10 Common Mistakes Made In The Bedroom

A great bedroom, like CandiMandi's, requires only a little imagination

While we're not talking about those kind of mistakes (for that, you might want to look to a different kind of site), there are many who say that the mood of a house is set in motion in the bedroom. Certainly, the bedroom can set the tone for person who lives there. If you've been in a bad mood, perhaps your bedroom's guilty of these 10 common mistakes...

Clutter: Your bedroom's the last and the first experience of the day. Keeping it clutter-free can go a long way towards a zen mindset. Start by making the bed and the room will feel that much better.
Not planning for enough storage: To help you in keeping it clutter free, make sure you have enough places to store the items that need to go in this room. Designate a place for dirty clothes and consider a set of pretty boxes to hide the stuff on your nightstand.
Going colour and pattern crazy: Cool colours -- blues, grey -- form the most calming foundation here. Use hot colours for accents.
Neglecting the ceiling: Often the first thing you see when you get up in the morning, don't forget about the "fifth wall". White is fine but why not try painting it a shade lighter than your walls?
Not fitting the furniture to the room: Consider both the size of your furniture and the amount of furniture. You don't want the room feeling cavernous but you don't want to crowd everything in here either.
Forgetting about the sun: Curtains are beautiful but if you find yourself rising with the dawn, you may need blackout shades as well.
Not having another place to sit: Even if it's just a stool or a hard chair. So you can put on your shoes or lay out your clothes.
Unflattering lighting: Aim for three sources of light. A lamp on either side of the bed plus another on the opposite side of the room gives you options.
Uncomfortable sheets: While high thread count is nice, there are great linens at every price point. Try jersey sheets or a one time indulgence in real linen sheets (they last forever and get softer with each washing).
Not shutting the door against the world: Even if your bedroom doesn't have a door, consider shutting it figuratively against the intrusions of the day. The bedroom's best left for romance and rest. Try keeping work, and the television, out and let your bedroom be a retreat from the day's cares.

[image: Candi Mandi, from the Unofficial Apartment Therapy Cure Pool]

Comments (33)

Having a tv in the bedroom is a HUGE no-no!

I love her DIY headboard.

My most common mistakes in the bedroom are drooling on the good pillow and oversleeping.

linen sheets would be wonderful. Does anyone recommend a certain brand or source for such an indulgence?

One of my favorite AT bedrooms was the one with the "Amateur Boxing Every Friday Night" sign above the bed and the chandeliers hung low on either side.

Ooh la la!

Dont forget a glass carafe of water by the bed - nobody wants to get out of bed in the dark for a glass of water, and plastic bottles of water are just bad news.

Great post, as we are currently redoing our room right now!

I agree with the TV thing...there will never be a TV in our room, it would make me crazy for sure.

Does anyone have a suggestion on a similar bedside table (or know where to find this one)? I've been looking forever -- need something high and not too deep. Thanks!

Henrietta, do you have a link to that bedroom?

I'm going to go even further and suggest no tv in the whole house. I have gone without broadcast tv for 20 years now. I have a dvd player and a monitor and watch 2 to 4 movies a week. It's situated in a small cubby that one has to crawl into from the upstairs loft.It's a great way to limit the time the set is on and no annoying commercials. My bedroom is limited to a bed a dresser and a lamp. No need for shades, because without cable it's hard to stay up much past dark so I start the day when the sun tells me to. Also, monochromatic grey floors,walls and ceiling. The only artwork is the ever changing view out the windows.

citizengreen, do they let you out for good behaviour?

;)

I have big problems sleeping - I need something to distract me while I fall asleep. I took the tv out of my bedroom, thinking I could break myself of the habit. It worked for a month or two. Now I sleep in the living room :/

LOL @LouLou

And Comicgeek... I feel you on the good pillow drool stains. :)

Great advice; the headboard in the photo is corny, but the tones in that room are beautiful!

A pretty little alarm clock!

Hey Dr. Ruby, here's the link for "Suzi's L.E.S. Meets Le Marais".

Make your bed more inviting with lots of soft textured cushions and a supercomfy luxe blanket at the foot of the bed.
Your bedroom should be a tranquil, luxurious, bliss-filled escape to meditate, read, sleep and you know... (;
**-- if the energy feels off, bless it and smudge your space with sage!!

The pillows look lovely with the grey of the headboard. Other than that, the room just doesn't feel right. Maybe a nice framed print that says 'LOVE' in block letters, instead of fitting the word to a headboard.

I had a similar quilt when I was 5.

Nice list though.

I LIKE having a TV in the bedroom. The only time I ever get to watch is after the kids are in bed, and I enjoy my one hour of TV in my own quiet space after a busy day. I have a glass of wine and watch a DVD or something I TIVO'd. It's a nice transition from frantic to quiet.

I think the objection to TVs comes from people who grew up in homes where the TV was on all the time.

I have been spending a lot of time recently thinking about how to incorporate a work space in a bedroom. As the post suggests we should keep the two separate, but that's not always possible. Do any of you have any good suggestions?

try belgian huis for libeco linen sheets. you pay for the quality, but it IS quality.

Well, I could see having some sort of office armoire in a bedroom, something like a freestanding closet with doors that you could close.

Fun headboard - mine would probably say, "Cash Only Please."

I have a tv, in an armoire that can close, in my bedroom. It doesn't get used much, but is certainly nice to have there if I am sick or working at my desk across the room. I can close it off when not in use so it is not an eyesore.

I'd say it would be important not only to have comfortable linens/sheets, but also comfortable bedding. It is annoying to have to remove a stiff top blanket and tailored pillows every night just to get to the pillows and blankets you actually use.

I'm guilty of breaking the TV rule too! Oh, and the color/pattern rule. Rules are made to broken, baby!

Our bedroom is another living space for us. Where else would my son and I watch Spongebob AND be able to jump on the bed?

I guess we thrive on the chaos. :)

My headboard would say "pay in chocolate"!

oh, pinknest, that alarm clock is from ikea . I have one just like it but my husband makes us use the one that shines the time on the ceiling...

on workspace in the bedroom... I had to do that at my last place. Be sure to make it really separate from the bed. I ended up using my computer (laptop) in bed a lot. Didn't make for good sleep!

Haha, LouLou. You made my morning.

On linen sheets: I love them! They get softer and softer as they're washed. I have had full linen and cotton/linen sheets, and I rather prefer the ones with a bit of cotton. We currently have this newer set from Crate & Barrel:

Linen-Cotton Sheet Set

garnet hill has great linen sheets.

Yuppie- we had to move my husband's workspace into our bedroom too when the office had to go to the 2nd kid that's on the way now. We have his desk and a small IKEA cabinet with our printers hidden behind a chest of drawers. You can't see the desk area at all from the door of the bedroom or the bed. It's been great!

Automatic Blonde...i'm with you on this one! my moments of watching cartoons on saturday mornings in bed with my son are WAY TOO precious for me to imagine moving the TV out of the bedroom. When he's all grown up and no longer will join me for our cartoons and snuggling - i'll ditch the TV :0)