A lot of important stuff takes place in the bedroom, from critically needed sleep to relaxation and romance. Yet when it comes to decorating, bedrooms often get short shrift. Sure, we could just shut the door in shame when guests come over, but shouldn't we make our sanctuaries worthy of all that we do in them?
I don't know if the neglected bedroom is a widespread phenomenon, but I've seen it time and again in homes that I've visited. I'll ooh-and-aah over beautiful living rooms, smart kitchens and spa-like bathrooms. Then the bedroom is shown with a sheepish introduction: "We haven't gotten around to this quite yet."
Lest it sounds like I'm throwing stones, I'll admit that my own bedroom is only half-finished after more than two years. I just started working on it a few months ago, painting over the drab beige walls and crafting a comfy fabric headboard. But it's still in a sad state. There's an overhead light fixture missing its glass cover — nothing says "love nest" like exposed foil insulation and fluorescent bulbs. And my storage-challenged closet is a jumbled mess that spills out onto the floor, forcing my husband to sidestep it every time he crawls into bed. Inviting, right? Right? Ahem.
I'm pledging here and now to give my bedroom the TLC it deserves. Are you with me? Will you make your bedroom a pleasant place to spend your waking and non-waking hours? Or do you already deem the bedroom a top priority wherever you settle?
Either way, here are a few links to inspire and help you get started:
Bedrooms by color: White, Charcoal, Pale Gray, Navy, Pale Blue, Orange, Pale Pink, Lavender, Sunny Yellow
(Image: Christopher's Fine and Feathery Nest)
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Four-P...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
oh thanks for the links, they are very helpful!
I've always made the bedroom a priority because in our last two homes, the master was directly off the living room (no hallway) and I don't like keeping doors closed. Plus it stresses me out to try and relax in a space that isn't clean and comfortable. That being said, it's been about 7 years since my last bedroom makeover and we're in a new house with a very different feel and room layout so it's time for a change. Thanks for the links!
Oh my goodness I am so with you. My bedroom is SAD. We've been in our condo a little over a year and the bedroom is kind of just an empty beige box still, not that the rest of our space is finished, but it's at least relatively passable. I only finally bought lamps for the nightstands in January (there's no overhead.) No paint, no rug, no art on the wall, no curtains, only vertical blinds. I kind of hate it. OK, I lots of hate it.
My husband and I decided that after half a decade of marriage, and a full decade of being together through dorm rooms, apartments, and rentals that we would FINALLY have a master bedroom sanctuary to be completed for our five year anniversary. That anniversary is Friday and all we've done so far is tape paint swatches to the wall. I think it's time to buckle down! I've read so many times that the bedroom should be the first thing you decorate, but while I think that's great advice I never follow it.
For me, living with roommates, my bedroom ends up being the place where I keep the decor/furniture/art that doesn't quite mesh with everyone else's. So my bedroom is usually "in flux." :)
The bedroom was the first thing i tackled upon move-in. The only bathroom is accessible only through the bedroom so everyone sees it - which is incentive to keep it tidy.
I am utterly bedroomcentric.
My bedroom does need some TLC.It is so blah.Doing the January Cure has given me some inspiration to spruce it up.My goal is to have my furniture painted white so my room won't be so dark.
I want my bedroom to be a private, private place. I want to let it get messy and clean and messy again. I like laying in bed and thinking, daydreaming,and taking reading naps in the afternoon. I like to toss my clothing about in a frenzy to find the perfect outfit and leave it looking like a teenager's room until the next day. I like getting the phone tangled in my bedding and having books get lost between the mattress and the wall. I love having 20-minute laughing sessions with my husband at 3 AM, or kvetching about the state of world affairs, or reading to each other from the New Yorker. My bedroom is great me-space and us-space. I don't care too much what it looks like. When I am in there I feel like I am on vacation and it isn't because of what the room looks like, but rather because that I don't care too, too much what it looks like. It is the pinnacle of privacy and relaxation. The walls are white, we have a headboard and 2 dressers that were my grandparents and some curtains I made from a discounted duvet from Pottery Barn a few years back. A mirror. Nothing on the walls. I love it that way.
My bedroom needs to be demolished and just start over! It is the place where furniture goes to die in our house. Nothing matches and the random stuff that doesn't have a home ends up in there. I don't even have curtains...hangs head in shame.
thorndale, your post made my heart sing. Perfect attitude for the (almost)
most private room in the house!
This was for me. I neglect our room like it's an annoying neighbour/ I've been making plans to redo it but haven't found the right duvet. When I do there is no stopping me!
I'm with you! My blog is dedicated to redoing my bedroom at the moment. Feel free to follow along:) link is on my profile! This list will be very helpful thanks!
I'm with you! My blog is dedicated to redoing my bedroom at the moment. Feel free to follow along:) link is on my profile! This list will be very helpful thanks!
Thorndale, I soooo feel you. One of the most interesting bedrooms I've been in was wrecked. Books everywhere, mattress on the floor with a fluffy unmade duvet, cool toiletries all over the place. I just wanted to rush in and stay a long while. It was sooooo personal and private.
The bedroom is next on my list. I'm buying new bedding this month and framing my art next month. I can't wait for it to be as nice as the rest of the apartment!