Autumn is in the air and winter is around the corner… We need to cosy up and be ready!

It is maybe a good idea to have a good look at your bedroom – or guest bedroom.  This, after all, should be your sanctuary where you should be at peace and have a good night’s rest.

Would you be happy to stay there if you were your own guest?  Not?  Well let’s tackle it head on!

Step 1:

Be brutally honest with yourself:  What does your bedroom tell you?

Is it tired, dark, uninteresting, untidy, and unorganised?  Is there a coffee stain on the bedside table; have the pillow inners seen better days; is the light insufficient… Ok. I’ll stop.  I’ve made my point.

We’ve got work to do.  And we don’t necessarily have a budget?  My grandmother taught my mother that you can be poor, but you need to be clean and tidy. My mother passed this philosophy on te me.  So, let’s apply this to your bedroom: open the curtains as wide as you can and start cleaning it by yourself so you can see where attention is needed. 

Give your carpet a good vacuum and see if it needs to be cleaned thoroughly.  Clean electrical wall plugs; walls, doorknobs, skirtings, windows, and mirrors.  Change faulty light bulbs or at least dust it.  Make the bed.

Now that everything is clean and you had a cup of tea or coffee, we can move on.

Step 2:

What needs to be done now?

Check if you need to change or improve one or some of the following:

Wall paint/paper                                            Window coverings

Carpet/Flooring                                              Mattress

Bedlinen                                                         Pillow inners

Duvet Inner                                                     Artwork

Furniture                                                         Bedside lamp 

This is a serious list – big ticket items. But you don’t have to change everything at once, though it would be great to see an immediate impact, I know.

BEFORE you go any further:  you first need to decide on the colour scheme and mood you want to create.  And your budget.

Tips on decorating your bedroom on a tight budget:

• Paint
  • Painting is one of the easiest and quickest ways to change the mood and personality of a room. It will immediately feel clean, and uplifted. 
  • Use a good, washable paint. It will last longer, and you simply wipe your wall with a damp cloth to clean it. 
  • Choose your colour wisely. Subtle, soothing colours will be more versatile than bold colours.  Decide if bold is soothing and calming to you?  Might not be a good idea to paint all four walls in your bedroom in a vibrant colour.
  • Don’t forget to paint the ceiling…with ceiling paint. And no, it doesn’t need to be white.
• Furniture
  • Reuse, repurpose, reshuffle, restore – re do it!
  • No one said that the furniture in your bedroom (except your bed of course!), is only meant to be in a bedroom, neither the furniture in your living room. Shuffle it around. 
    • Take a side table from your living room and use it as a bed side table.
    • I’ve even seen a chair serving as a bed side table!
    • A bench at your dining room table might work as a bed end bench.
  • Change the hardware. You’ll be surprised what new and modern hardware can do to an old chest of drawers.
  • Paint your furniture. My husband and brother would need to be calmed down at this point, but paint uplifts an old or odd piece of furniture immediately.  Now don’t paint every single piece of furniture – have some mercy! 
    • What about painting the drawers of a piece of furniture, leaving the rest of the wood untouched.
    • Or: choose a vibrant colour for your bedside tables or chest of drawer. Go subtle on the rest. Have balance. 
  • Again:  be creative and think out of the box. 
    • I once used a wooden room divider as a headboard. It made a massive statement and difference. 
    • Use a piece of fabric or rug and hang it above your bed.
    • Recover your current headboard with your favourite printed design.
  • Bedlinen
    • To change your bedlinen is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to add pattern, colour, and texture.
    • Invest in quality sheeting.
    • Go easy on bold patterns for bedlinen – leave that for your scatters.
    • It is believed that you should change your pillow and duvet inners every year or two as it absorbs body oil, dead skin and hair.
    • Why not use the spare bedroom’s bedlinen – put it to good use. No one rarely slept over lately so you might as well enjoy it yourself.
  • Rug
    • A rug is the first thing you touch when stepping out of bed in the morning. It should feel plush and luxurious.
    • It adds cosiness and will make your room feel larger
    • It can also hide a few imperfections such as stains on the carpet or tired floorboards.
    • Go as big as you can afford. The main furniture, like your bed, should preferably stand on top of the rug - or at least the feet end of the bed.
  • Declutter and organise
    • You can do it in a day, and it will make a huge difference!
    • Start on one side and work towards the other – start with your drawers. One at a time.
    • Use trays, bowls and baskets to organise your make-up, perfume, books and jewellery
    • Utilise the space under your bed if possible.

Upgrade your bedroom from plain to luxurious

• Either the wall behind your headboard or all 4 four walls.  It will add colour, texture, warmth and pattern. 
• Add plants and flowers – not too many though. Keep it stylish.
• Knit your own chunky throw.
• Add artwork. Your own, your kids’ or print your favourite picture on a canvas.
• Use accent colours, layers and textures.  Scatter cushions should be plush and not too many – you need to see where the bed is.
• Mirrors reflect and invite light into your bedroom, so it is clever to hang it opposite a window especially in a dark and small bedroom. Consider what it will be used for.

If you’ve reached this point, I am sure you have done a great job and are pretty tired!

You should be ready to sleep tight!