Want to create a dreamy Pinterest-worthy bedroom that you’ll never want to leave, will seduce lovers and will be the envy of all your friends? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s how you can easily transform your bedroom from drab to fab in seven simple steps.
A bedroom isn’t just a place to sleep, it’s often also the place where we get dressed, read, relax, work, apply our make-up and sometimes even watch TV or a film on our laptops. It’s the most used room of the house (in terms of hours spent there per day), but as it’s not usually a space to entertain it often becomes more of a dumping ground for laundry instead. But it deserves your attention, and even just a few changes go a long way.
Before my 24 hour guest bedroom makeover, it was a sad and neglected space – but on a shoestring budget (and less than 24 hours) it was completely transformed. Here are some of the best lessons I learned.
1. Pimp your bed
Much like a fireplace is the focal point of the sitting room, or a kitchen island in the kitchen, the bed frame is the focal point of the bedroom. A statement bed commands attention and can ooze grown-up glamour. It needn’t be expensive; buying a eye-catching headboard is a lot cheaper than buying a whole new bed! Strapped for cash? Give an old wooden frame a new lick of paint, try making a DIY headboard, or re-upholster a second hand one.
Image credit: Pink Peonies
Image credit: Pink Peonies
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Image credit: Au Lit Fine Linens
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Image credit: House Beautiful
2. Update your bedding
Treating yourself to brand new linen is a fast and easy way to give your bedroom a fresh new look and feel. This great range of bedding sets provides plenty of variation, so you are bound to find something you like. Accessorize with a throw and complimenting cushions in different shapes and sizes – a Bolster cushion or two adds some grown-up glamour.
Image credit: Style Me Pretty
Image credit: Style Me Pretty
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3. Upgrade your lighting
The lighting in a bedroom sets the mood, but the choice of lamp itself can determine the style and character of a room. Chandeliers and other pendant lights are surprisingly affordable, and go a long way in transforming a room. For a more neutral and laid back look, opt for beaded chandeliers.
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4. Add an accent chair
A pair of cross-legged stools or a long bench can look very elegant at the foot of a bed, while a cosy armchair in a free corner can make the room more inviting to spend time in. Adding seating furniture can also give the room a luxurious hotel suite vibe.
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Image credit: Studio McGee
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Image credit: Elle Decor
Image credit: Elle Decor
Image credit: Becki Owens
Image credit: House Beautiful
For a more modern look, the infamous acrylic ‘ghost chair’ suits any interior with it’s elegant shape and see-through material. Read my roundup of where to find affordable ghost chairs and other acrylic furniture.
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5. Style your bedside
Whether you have enough space for a small chest of drawers on either side, or can only just about fit a tray table, keep the space relatively clear. The bedside is not the place to pile up your loose change, mystery keys, safety pins, chapsticks or business cards. Instead, coffee table books (if there’s space), a vase of flowers, framed photograph, a pair of pretty table lamps (on on either side) and a candle are all failsafe options.
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Image credit: Studio McGee
Image credit: Studio McGee
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6. Mirror, mirror
The key to great design is keeping a room balanced and symmetrical. If you have a table lamp and bedside table on one side of the bed, you’ll need to match the opposite side. And when you have a chair on one side of the room, the other side will need to be balanced out with something else – like a potted plant, painting or vanity table.
Image credit: Studio McGee
Image credit: TheEveryGirl.com
Image credit: Becki Owens
7. Showcase yourself
Last but not least, showcase your personality. Love photography? Frame photography prints and group them in a gallery wall similar to in my loft makeover blog post. In search of something brighter and more colourful? These cheap-as-chips Gray Malin style photographs are a joy to look at and inject a summer vibe all year round. More of an art fan? Find a painting you love – you can search affordable options here, here, here, here and here. Or hang up something totally different – from tennis rackets to panama hats, and from baskets to pretty plates. See my wall display ideas for inspiration.
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A collection of different potted plants (whether real or faux) can create a more boho and exotic feel.
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Are you a shoe or fashion addict? If you’re single, why not display your favourite shoes or even fashion collection, and use your room as a walk-in-wardrobe instead? Your things will look and feel more organised, and you’ll never have to rummage through the back of your wardrobe again.
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Like this? For more bedroom ideas read: Upgrade Your Bedroom With These Stunning Design Ideas, Soft Sophistication: How to Get The Look For Less, How to Create a Palm Springs Inspired Bedroom, How to Decorate Like an Adult, and How to Transform a Bedroom in 24 Hours.
Your guest room makeover is truly fascinating. Makeover in just 24 hrs is something impossible for me to do for my room. Nice article.