Your bedroom is, obviously, the place you lay your head at night and sleep. But it also should be your personal sanctuary, romantic hideaway, self-care retreat, and place of joy. It should be a place you can feel calm, peaceful, and safe in.
I know that not everyone feels this way about their bedroom. It’s too small, it’s too dark, it isn’t decorated the way I want it, I need new bedding, and on and on and on. But here are some tips I can offer up that have changed the way I decorated our bedroom and made it feel like all of the things listed above.
*This post contains affiliate links. That means, while it’s the same price for you, I get a very small commission out of it that helps me and my family. But most importantly, helps fund my art and coffee addiction.
Paint
Paint is always, as most of you know, my go-to for a quick fix for not much coin and a whole lot of impact. If you prefer color in your pillows, bedding, art and decor maybe a warm white on the walls is all you need. If you want a calming color look into blues and greens, especially muted ones in the gray tone family. Gray-blues, light sage greens, mauves. If you want a dark and moody vibe, I am all for it! Go for chocolate or dark blue or charcoal. Just remember, if you truly want dark and moody paint the ceiling and trim the same color as the walls! Here are some paint colors I love and think you will love or get inspiration from too.
Bedding
Bedding seems like a no-brainer but sometimes people skimp here because they don’t want to spend the money or they just don’t know what to look for in quality bedding. Thread count is usually what most people look at thinking the higher the better. However, some manufacturers inflate the thread count to make their bedding appear higher quality or softer. This is not always the case. The thread count is the number of threads in a square inch of fabric. So 400-thread-count is 400 threads per square inch. A little secret: there can only be up to 800 threads in one square inch so anything higher than that is referring to ply.
The ply is the number of threads wound together in a single thread. Most high-quality bed linens are made with single ply, but in some cases, manufacturers will use two-ply to double the numbers and increase the thread count. So instead of going for whatever has the highest number period, opt for the highest number you can get in a single-ply.
Here is a guide to the fabrics and who they are best suited for as a guide.
Brands with rave reviews
Parachute
For: People who are willing to invest in bedding made of premium, all-natural materials.
Not for: People who are looking for discount bedding.
Looking to invest in premium bedding? Parachute has you covered. Parachute sells every kind of bedding product imaginable: sheets, quilts, shams, comforters—even pillows and duvet inserts. And since the brand sells sets and separates, it’s easy to stock up on exactly what you need. All of Parachute’s products are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, meaning they’re made without harmful chemicals. And although Parachute specializes in luxe materials—like organic cotton, European flax linen, and washed velvet—almost all of its bedding is machine-washable.
One of my favorite things about Parachute is that it offers free 60-day returns on most of its pieces—giving you plenty of time to decide how you feel about your latest purchase.
Amazon
For: People who want to shop at a retailer with as much variety as possible.
Not for: People who want a curated selection of top-quality or on-trend bedding.
Amazon is called “the everything store” for a reason—it truly has it all. So it should come as no surprise that when you’re outfitting your bedroom, Amazon has plenty of great bedding worth considering.
Since Amazon aggregates products from other retailers, its bedding selection isn’t as curated as what you’d find at a smaller store, but when it comes to variety, the retailer can’t be beat. Where Amazon really shines is when you need something specific, like a fitted sheet for a twin XL bed or a temperature-regulating pillow insert. Our duvet cover here is oversized since our mattress is so incredibly deep. I love that I could find a really wide and tall duvet covere and insert to fit the bed so I could tuck it in on the sides.
Buffy
For: People who want well-priced bedding that’s cooling and eco-friendly, and anyone who enjoys a lengthy return period.
Not for: People who sleep hot and want warmer bedding.
Buffy’s bedding isn’t just incredibly cozy—it’s also eco-friendly. The brand makes use of responsible materials, like eucalyptus lyocell fabric, hemp linen, and recycled plastic filling. And thanks to its wallet-friendly prices, the brand has become a go-to spot for bedding that’s easy on the earth.
Mattress Matters
A mattress is an investment, but one that pays dividends for years. The average person spends about 26 years sleeping in their life which equates to 9,490 days or 227,760 hours. Surprisingly, we also spend 7 years trying to get to sleep. That’s 33 years or 12,045 days spent in bed! (via Dreams) Most companies now will let you try out their mattress for at least 100 days—many up to 365 days!—and return for free if it isn’t a good fit.
Top Rated Mattresses from Consumer Mattress Report
Saatva
The plush, cushiony comfort and pressure-point relief of their 3″ Euro pillow top comes standard. Three firmness levels to choose from. Say goodbye to sagging with the responsive dual-coil design made of recycled carbon steel that’s tempered three times for superb durability. Get healthy spinal alignment and back support in any sleep position with their patented Lumbar Zone® Technology. Sleep cooler with the naturally breathable organic cotton cover and dual-coil design that allows more airflow to help disperse body heat.
Avocado
The most affordable certified organic mattress made in America! They craft their hybrid Eco Organic Mattress in Los Angeles with up to 988 8″ pocketed coils and 100% GOLS certified organic latex from their own sustainable farms in India and Guatemala for a contouring, gentle-firm feel. 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and wool deliver breathable, luxurious comfort. Four reinforced handles for easy maneuvering. No toxic chemicals, off-gassing, chemical flame retardants, fiberglass, or polyurethane foams. A GOTS certified organic product (CU863637) that even has the coveted MADE SAFE® non-toxic seal for safety. 100-night Sleep Trial.
DreamCloud
Climb into supreme comfort with their signature model, featuring a breathable cashmere top quilted with foam, pressure-relieving gel memory foam, and innerspring coils. Made with CertiPUR-US® certified foams. We LOVE our DreamCloud mattress! The amazing thing about this one is it has a LIFETIME WARRANTY and 365-day trial with free returns.
One and a half inches of CertiPUR-US® Certified plush soft foam stitched into the quilted cover provides cushioning comfort and superior support. An inch of CertiPUR-US® Certified gel-infused memory foam hugs your body and adapts to your curves for responsive contouring and unparalleled pressure relief for your neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Eight and a half inches of innerspring steel coils ensure airflow and reduced motion transfer. The perimeter is constructed with thicker coils for exceptional edge support. It is the most comfortable thing we’ve ever slept on and I don’t know how I would ever switch to any other mattress after this one.
Of course, these are only a few of the many mattresses available, but these are great choices to start from. A great night’s sleep makes ALL the difference in the world for your entire day ahead of you. Especially considering you will be sleeping 227,760 hours of your life!
Lighting
Lighting can really make or break a space. A typical rule almost every designer goes by is always have at least 2, if not 3 sources of light in a room. The placement of lamps and light fixtures and the color of the artificial light will have a big impact on the appearance of decor and furnishings. The goal is to avoid gloom and glare while enhancing the color scheme and the design.
We started out with these gold lamps on our nightstands and then I wanted a little bit of a more elegant, curated and elevated look so I sourced out these amazing pendant lights on Amazon. Our electrician installed them for a very reasonable price and I couldn’t be happier with how they look.
The more amazing part is the light bulbs are Alexa friendly so we just say: Alexa, let there be light and they both come on. We assigned a name to each so we can say: Alexa, turn Tracy’s light on at 20%. The dimmable part is a game changer for sure! They also have an app you can use too. You can ask Alexa to use white light, warm light and almost any color in the rainbow as well. Then when you want lights out you just say: Alexa, goodnight! There are numerous commands you can use and program for them, according to your lifestyle but these are the ones we use.
A lamp placed on a nightstand not only provides light for reading, it also provides convenience, as it can easily be turned on and off while in bed. In a large master bedroom, a floor lamp placed beside or behind a chair can provide light for reading, sewing or any other task performed in this area. Wall lamps are a great space saver and work especially well in small bedrooms. That being said, lighting is an integral part of creating a bedroom with ambiance, function and warmth.
Rugs
Rugs are probably one of my favorite parts of any room. There are just so many to choose from and they can really add a new dimension and design element to any space, especially in a bedroom. Even if you have carpet in a bedroom they add an extra layer to the design. If you have hardwoods, they are really important for bringing in warmth metaphorically and physically. Who wants to get out of bed in the morning or in the middle of the night and step on a cold floor? Nope!
First the size of the rug is super important. You can read all about rugs in this post, including sizing. As far as bedrooms go to create a space you love, use a rug and follow the design tips in the post linked above. It will really change how you feel about the room!
Curtains or Shades
Curtains can also add a design layer to your room, not to mention help filter light when needed, keep the room warmer in winter and cooler in summer, and provide privacy. Be sure to use the “high and wide” rule when hanging curtains—hang panels as high as you can, or ceiling mounted, and wide. This allows curtains to be pulled completely to the side of the window and makes the space feel larger. The rod itself should be 8 to 12 inches longer than the window’s width, which allows for 4 to 6 inches on either side. Let them either touch or dust the floor, not any higher. If you like the long look, pooling is also an option where they are so long they pool onto the floor.
If you don’t care for curtains, roman shades are a great option as well. We have roman shades on all of our covered windows and there are so many options on what kind, size, color and fabric. I reallly loved using Select Blinds, as they are super reasonable for any custom size shade you need. All of our windows are crazy sizes so I had to get custom sizes for all our windows. This was a cost effective way to do this.
In conclusion, we can all agree that there is something about our bedroom that we probably all want to modify, add or change. Sometimes it’s just one little thing that can make a big difference in how the room will make you feel at the end of a day or beginning of your morning. Hopefully these tips will get your gears turning so you can create a space you love to call your haven.
