Many of us neglect the bedroom and pour our attention into public household areas – Big Mistake. The bedroom should be your sanctuary where you go to recharge after a long day (or week.) Let me help you take your bedroom from a box with a bed in it to your favorite room in the house in just three easy steps.
1. Lighting
This simple but often overlooked element is the key to making ANY room of your house more inviting but the role of lighting in the bedroom is essential to creating an atmosphere that calms the mind and soothes the soul.
The Overhead Light
Make a statement with overhead lights! They create a compelling focal point for your bedroom. Use a high wattage bulb in this fixture but put it on a dimmer so the room’s mood can change with yours.
An overhead light that emits a soft glow rather than trying to light the entire room leads to a more relaxing ambiance.
Task Lighting
Bedside lights are a must! Options range from Lamps to space saving Sconces and Pendants (more room for a sweet photo of the kids or a floral arrangement.) Keep these lights approximately shoulder height for less glare.
Don’t forget the closet! If you aren’t lucky enough to have a skylight in your closet try adding daylight balanced bulbs for enhanced color matching (no more one navy blue & one black sock 🙂 )
Accent Lighting
Remember when you were a kid and that one dark corner of the bedroom always creeped you out? Good news, you’re in charge now! Add accent lamps to those creepy corners and notice how much larger (and monster free) your room feels.
Got a cool piece of art or a cozy fireplace? Throw some directional light on it and let it shine.
The Sun
That’s right, the sun. It serves an important purpose beyond beach vacations and gardening – like helping us to wake up. If you currently have blackout shades or drapes consider switching to a lighter fabric.
If your urban environment makes complete darkness hard to come by make it a habit to open your shades as soon as your alarm goes off. There is no better ambiance than sunbeams.
2. Linens
What is it about a beautiful bed covered in a ultra-cozy fluffy comforter with sensuous throws casually draped across the corner and lushly layered with pillows that makes you want to crawl in and snuggle down for a nice long snooze?
When it comes to linens there is much to be considered:
- What type of fibers?
- What type of weave?
- How do I decide?
Truthfully, this is a subject that could easily fill a book (and has many times over.) I intend to touch on a couple factors that deserve considering as well as sharing a few tips I have learned along the way and THEN I encourage you to take a trip to a fine bed linens shop like Peacock Alley.
Fibers
There are four types of fibers but for the sake of brevity I am going to cover three
Natural Fibers- Cotton, Linen, Silk
These fabrics respond well to temperature changes throughout the year because of their superior breathability and absorbency.
A great fiber for warmer more humid climes.
The biggest drawback is that they tend to wrinkle very easily.
Artificial Fibers- Tencel, Modal, Bamboo
Currently a very popular choice- especially those made from bamboo because they are extremely absorbent and have anti-bacterial properties that can be washed away.
Follow the washing instructions on these sheets carefully because they tend to shrink.
PRO TIP
Avoid wrinkled sheets by drying on low then remove from dryer immediately. Smooth out flat and fold OR remove from dryer slightly damp and immediately make the bed with them (this works the same as ironing.)
Synthetics- Polyester, Acrylic, Nylon
What’s great about these man-made fibers is that they can be dyed in much more vibrant colors than either of the above fibers and they are wrinkle resistant.Unfortunately they don’t breathe much and don’t wick away sweat well so they are not recommended for hot, humid climates.
PRO TIP
Tired of twisted sheets? Stop overloading your dryer. A half full dryer of linens leads to a happy dryer and a comfy sleeper. Hello fluffy sheets!
Weave
Think about the type of experience you want to have in your bed. Sounds crazy but the four most common weaves all FEEL completely different. Thread count doesn’t tell us much. The weave is where it’s at.
- Crisp, Cool, and Smooth – Percale, Cambric, Batiste
- Soft, Silky, Lustrous Sheen – Sateen
- Toasty Warm, Cozy, Fuzzy – Flannel, Jersey
- Textural, Cool, Dry- Linen, Silk, Rayon
PRO TIP
Fitted sheet won’t stay put? Make sure you buy deep pocket sheets for a pillow top mattress or any mattress with a pad on top. Also, buy fitted sheets with elastic all the way around – not just in the corners – for a tighter fit.
How do I decide?
Take a trip to a luxury linen store like Peacock Alley and let them show you all the choices so you can feel your way to beautiful linens.
Local Love
Peacock Alley is a new addition to luxury bedding and bath linen shops in Nashville. This fresh, breezy alternative to Bella Linea is located on Sidco Dr. in the budding “design district” Located next door to Merridian Home Furnishings and across the street from Stone Source makes it a very convenient resource for studioGuilbeau since these are two of our favorite haunts.
3. Lounge
Ahhh, the importance of being idle. Is there anything better than donning a robe and curling up in a comfy chair with a wonderful book? We all need a private spot to relax and daydream. This is why every master should have a spot for perfecting the fine art of lounging.
Beyond the pure practicality that seating in the bedroom provides to aide in the donning of shoes and the wriggling on of spanx there is a much more soulful reason to provide yourself chaise, overstuffed arm chair, or pillow filled window seat.
When seeking to create an oasis in the boudoir you must provide for much needed private time behind a closed door with a good book – or maybe your favorite tv show.
Assess the space
Smaller bedrooms may need to stick to a plushly padded bench at the end of the bed or consider removing one nightstand from the room in favor of a comfy chair and small footstool that tucks away when not in use.
Larger master bedrooms have a bit more latitude might be able to accommodate two love seats and a coffee table for quiet morning breakfasts.
How will you use the space?
A chaise lounge is perfect for rainy day reading and cozy cat naps with its angled back and extra length.
If you plan to enjoy an evening TV show or two before bed then a comfy lounge chair with a tray table for snacks and the remote might be perfect.
Coordinate
The furniture you choose should coordinate with your bedroom suite via color, form, material pattern, or all of the above. The bed is still the star of the show so don’t try to outshine it 🙂
These three simple steps are the foundation for a bedroom that will leave you recharged and ready to tackle each day. Are you ready to start pulling together the bedroom of your dreams? Let us know which step you intend to get started with and why below!
–marcelle
Photos By:
Steven Long Photography: 1-3, 5,6,12,13,15
Ashley Segroves Photography: 8,14
Marcelle Guilbeau: 9-11
It makes sense that your bedroom’s design should be unified by color, form, or patterns and that your bed should remain the main focus of the room. My wife and I are excited to decorate our rustic bedroom but have a limited amount of space and do not want to make the area look too cluttered. We’ll consider getting some antique furniture that will tie the entire room together.