Bedroom

Wallpaper Ideas for the Bedroom

Here are just a few design tips to consider when looking at bedroom wallpaper ideas and designs:

Design Choices: There are two different choices when it comes to choosing a wallpaper design. There are the simple styles (like the grass cloth wallpaper in picture (1)) and the more decorative styles (photos (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) & (7)). Simple designs, like a linen texture or plain colors with textures, are timeless and easier to decorate the rest of the room with. While more decorative designs, stencil and graphic type, are more dynamic and can be less timeless.

Placement: To keep the room from being overpowered by a decorative wallpaper, most master bedrooms will just have the wall where the headboard is up against wallpapered. While the rest of the walls will be painted in a solid color. You can even create your own custom wall mounted headboard with the wallpaper and a DIY border (8).

Decorative Elements: Borders can be used to break up a flat and large wall. These are strips of wallpaper that can be fitted around the middle of the wall or even near the top. How about wallpapering the ceiling as seen in pictures (9) & (10)?

For The Kids: For the kids bedroom, there is a whole range of themed wallpapers to go with: dinosaurs, Tinkerbell, cowboys, ponies, anything from Pixar. You can get the whole wall covered, or use borders to add just a splash of fantasy (11). Another idea is to stick up decals. You can even find glow in the dark wallpaper – or just use glow in the dark stickers and decals of stars, moon and planets. Check out our posts here for more bedroom decorating ideas for kids: Cool Bedroom Ideas for Kids, Cute Kids Bedroom Lighting Ideas.

DIY Ideas: You can find embossed wallpaper that has a 3D effect (12). This type of wallpaper can be painted over with any color you like (13), or it can be left white. It doesn’t have to just be used on the walls. It can be used to create a pattered headboard.

Using Paint: Wallpaper can be an expensive decorative element. An alternative is to use textured painting techniques – which can be quite simple to do. Brushing over wet paint with a dry brush can create a modern linen effect, while using a sponge can create a marble texture. Have a look at our post here for the different techniques and pictures: Textured Wall Painting Ideas: From Faux Wood to Linen Effects. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13

How to Create a Romantic Bedroom: Pictures, Designs and Decor Ideas

March 8, 2013 in Bedroom

Relaxing Bedroom Lighting Ideas

In the bedroom you want to have lighting that is soft and relaxing:

A Relaxing Ambiance: Some mood lighting ideas include fitting lights behind the headboard as seen in picture (1), or hooking up your ceiling lights to a dimmer switch lets you control the brightness and the mood. Check out our How to Create a Romantic Bedroom: Pictures, Designs and Decor Ideas post for some cozy lighting and decor ideas.

Some other relaxing lighting ideas include having flameless battery powered candles, or if you want a more whimsical feel – hang up some string lights (2) (The Free Spirit: Bohemian Bedroom Ideas).

Focusing on the Bed: You want to focus the attention to the bed. You can do this by putting a lamp on each side of the bed (either wall or table lamps), creating symmetry (3). These are also ideal for reading in bed.

Ceiling Lights: The most common ceiling lights found in modern homes and bedrooms are recessed lights (4). These lights fit into a drop down ceiling and all of the hardware is hidden away. You’re left with a clean sleek look. Flush mount lighting is when the light fixture sits just below the ceiling and usually has a cover to diffuse the light. And then there is track lighting (where you have 3-5 lights on one track). Usually you will only need one light outlet in the ceiling for these, and you can angle the individual track lights to different areas in the bedroom.

For luxurious and grand master bedroom lighting designs check out cove lighting (5) (6). This is when lights are fitted into the ceiling and bounce light off of the ceiling and back into the room. Another way of fitting cove lighting is to use crown molding as seen in picture (7). Here crown molding is fitted onto the wall a few inches below the ceiling. This allows space for rope lights to be fitted above the crown molding. What you are left with is a wonderful glow of light that spans across the room.

For high ceiling bedrooms some lighting ideas include using pendant light fixtures or a mini chandelier (8) (9). You can easily convert recessed lights to pendant ones without doing any wiring by using a pendant light adapter. These hanging lights just screw into any normal light socket. 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

One last ceiling idea to check out are solar tubes. These are tubes that bring daylight through the roof and into the bedroom. Free lighting! There are some versions that will have a light fitted around them so you can use the same fixture at night.

For a beginner’s guide to home lighting design, have a look at my post here: The Simple Guide: Home Lighting Design Basics.

For large bedrooms, using some wall lighting would be ideal: Designer Home Wall Lighting Ideas.

For some kid friendly bedroom lighting ideas and tips, like soft toy night lights and portable battery powered lanterns, have a look at our post here.

March 8, 2013 in Bedroom, Lighting

Grey Bedroom Ideas, Decorating Tips, and Design Pictures

Just a few design tips to keep in mind along with some grey bedroom ideas and inspiration:

Feature Piece: It doesn’t take much to bath a bedroom in grey. Take a look at photos (1) (2) (3) and (4). The walls are painted in white. And even though there are other colors present in the room (like the black and wooden decor items), these would be considered grey bedrooms. This is because the biggest piece of furniture in the room, the bed, is decorated with grey bedding (and some have a light grey headboard).

Ideas for The Walls: One option is to simply paint them a solid grey color as seen in photos (5) and (6). How about creating a more textured look with some unique painting techniques (7) (8): Textured Wall Painting Ideas: From Faux Wood to Linen Effects. Then there is the more decorative wallpapering option (9) (10).

Adding Color: If you stick to a monochrome looking bedroom, using mostly white, gray and black, then adding a few colorful pieces will really pop out – like the yellow, turquoise and purple pillows in pictures (11) (12) and (13). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13

March 8, 2013 in Bedroom

The Free Spirit: Bohemian Bedroom Ideas

Being free spirited and that cozy romantic feeling – that’s what the bohemian style (aka Hippie chic or boho style) is all about. It is less about being completely organized and having that minimalist clutter free look that is popular today. Instead, things are more casual – like having books stacked on the floor as seen in picture (2), or a mattress on the floor without a frame.

Fabric: If you really want to create a bohemian inspired bedroom, then look to have as much fabric decorating the space as possible. You’ve got fabric hanging from the furniture, ceiling and walls (3). Hang up scrunched up scarves. Layer the fabric as much as possible and look to have a quilt for the bed.

When choosing what fabric to use, mix and match different colors and styles as seen in picture (5) (with bits of lace (6)). Even when it comes to the floors, dark hued Persian rugs or a braided rug work best.

Boho Decor Accessories: Some bohemian bedroom ideas and decor pieces to use include lanterns (7), beaded curtains (9) and wind chimes, plants, feathers, moon and star ornaments, and dream catchers (10). Hanging up string lights will create a whimsical setting and a soft glow. Use the LED versions that produce less heat and wrap them in drapes (11). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11