Bedroom Decorating

Summer-proofing your home happens like clockwork. Once the temperature rises, you add an air conditioning unit and screens to your windows, trade in your woodsy candle for a beachier scent, and swap out your flannel sheets for some lightweight linen ones. But, if we’re being honest, we never know what to do with our duvets. On the one hand, duvets are comfortable and a great extra layer for when your AC is on full blast.

Here at Apartment Therapy, we write about tiny houses a whole lot. Sometimes, I find myself wondering if we’ve reached peak tiny house. Are these adorable little dwellings on wheels just glorified trailer homes? Are they destined for the pages of Craigslist in a few years, once the mania dies down? Or are they a reflection of a cultural shift in the way we look at our homes, where bigger isn’t always better?

Redecorating can be a bit overwhelming. You might get stuck deciding on what style is right for you or even just anxious about how much it’ll all cost. Eventually it can get stressful to the point where it just feels easier to avoid altogether and live with what you’ve got. Which got me chatting recently with a few fellow editors about what a good “budget” price point would be for a quick room refresh.

Tiny houses are charming, and a great way to simplify and streamline your life—but the tradeoff, for many tiny house designs, is having to struggle up a ladder at night to reach your tiny peaked loft bedroom. Forget where you are in the morning, and you may just whack your head on the tiny adorable roof of your tiny adorable home. But the Escher, a creation of New Frontier Tiny Homes, takes a different approach: it has a bedroom you’d actually want to wake up in.

I can’t imagine I’m alone in this predicament: I tend to flip-flop between being a hot and cold sleeper, as does my S.O., except, we never seem to be on the same page at the same time. We are not sleeping temperature compatible, people, and wow is it a nuisance. When my toes are frozen solid and I can’t seem to cocoon myself enough in my comforter to achieve P.S.T.

Have you, too, stood in the linens department, eyes glazed as you try to figure out the best sheets? It doesn’t help that they tend to be folded up and jammed into a plastic container so that you can only feel a tiny corner of them. How are you supposed to know how it will feel on your entire body if only the tip of your finger can brush a sliver of the sheet? Well there’s always thread count, which is what it seems “they” want us to rely on.

In the third chapter of Wuthering Heights”, the narrator, finding himself at the manor house of the same name, describes a room with a curious kind of bed: The whole furniture consisted of a chair, a clothes-press, and a large oak case, with squares cut out near the top resembling coach windows.

Amsterdam has a distinctive architecture style, but we can guarantee that this giant crane-turned-residence sticks out among the city’s livable structures – in a good way. Typically, old construction equipment and luxury don’t go hand in hand, but that’s the best way to describe this unique spot.

And just like that, you can reclaim your nightstand.

8 easy-to-execute ideas to maximize your limited bedroom floor plan.

A lot of attention has been paid lately to the increasingly competitive mattress industry, and the growing lack of transparency for consumers, but it turns out that we should be just as concerned about what covers our mattresses. Two recent studies show that an overwhelming majority of fabric labels on our sheet sets have been faked.

One of the challenges of living in a small apartment is trying to figure out how to fit everything you need into a small bedroom. Fitting everything in, plus the bed (which is pretty essential) can feel nearly impossible, so we’ve rounded up five small bedrooms that make very efficient use of their small footprints—plus ideas you can steal from each one. The bedroom above, from Hemnet via Apartment Therapy, is a perfect example of small-space efficiency.

If you like someone enough to let them stay inside your home, chances are you like them enough to want them to have a nice time during their visit. Help that happen by making sure your guest room is a cozy and functional place to stay before the holidays get here! Guest rooms can easily turn into “junk” rooms the longer they sit unoccupied.

Have you ever felt like the exercise of replacing the fitted sheet on your bed should be an Olympic sport? One innovative new company in New York feels your pain and wants to arm you with better equipment: a sheet set that’s more like a layered ski shell than your standard bedding. Stretto is a new zip-on, zip-off fitted sheet design that envelopes your mattress more like a mattress cover — allowing you to just zip off the top part for cleaning and zip a fresh one back on.

From the magical realism of Audrey Tatou’s bedroom in Amelie to the rustic cottage minimalism of Meryl Streep’s loft in Mama Mia, we all love to take Pinspiration from our favorite movie bedrooms — and HomeAdvisor just took it a step past paint swatches and accessories with these seven fantasy bedroom visualizations.

I always thought good sheets were an investment. Until I found the last set of sheets I'll ever buy...and for cheap.

In this space planning series, Layout Lessons, we’ll be exploring layout options for different bed sizes within various shaped bedrooms because things can get tricky sometimes. We tapped Eleanor Büsing, a contributing writer for Apartment Therapy and an interior designer in her own right, for her expert opinion on the matter. Here, how to deal when only a King bed will do.

Ask anyone who’s ever lived in a studio apartment what their least favorite thing about it is, and chances are that (after the size) they’ll complain about their bed being out in the open, in sight of the living room/dining room/kitchen. It can make it feel like you’re living in a dorm room versus an actual adult home. But, with smart decor elements and design tricks, you can make your bed feel like its own area, improving the way your studio looks from any angle.

If you’ve ever lived in a particularly small space, especially a studio apartment, you may have noticed that your bed takes up a significant portion of your square footage. Some people choose to loft their bed to open up floor space, but this strategy is not without its own problems.

Should you have one of the following four room shapes, consider these your cheat sheets for how to best arrange your queen-sized bed.

We’ve heard it time and again: the bedroom is often the last place you tackle decorating because it’s behind closed doors (and it seems more practical to devote your energy and dollars to the more public areas of your home). However, just because you’re not ready to take a deep dive into reimagining your sleeping quarters doesn’t mean there isn’t something you can do to spruce up the place in the meantime…sort of like a pre-makeover.

If you’ve had it when it comes to dreary home office spaces, listen up. Those who are short on space or privacy (i.e. roommates) needn’t look further than the room you sleep in for home workspace, and while writing emails may not be high on your list of favorite bedroom activities, these nine bedroom office nooks are so good they’ll have you reducing your commute time in big way.

Project by: Karen Knox of Making Spaces Location: Harrogate, Yorkshire We’ve seen Karen work her magic on this Edwardian home before and this go-round is just as stunning as the last. Continuing with the rich colors of the living room, this guest bed refresh is dark and dramatic with an unexpected wallpaper choice thrown into the mix. A few carefully selected furniture pieces play up the “grand design” of the space, filling it with romantic drama.

How to make guests as comfortable on your couch as they'd be at the Ritz-Carlton (ok, maybe not exactly).

The canopy bed of your childhood dreams has grown up and looks spectacular.

As the bedroom is a place in which you want to be lulled to sleep, its design is typically tackled in ways that could be described as “soothing” and “serene”. Soft colors and delicate patterns are the norm for a “sophisticated” retreat. But what if you want something with more pizazz? A room that’ll get you excited about the day the second you peel your eyes open?

Never underestimate the power of a good wall sconce. Not only will these beauties save you tons of space, they allow you to customize a unique lighting scheme to suit your specific needs. Unlike bulky table lamps, a properly placed sconce or two can offer loads of reading light without taking up any valuable nightstand space. Because we believe in showing and telling, here are nine of the chicest bedroom wall sconce scenes we could find on the web.

I once heard a designer (whose name I cannot remember) say something that stuck with me. The exact phrasing escapes me, but the gist was that you should be investing your money in the items that you touch daily. The closer to your skin, the more you should consider spending. It makes total sense, as these are the things in your home you likely use more than anything. And sheets are one of those items.

There’s a color combination I’ve been seeing pop up in bedroom after bedroom recently. From transitional to eclectic to bohemian style, it seems to be the kind of combo that works with any decor look. And considering one half of the pair is very popular (like, the most popular), it’s not surprising that the trend is starting to swing in this direction.

What if...you didn't put your bed on a wall at all?

So you just moved in (that, or you’re itching to move some things around in your existing home). Now what? I don’t know about you, but I’m always so excited at the prospects of a blank canvas floor plan, until I actually have to start making decisions on where to put everything. I start questioning everything! Is my rug the right size? Should my sofa go against the wall or float in the room? Do my nightstands have to match?

Embrace the style of headboard that embraces you.

The average person spends about a third of their life in bed, but in discussions of history we seldom ever mention sleeping (unless, perhaps, someone had the misfortune to be murdered while doing it) and even more infrequently mention the place where the sleeping happens.

Teeny tiny bedroom got you down? Fear not. We're here to help.

I’ve been on a quest for the perfect pillow for years. My mattress game is on point, but the same cannot be said about my pillows. I’ve tried memory foam, contoured memory foam, down varieties (not for me…too much fluffing), down-alternative, gel-fiber, polyester fluff—you name it, I’ve slept on it.

Do you want to invite friends over — maybe even have a dinner party — but you’ve been hesitating because you live in a studio apartment and your living room is also your dining room, kitchen, office and bedroom? Though it might feel a bit strange to have guests (good friends or acquaintances) milling about in your sleep space, I don’t think having a small home should be a road block for entertaining.

Somewhere along the way, the trend of hanging, bare-bulb light fixtures went from being a new trend in the bedroom to a look that’s here to stay. Read the reasons why this look has gotten so popular, see inspiration from gorgeous bedsides and find ways you can buy or DIY this look. For one, the bare-bulb look is incredibly versatile; it’s a simple look that works with a lot of very different decor styles.

Can you spot the amazingly adorable, easily doable, room divider situation in this Oakland loft? It’s a simple idea, but also incredibly smart storage-wise. And the result isn’t just a fresh room divider idea for an open-space loft, it’s an idea that could help divide space or add additional storage in a studio apartment or bedroom.

In a bit of a rut in the bedroom? I mean, design-wise? (We can’t help with the other thing.) Good news: We’ve collected eight creative, unconventional ideas that will surely refresh your space and give you something to really get excited over when you pop into bed each night. Above: We see a lot of rug layering in living rooms, but it’s fresh for the boudoir.

Art — framed, sculptural or on canvas — makes a stylish statement to hang on the wall above your bed. Your bed is a natural focal point in your bedroom, so deciding what to do above it is an important task. Go beyond “art,” if you dare, with these eleven stylish ideas that will definitely wow in your bedroom. Create a pattern easier than painting by using vinyl wall stickers. In the bedroom above, a gold polka dot pattern makes for one serious above-the-bed look.

If you’re lucky enough to have a guest room, chances are good that you’ll be hosting someone there this holiday season. Of course you want your guests to be comfortable, but even the most dedicated hosts sometimes forget a few things. Before your guests arrive, take a look at this checklist of six guest room must-haves to make their stay as enjoyable as possible. Blankets. Probably the biggest potential source of discomfort for your guests is your home’s temperature.

Can you touch one of your bedroom walls…while you’re laying in your bed (and not even stretching out all that much)? You might have a teeny tiny bedroom, the kind of small space where there’s room for a bed…and not much else. If you do (or you just like smart small space living and decorating solutions), you might find some inspiration in these bedroom decorating ideas.

If you’re lucky enough to have an extra bedroom in your home, you might be getting some familial pressure to have a guest room always at the ready for out-of-towners. An extra bed is never a bad idea, but letting an empty room go to waste the other 51 weeks of the year seems like a shame. Maximize your space by turning that room into one of these things that you can appreciate all the time. Your guests will understand!

Either by choice or by the vagaries of fate, you have found yourself living in a studio apartment. That’s it. Just one room. And maybe you’re cool with that, but you don’t feel like looking at your bed all day long. Or you need a little privacy for when houseguests stay, or you just want to create a little separation between the parts of your apartment devoted to sleeping and waking. Apartment Therapy has a few ideas.

Welcome to my parent’s spare room, soon to be Man Cave for Snoring Father, or Respite for Tired Mother, depending on which way you look at it. Dad’s official take on the room’s “before” status? “Too much basket.” There’s not really that much “basket,” just a woven chair, laundry basket and tiny basket on the bedside. For a mother and daughter team who love all things woven, is that really too much?

Project by: Taiyo Location: Brooklyn, New York My roommate moved out of the larger room in my apartment so I took the opportunity and switched rooms. Playing with a blank canvas was both exciting and daunting, as I started accumulating furniture a few weeks before the switch hoping it would all work out in the end. I drew inspiration from Scandinavian design, Japan (where I’ve lived), and Brooklyn which resulted in a mix of natural wood and industrial-style elements.

At the top of my wish list for this fall is a giant chunky knit wool blanket. I keep seeing them on Scandinavian design blogs, and every time I do I take a minute and imagine how wonderful it would feel to be snuggled up underneath a blanket that feels like a giant wool sweater for your entire body. So I’ve hunted down a few sources for these enormous lovelies, and also a few DIYs for those of you brave (and talented!) enough to make your own.

Most good things in life do take time, but every now and then you can cut some corners, spend zero dollars and take a few minutes to improve a room in your home without a significant time (or money) investment. This weekend, make your bedroom a slightly better place with these nine easy changes you can tackle. 1. Move your phone charger across the room from your bed Actually, if you have a separate alarm clock then take your phone and charger out of your bedroom all together.

Once upon a time, I was flat-hunting in London and found an adorable one. The location was convenient and the space bright and sunny. The problem? The bathroom was located off the bedroom, meaning that guests would have to go past my bed in order to use it. Here’s how to make the most of this sometimes awkward layout: Though I immediately discounted that flat, I’ve since discovered that this layout isn’t as ridiculous (or rare) as I once thought.

You don’t need a bold wall paint color to turn the tide on a bland bedroom. These six bedrooms — despite their white walls — are real-life examples from our house tours of rooms that wow. And they are full of bold ideas to borrow for your own bedroom (in case it’s feeling a little too white and boring). Pictured above: Can’t do color on the walls? Do texture instead! And then also put texture on the bed, too, just for good measure.

Some parents share a room with their baby by choice (especially those who choose to co-sleep) and others by necessity if they live in a small home. Perhaps you have a long-term plan to move into a two-bedroom home, but are staying where you are for now. Or, like my family, you’re not quite ready to have your infant share a room with an older child.

Bedrooms are a place for resting, for reading, for getting down. And besides a bed and a lamp, there’s nothing else that must go into it. So there are a lot of options for how much or how little you want to incorporate. We’ve gone the route of keeping it simple with no artwork; just dark walls, patterned curtains and a white bed. But there are lots of options for packing style into a small space: 1.

Looking to make a bold impact with your bedroom decor? We showed you unusual items to use as nightstands last week, but the sides of your bed aren’t the only place you can make a visual statement in your bedroom. Why not show off your personality with an unusual headboard, too? We’ve got 12 fun ideas you could DIY today. Top image: Hang a shag rug!

What is a nightstand, anyway? Of course we all know what the pieces identified as nightstands at the furniture store look like: little tables, usually with a drawer or shelf. But all a nightstand really is, at its most basic, is a place to put the stuff you may want immediately before you go to bed or right after you get up, so you don’t have to lean over awkwardly and pick up your iPhone from the floor.

This post is all about gasp-inducing details – elements that stop you in your tracks, take your breath away and, in one fell swoop, transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary one.Some of the details are architectural, and some are the result of dramatic furnishing choices, but each provides an undeniable “wow” in the experience of the room.TOP ROW:1.

I live in a one bedroom apartment with no pull-out couch, so whenever guests come to stay, either they or I usually end up sleeping on my inflatable air mattress. Due to these adventures, I have collected a list of tips and tricks to make the night more bearable (and perhaps even comfortable) if you’re sleeping on an inflatable.See below for my list, and of course add your own.1. If you haven’t yet purchased an inflatable mattress and are planning to, splurge and get the double.

If you’ve ever been separated from your loved one, or been in a long distance relationship, you know how hard it can be. For me, the worst part is always at night. When the busy-ness of the day recedes and it’s time to settle down and go to sleep – that’s when I miss my sweetheart the worst.

Name: Kyle J. Avarell, Erin Berteaux, and Buddha the catLocation: U Street Corridor, Washington DCSize: 594 square feetYears lived in:1 ½ years, rented Down to their beautifully blue-eyed cat’s food dish, Kyle and Erin have brought style and personality to every aspect of their penthouse home. In turn, the modern apartment makes a great backdrop for their collection of locally sourced vintage furniture, strategic Ikea buys, and handmade projects.

The 1940s were a tumultuous time. It is impossible to understand those years outside of the context of WWII. The war not only defined the decade but from a design perspective, split it virtually in half. During the first half of the decade, new design was halted, as supply shortages and rationing demanded that all available resources — material and otherwise — be directed towards the war effort…Socially, the decade featured a similar split.

Names & Ages: Simon (4) Levi (3) and Josie (7 months) Location: Seattle, WA Room size: 95 square feet This month has been all about Small Spaces at Ohdeedoh and this Room Tour is the perfect example of not letting small spaces deter you from creative possibility. Rebekah and her husband knew they needed to fit their three children into one space (with little sister on the way!) so they made it work.

Names: Jeremiah, Samuel, and Augustine Ages: 6, 4, 2 Location: Texas Awhile back we featured a room that took all of us here at Ohdeedoh by surprise. Jaws were dropping, we were forwarding the link as fast as we could to friends and family — we were flat out amazed. We’ve since gone behind the scenes and today you can see more of this room filled with color, hanging bunk beds and the opportunity for extreme fun!

Metal framed beds often get a bad wrap, and not without due cause. Pillows are always slouching through the headboard bars, and metal is certainly no match in comfort with its plush upholstered counterparts. Thankfully there are a few easy ways to work around their flaws or change their look without breaking the bank.