry throws, crystal prisms, embroidered fabrics, lace, painted furniture, and hand-hooked rugs.
- Modern: Laminated-plywood furniture, plastic, smooth leather, stainless steel, terrazzo flooring, and teak.
3. Switch Out Accent Pillows
Accent pillows can quickly alter the personality of a room and shift the balance of color. They’re especially impactful in a bedroom because the bed is a natural focal point. Add volume, pattern, texture, color, and personality with lively pillows against a subtle cream backdrop.
4. Try Bold New Bed Linens
New bedding can make your bedroom feel fresh and inviting. If storage space is an issue, consider a duvet with interchangeable covers. For instance, shiplap walls work well with navy blue bedding and drapes, complemented by warm red accents.
5. Add Pattern for a Bedroom Update
Patterns, like colors, exert an emotional pull that can invigorate a space. Whether you prefer crisp stripes, bold florals, or classic toile, adding patterns can liven up a room. A patterned duvet or quilt at the foot of the bed can add interest to a neutral room.
6. Paint (or Paper) the Ceiling
Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls creates a cozy, intimate atmosphere without a visual break. Alternatively, make a graphic statement with patterned wallpaper on the ceiling for a quick and easy update.
7. Built-In Beauty
Elevate your bedroom’s style with molding. Install a molding frame along a wall and paint it uniformly for sophistication. Installing window treatments higher than the window and letting draperies hang to the floor can add drama and transform a ho-hum room.
8. Mix and Match
A playful mix of geometric shapes can add interest to your bedroom. For example, a sunburst mirror can break through rhythmic lines on a chevron-patterned wall, adding unexpected touches of color with bright decorative pillows.
9. Embrace Your Hobby
Refresh your room with artifacts that reflect your personality. Incorporate your hobbies into your bedroom decor. For instance, hang skateboards above the headboard as a tribute to a favorite pastime.
10. Vintage Refresh
Blend new and old with a combination of vintage decor and modern fixtures. Use handmade quilts and applique designs for a nostalgic touch, layered with decorative pillows. Add a sleek lamp or side table to modernize the look.
11. Take a Seat
If space permits, add a bench or small loveseat at the end of the bed. This provides extra seating and flexibility with design, allowing you to mix and match decorative pillows and throws.
12. Dreamy Scene for Kids
Create a cozy retreat for kids by tucking a twin bed with storage into a corner. Stack pillows to create a welcoming reading spot, and hang a sheer canopy from the ceiling for a whimsical touch.
13. Update the Headboard
A dramatic headboard can have an immediate impact. Consider customizing your existing headboard or using a salvaged piece. Covering an existing headboard with new fabric is a simple DIY update.
14. Add Pattern to a Select Spot
Paneling a single wall or using wallpaper or a stencil is a quick way to update your bedroom. It draws attention to a specific area and adds pattern without the expense or effort of doing an entire room.
15. Bring In the Right Amount of Light
Focus on bedside lamps and accent lighting instead of general overhead lighting for an inviting bedroom retreat. Changing old light bulbs to warm-spectrum fluorescents can also refresh your bedroom ambiance.
16. Update Window Treatments
Use draperies and swags for a formal look, curtains and shades for informal, and simple blinds for contemporary appeal. Consider room-darkening or insulated lining depending on your needs. Striped curtains can play off traditional patterns for a cohesive design.
17. Add Architectural Detail
Trim, molding, and wainscoting can add charm and texture to your room. Millwork treatments like classic flat-panel wainscoting provide structural appeal, creating a subtle yet satisfying effect.
18. Try a New Direction
For a cost-free update, angle the bed from a corner. Replace a bulky headboard with a salvaged iron gate or a shorter upholstered panel. A petite side table next to the bed can hold bedtime reading materials without taking up much space.
19. Mix and Match Furnishings
Avoid a too-uniform look by blending different fabrics and furnishings. Contrast small delicate patterns on pillows with sleek modern lines of the bed for an eclectic mix.
20. Hang Personalized Artwork
Display collections of personal photographs to surround yourself with memories. Experiment with configurations by taping kraft paper shapes on the wall before hanging frames. A picture rail with decorative hooks and chains adds architectural interest.
21. Redo Closet Doors
Replace bulky sliding doors with something stylish like chic French doors. Mirrored panels can hide closet clutter and visually expand the room.
These simple and affordable updates can transform your bedroom into a stylish, comfortable, and functional retreat. Whether adding color, texture, or personal touches, each idea helps create a space you’ll love to escape to.