This is a repost of a series from February 2009 it’s good enough to read again, but oh how our room has changed– some of these photos are from years ago, the toile duvet is gone, lots of the pillows are gone and I’m in the middle of revamping it…I actually need to apply these principles again.  The photo above shows our current room, desperately in need of some fabric on the windows.

This is the second post in a series where we are exploring all sorts of quick and easy ways to spruce up your home. The idea is to focus on a few things that you can change right now to make the room just a little more inviting. Read Part 1: Family Rooms here.

Do you want to be in your bedroom?

I know for me, one of my decorating regrets is ignoring our bedroom. I found myself wanting to spend all my time and energy making the public rooms of our house look good so others could see all of my hard work. Meanwhile, our room sat there all ugly and neglected. One day I decided that our room deserved a little attention. There are all sorts of huge renovations we can tackle to improve our rooms but today lets start with the basics and talk about some quick and easy things you can do right now to begin the process of making your room your haven.


Make the bed

The focus of the master bedroom should be the bed. If you can only afford to have one piece of furniture in your house, please make it the bed. If you cannot afford a bed frame, get a mattress and some great sheets. If you cannot afford a bed frame, or a mattress, or sheets go sell your computer and buy a mattress and the best sheets Target carries. It’s worth it. And it was nice knowing you. The bed should capture your attention and beg you to get in. Make the bed and make it pretty. Maybe you are a pillow lover if so, take the pillows off the sofa and load the bed up. Maybe you like a simple clean look–why not turn down the bed like they do in those fancy hotels? However you normally make your bed–switch it up and make it a little bit differently today. But by all means, make it.


Clear the clutter
It’s better to have clutter in your living room than in the bedroom. Every surface was not meant to be stacked upon. {I must repeat this to myself daily} Do yourself a favor and remove the clutter. Now! Clothes are either dirty in the laundry room or clean in their drawers. Too much stuff? I try to keep a box in the garage to fill with junk for the goodwill.


Keep it Personal

Make sure you have a favorite photo of you and your honey. Remove or limit the photos of the kids, this room is about you and him. It’s nice to have a wedding photo but make sure you have something up to date as well. Dig out that card that your husband gave you. The one where he wrote all the right things. Open it flat and place it in a frame. He’ll be thrilled that you saved it and framed it and you will constantly be reminded of how he feels.


Go wireless
Remove technology. Computers, phones, TVs, exercise equipment: the more you have the more you will associate this room with work and not relaxation and other fun things. Ok, so this one will take more than 10 minutes. But do it anyway. I’ll wait. {I’m not saying that I have no tv in my room, I do, hidden in an armiore, and I also bring up my phone every night in case I need to call 911 for killers, but the more technology you add, the less romantic a room seems}

Lighting
Turn off the dreaded overhead light and turn on the lamps that should be on each side of the bed. The bags under my eyes and cellulite on my thighs, I mean one’s eyes and thighs will be less evident and you and the room will look much more inviting.


A place to sit
Whether a wing back chair, a bench or folding wooden chair some type of seating is a great perk in a bedroom. I’ve been known to steal a chair from the dining room topping it off with a pillow to soften it a little.

Embellish your windows
Maybe you already have something on your windows. Can you take it a step further? Hot glue some fringe on the edges, add a piece of fabric as a topper. It’s amazing how pampered just a few yards of fringe can make you feel.

Create Space
One way we have made some space in our room is to put a dresser in the closet. We’ve been able to do this in the last four houses that we lived in and one closet was tiny. Of course, if you can afford one of those fancy shelving systems even better but, a quick fix is just to move the dresser. Mine fits neatly under my hanging clothes and frees up lots of space in our small bedroom.


Now, you have a clutter free, personalized, wireless, well lit, bedroom with the bed all prettied up. We’re gonna put those swank hotels out of business.

Go to Part 3:: Bathrooms


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Well, I guess I need to go and follow some of my own advice and pick up the dirty laundry from my bedroom floor. While I do that, I’d love to know: What’s your favorite part of your bedroom?