Bedroom Ideas
An exception to this general rule is the positioning of artwork above a bedhead, or any piece of furniture in your bedroom. When hanging a piece of art above a bedhead, position the bottom of your frames or canvas 20 to 25 centimetres above the top of the bedhead. This helps to connect the artwork to the bed as opposed to floating too high above it.
DON’T hang it too high Although your home isn’t the same as an art gallery, it’s still worth considering hanging your artwork at eye level as galleries and museums do. Everyone’s eye level is a bit different; however, an excellent guide that suits the majority of people is approximately between 145 centimetres and 152 centimetres to the centre of the artwork from the floor. This means that you can enjoy the piece without having to look upwards. The same principle can be applied to a group of paintings or photographs by positioning the centre of the entire group at eye level. You don’t have to follow this general rule to the letter, but it is certainly a good starting point.
DON’T overdo it We hear it time and time again in relation to many aspects of life. Less is more. The same goes for artwork, particularly in a bedroom where you are trying to create an uncluttered and relaxing sanctuary like this scheme. Don’t hang art on every wall in the room just because there is blank space. Keep a balance between art and bare walls by embracing the idea of empty space. Our lives are full of constant distractions, from mobile phones and tablets to advertisements and jam-packed work schedules, so it’s important to give your brain some time to unwind in a space that doesn’t overstimulate it.
Contemporary Bedroom by Public/Private Public/Private Save Email DO consider size Choosing the correct artwork or frame size is one of the most difficult decisions that many homeowners tell me they struggle with. Is it too big? Is it too small? What size is just right? In most rooms, bigger is always better than too small. A piece of artwork that is too small for the room in which it hangs can feel completely disconnected and lost in the space. For example, one of these small pieces of artwork would look lost above this large and luxurious bed. However, when hung in a group of three the pieces work perfectly. Look upon a group of paintings as one large piece of art. The artwork display, regardless of whether it is one large piece or a group of individual pieces, should measure at least half to two-thirds the width of the piece of furniture below it.
DON’T just put up art for art’s sake Choose only pieces that really appeal to you, spark a memory, have personal meaning or are of sentimental value. Hanging a piece of art just because you have a blank wall won’t necessarily add anything to your room. You want to have something that captures your attention and is pleasing to the eye. The artwork in this bedroom not only fills a bare wall, but also adds a nice shot of accent colour that brightens up the space.
DON’T restrict yourself to hanging I always like to bend the rules a little when it comes to design. After all, we all like different things, and what works for one person may not work for the next. That’s the best thing about us all being individuals with different tastes. Throw all the rule books about hanging artwork out the window. Instead, stand it, prop it, lean it, even stack it. Arranging different sizes of framed or unframed artwork, photographs and inspirational quotes propped on a shelf, not only feels relaxed and unstructured, but it also gives you the flexibility to move things around and swap them out as you please. Layer pieces by overlapping them slightly and add some ornaments or candles to soften the square edges of the display.
7. Create squares To spread out groupings of items and create orderly negative space, it can help to imagine sets of squares as boxes, whether they physically exist or not. Notice how in the space seen here, the shelves on the right form squares. The top wide shelf is not divided into squares, but the items on it still have breathing room, as though vertical dividers are between them. Spacing items out this way creates a sense of rhythm and structure even for wide-open shelves.
You may not have a lot of wall space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bedhead. To add the illusion of width to a wall, consider something long, low and upholstered, rather than something traditional. Add a piece of art, keep the bedside tables on the small side and pair them with wall-mounted sconces or unexpected pendant lights. You’ll have a beautifully dressed room you’ll never want to leave.
Design House Save Email 5. Let the bedhead help frame the bed Think of a bedhead as the finishing touch for your bed. Without one, the blank wall behind your pillows looks sort of, well, unfinished. Whether you go for upholstered, metal, wood or woven, it’s important to consider your ceiling height, your wall space and what look you are going for – dramatic, refined, feminine or modern. TIP: Add visual impact to even the most understated bedhead by using special fabric and adding luxurious details like nailhead trim, tufting, borders or contrasting piping.
9. Be creative with curtains Stylists rarely leave a window unadorned when it can be softened and enhanced with a pair of dreamy handmade drapes. Heavyweight curtains like these can be interlined to prevent heat loss, or given blackout lining to ensure sublime slumbering. They are often weighted at the bottom to encourage a nice hang, and require a little arranging each day to make the fabric fall into pleats. The handsome pelmet seen here is a contemporary update on a traditional style.
8. Supersize bedroom basics Blessed with a big bedroom? Opt for oversized furniture in fine finishes, such as silk, velvet and leather, for hotel-at-home luxe. Think large matching lamps, big bedside tables, a huge bedhead and an equally impressive blanket box. Consider the overall scale of your space, looking at the wall that will house the bed and working with the width and height available there.
BEDROOMS Master bedroom A rug is a great alternative to carpet in bedrooms and can look a lot more stylish. The size needed can vary depending on the size of the room, particularly the space you have at the foot of the bed. You want the rug to start after the bedside tables and to continue at least 50cm all around. A 1.7m x 2.4m rug is the smallest you could get away with for a queen-size bed but a 2m x 3m is best.
Freshen up pillows Pillows need to be cleaned at least twice a year, and in warmer climates, probably more like four times per year. Start by rolling the pillows lengthwise and securing them with a large rubber band at each end and one in the middle. This will prevent the fibre from clumping up during the washing process. Wash two pillows together to balance the machine and use a mild liquid detergent on a warm, gentle cycle or follow the instructions on the pillow. Add a half cup of vinegar to deal with any mildew and mould and a quarter of a cup of bicarbonate of soda to eliminate odours (or just buy new pillows). Run the pillows through the rinse and spin cycle twice to eliminate detergent or any cleaning agent residue. Then dry them flat in the sun as this is a great way to kill bacteria. Finish them off in the dryer on a low heat setting with a couple of tennis balls to stop fibres clumping and to speed up the drying process.
WARDROBE Hang a donation bag in your wardrobe Wardrobe designer Lisa Adams shared this tip with me and it has saved me so much time and valuable wardrobe space. How many times do you try on a piece of clothing, determine it looks terrible on you, then hang it right back up? If you keep a bin, basket or canvas bag within reach, you can toss it in there instead. When the bin is full, I donate the clothes so they can make their way to someone who looks better in them than I do. While we’re in the wardrobe, another tip is switching to flat, velvet-covered hangers. They save space and make everything look much neater. As soon as I get my dry cleaning home, I take the hangers and bags off and put them in the reusable canvas bag I use for shopping, ready for return to the cleaners for reuse.
8. A room within a room Four-poster beds have been in existence for centuries and traditionally housed curtains that could be drawn to contain warmth and privacy. There are now many contemporary examples, like the one within this master bedroom, with its high-raked ceiling. The bed provides a more intimate scale to a room that otherwise could make the occupants feel small in such a vast space. Its transparency allows you to both appreciate the shape of the room while at the same time feel contained within an imaginary space. These types of beds work best against one wall where you can walk around the three sides. TIP: To add opulence, introduce sheer curtains to the bed structure to allow you to both see through the transparent material as well as give you the feeling of ‘glamping’.
2. A room with a view There are times when a master bedroom layout is dictated by one key attribute, and in the case of this master bedroom (within the same house as above), that key attribute is a panoramic view of the water beyond, which spans two entire walls. With limited wall space, the inclusion of furniture beyond the bed itself is not possible. However, the designers have been creative in incorporating a pop-up TV at the end of the bed that stores away when not in use and can act as both a seat and storage unit without inhibiting the view. TIP: A combination of low freestanding and built-in joinery works best in this layout, allowing you to enjoy the view and move furniture around.
1. Built-in furniture and joinery Believe it or not, there is not much difference between this bedroom suite by building firm Zorzi and the traditional one above. The core ingredients are all there: the main bed with bedside table and lamps, the side table and upholstered seat, and under desk storage as opposed to a freestanding draw. However, what makes it completely different is that all of the furniture is built in and custom made to suit the individual space. It won’t allow for the room’s layout to be altered, but everything has its place. Here, we also see the introduction of a wall-hung TV for late-night viewing – a little luxury, much like that of a hotel room. TIP: My only suggestion, from personal experience, is that the TV be positioned directly opposite the bed so you don’t have to twist your neck to view the screen. Alternatively, you could mount it on a swivel arm.
THE CONTEMPORARY BEDROOM With the progression of time, spatially contemporary master bedrooms have stayed unaltered. However, subtle changes have seen the introduction of upholstered bedheads replacing freestanding bedheads and blanket boxes replacing bed ends, providing a storage solution as well as a place to sit, as seen in this bedroom suite by Moda Interiors. The layout of the room is somewhat less flexible, only because the wall finishes dictate the bed’s location.
8. Vertical gardens let you plant without taking up floor space When even a few pots would trip you up in a narrow yard, let your plantings creep up the wall instead. Vertical gardens can include anything from succulents to edibles, depending on available light and type of wall planter, so let your imagination run wild.
Play and display This bedhead unit works all sorts of wonders, providing enough space for a lot of clothes storage around its edges. I also like the way it creates a tidy recess for matching, built-in bedside tables – sizeable ones, to boot. The really good-looking part, though, is the shelves inside the recess, which provide heaps of room for a moveable art display or collection of treasured photographs. And keeping the wood dark and moody means the lamplight creates a super-cosy, soporific glow.
K. H. Webb Architects Save Email Understand your mattress make-up You won’t be able to see inside your mattress, but nevertheless you should ask your salesperson lots of questions about what it is made from and how it is sprung. There are now mattresses made from latex and memory foam, but innerspring styles are still the most popular. The pocket spring type is generally considered to be more luxurious than the coiled spring mattress, and it is also better at conforming to your body contours. TIP: If you overheat at night, avoid mattresses made from some poorer quality latex or memory foam. They may be reasonably comfortable and are often beneficial for back problems but can cause some people to sweat.
Choose hard-wearing fabrics Box beds that are fully upholstered should be covered with tougher fabric than what your would choose for the bedhead alone. A plain or basket weave is suitable but if you choose a polyester blend or other synthetic microfibre, then chances are the fabric will handle a few scuffs and be less likely to colour-fade. TIP: Again choose a bed covered in a quality textile. Some blends of synthetic and cotton will pill after a year or so.
Sisalla Interior Design Save Email 6. Create a reading nook If size permits, add an armchair (or two!) and a small side table to create a reading nook. You can also add lamps, scatter cushions and a small pile of books – your buyers will love this extra living space designed specifically for them.
lighting
Cristin Priest {Simplified Bee} Save Email Cardboard price tags are sold in stationery and shop supply outlets. Tie them on with string or ribbon. Luggage or key tags fit the bill, too. TIP: Position most-used items on central shelves, kids’ towels at reachable kiddy height, and low-usage things up high or down low.
Give your linen aromatherapy Apart from scenting your linen, some aromas, like lavender, repel moths and other insects. Hang a posy of lavender, rosemary and bay leaves or tuck fragrance sachets between sheets and towels. If you iron pillowcases – I do – spritz on some linen water. Be sparing with it and ensure fabric is thoroughly dry before storing. I was getting horrible spotting on my pillowcases until I read that some synthetics react to linen water, so it’s best used on natural fibres. Make your own with 3 cups distilled water, 1/4 cup vodka and 1 teaspoon lavender (or your favourite) essential oil. Shake hard in a jar and fill a fine spray bottle. Substitute a dash of perfume for oil if you like – how delicious to have Chanel No 5 –scented pillowcases!
Save Email Bravo for the basket! Versatile, breathable cane baskets make cheap and attractive storage. This practical style has short legs to maintain air flow around the shelves. TIP: Breathing space is especially important in humid climates. Dehumidifying crystals help, but change them frequently. Borrow a tip from the tropics: a small low-wattage fluorescent tube installed at floor level at the back base of the cupboard. It puts out just enough warmth to reduce humidity.
Allow room to breathe Before re-stacking, make sure that items will have air. Circulating air reduces mustiness, moisture and dust. This will be much easier with a pared-down supply as opposed to crammed shelves and drawers that are bursting. Mesh shelves, fabric bags and low-fronted drawers allow ventilation, or simply arrange in tidy piles with space between on open shelves.
San Francisco Organized Interiors Save Email Divide and conquer Put sheets in sets with their pillowcases, or separate into sizes – flat, fitted, single, queen, etc. If you have decided on multiple storage stations, take appropriate stacks to the rooms where they are to be used. TIP: Sheet sets are easy to pluck when tucked into a pillowcase from the set. Another idea is to tie each set with a wide ribbon.
Do the numbers There’s a mathematical formula for almost anything and linen storage is no exception. Work on two to three towels per person, two sets of sheets/pillowcases per bed, three to four hand towels and washers per bathroom, plus ‘best’ guest linen according to your average number of guests. Add a supply of beach towels if you live or holiday at the beach, or have a pool. Keep a spare quilt, doona cover and pillow per bed. A stock of 12 to 15 tea towels should handle a busy kitchen for a week or so. Factor in anything waiting to be laundered. Put any items surplus to these numbers with the rejects. TIP: You can always adjust this supply if you find it doesn’t suit your turnover rate, but start lean and mean. You may even be able to downsize!
carpet meets tiles
Beside the bed The bedroom is a power-hungry room in the house and providing a powerpoint for your bedside lamp is a must. But remember that many people plug their phone in beside the bed, too. Think about how many devices you require on your bedside table and install the appropriate number of sockets. If you prefer to wake up to the radio rather than your iPhone alarm, consider providing a socket for a radio clock also. TIP: These days you can install USB sockets directly into the wall – if you use an iPhone and iPad, you might want to install these outlets as well.
JADO DECOR PTY LTD Save Email Mirror door wardrobes A full wall of wardrobes is every woman’s dream (and a lot of men’s, too!). We can never have too much storage, especially for all our shoes. However, a wall full of cabinets in a small room can make the space feel even smaller, even if you use a light, bright colour. Instead of opting for conventional wardrobe doors, why not use mirrored doors instead? The mirror will make the room feel so much bigger and will conceal the fact that there is a wardrobe behind them. The mirror doors on this wardrobe run floor to ceiling, creating the illusion of more height in the space.
Magic wall You’re probably looking at this one trying to figure out where the mirror is. It’s positioned at the top of the wall above the bed. This clever trick reflects the ceiling, making it appear to continue much further past the wall. It also looks like the wall doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling. This adds to the feeling of space and openness in this room
Walls Interior walls built to collect and disperse light rather than restrict it is one solution. The wall shown here gathers indirect light from an adjacent light-filled bathroom and capitalises on the reflective nature of the bath’s wall surfaces to diffuse it into the bedroom. Clear glass will transmit the greatest amount of light into adjacent spaces. And because the glass here is positioned above eye level, the bath remains private and sound-isolated.
Incorporate a TV Watching telly in bed is one of life’s great pleasures, but you may not want the set visible all the time. This clever built-in storage has a TV on an arm, which extends down, or try concealing a flatscreen behind simple sliding doors.
Supply a sofa If space allows, a comfy sofa will become a much-used addition to a bedroom. Of course, it helps if your room also has floor-to-ceiling glazing, like this one, so you can sit and gaze at the countryside, but even rooms without views will benefit from a sofa or armchair in which to curl up.
Curtains and accessories Don’t neglect the curtains when you’re thinking of how to upgrade your bedroom or living room – compare these floor-to-ceiling inset curtains to mass-produced curtains threaded onto a curtain rod screwed on above a window or door. If you’re thinking of putting more beautiful cornices in anyway, entertain the idea of running them in front of the curtain fixtures. It will add both architectural detail and a five-star feature in one.
8. An appliance haven That is, a space where all your frequent-use (but let’s face it, mostly ugly) appliances can live. Power points in this area are mandatory, because they allow you to use the appliances there (and only there). Once you’ve finished using them, simply close the doors and walk away.
5. Set up a lounging area If you’ve got the space then utilise it to its potential. Having a lounge space within the confines of your bedroom adds that little tick of luxury. It all of a sudden transforms your space from a place where you sleep into a place where you can sit down and relax, read a book, have a glass of wine or simply sit down and put your heels on.
6. Add a mirror feature wall A favourite design trick is adding mirrors to a compact space. It can visually double the size of the bedroom. When adding table lamps, make sure the power points are added before the mirrored wall is installed.
Twinkle and Whistle Save Email 1. Extended the bedhead This snug bedroom feels expansive thanks to the addition of a large white bedhead. The brilliant white addition seems to float in front of the neutral walls while the embossed pattern adds texture and subtle movement. Making the bedhead wider than necessary reduces the dominance of the bed in the room. For another great bedhead option, take a look at this bedroom option in Brisbane’s New Farm.
Natural tonic. The fine venetian blinds in this abode enable the light to be controlled without impacting on the view.
neutral palette
4. Flip the switch Keep electrical devices to a minimum in the bedroom or, better yet, store everything you have – your radio, mobile phone, TV, iPad/tablet, laptop, chargers and so on – in another room. Opt for a battery-operated radio and, if you can’t live without your electric blanket during winter, make sure you unplug it at the wall before you climb into bed. When you have electrical devices operating in the bedroom, you are essentially sleeping in a magnetic field. Remember, the idea of applying feng shui principles to your bedroom is to improve your sleep, not disturb it.
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