5 Secrets To A Great Bedroom...

With my interest in decorating & home decor, I am often asked by friends & family to look at rooms to offer suggestions & advice. I never get tired of this....I love, love, love helping people make their homes beautiful!

I think bedrooms are so important and they are often the most neglected space.

Bedrooms can provide more than just a place to sleep. They  can be escapes from the stresses & busy-ness of everyday schedules...a wonderful place to read & relax... a place that can make you feel refreshed & at peace.

And I don't think you need to spend oodles of money to achieve

a lovely space.

Here are my tips for creating a bedroom to love!

1. Get Down With Bedding. Start with something that you adore! Who wants 'ugly' in the bedroom?!  Build your bedroom around colour and bedding as a jump off point. If you are going to paint, pick bedding first & paint colour next, and not the other way around. Drapery should fit into the colour scheme whether it be a neutral scheme or full of colour. I recommend 'black out' drapes to provide the best sleeping comfort. Black out lining can be added to existing curtains or inexpensive options can be found at Zellers & Canadian Tire, for example, & they often go on sale. Besides the many 'bedding in a bag' choices that come as matched sets, consider these other budget friendly options:

Mix & Match. Bedding can be different shades of neutrals if that is what soothes your soul:

 {Style at Home}

A punchy throw or blanket can work as a starting point if that makes your heart go a-flutter:

{Canada's Style At Home}

Or a beautiful handmade or flea market quilt if you adore homey & cozy:

{Sarah Richardson}

2.  Pick A Peck Of Pillows. You may already own bedding you love. However, just adding the right throw pillow can make the bed feel so wonderful & fresh. Tired pillows can be recovered with small amounts of fabrics, or you can pick up pillows marked down to under $15...I've seen tons this week at Home Sense.

You could throw a pillow party if  you like multiple pillows:

{Canadian House & Home}

Or a single 'statement' pillow can do the job just beautifully:

{Canadian House & Home}

3. Now Add Table-rama & Lamp-alooza. Bedside tables & lamps are a must in a bedroom for comfort & convenience. Bedside tables hold drinks, reading glasses & books & telephones, among many other bedside must-haves. Lamps provide light for reading and relaxing without the brightness of the ceiling light. You can re-purpose or paint any small table or chest of drawers to make a fantastic side table. Use Craig's List, Yard Sales & Kijiji as low cost sources. Lamps can be spray-painted to match decor.

Tables & Lamps can be small & functional:

{Style At Home}

Or they can add a pop of colour to the bedroom:

{Style At Home}

Bedside tables can boost storage space:

{Rambling Renovators Blog}

Lamps can be hung on the wall alongside a small bedside tray:

{Canadian House & Home}

Or hung from the ceiling for a wonderful effect:

{Canadian House & Home}

They can also be extremely basic & budget-minded:

{Canadian House & Home}

4. Beautify Behind The Bed. Just like adding a pillow, adding something interesting behind the bed can really make the bedroom sing. Troll yard sales, goodwill stores, and use your imagination to find what makes you happy. Remember that frames and mats are easy to spray paint too!

First there is the traditional artwork option. A grouping of pictures is a classic look:

{Canadian House & Home}

As is a single picture:

{Sarah Richardson}

A round mirror can add a wonderful air of sophistication:

{Style at Home-Peter Fallico}

Popular choices in recent years have included painting the wall behind the bed an accent colour & decorative headboards:

{Sarah Richardson's Bedroom}

And warm wood such as unpainted pine:

{Sarah Richardson's Cottage}

Or something completely funky & interesting:

{Canadian House & Home}

5.  Choose Luscious Lighting. If budgeting allows, adding a ceiling fixture is the final touch of luxury. Although fixtures can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars...it can be done very inexpensively if you comb stores for mark-downs,  search yard sales & online sources and use your imagination to spray paint and refurbish. {For my own bedroom...I waited patiently for years and found a chandelier at Canadian Tire marked down from $149.99 to $49.99 & got it as a Mother's Day present!}

Consider the romantic sparkle of a chandelier:

{Canadian House & Home}

Or a lantern style fixture:

{Sarah Richardson}

A hanging fixture with a textured drum shade:

{Style At Home}

Or any fun-shaped fixture that catches your eye!

{Canadian House & Home}

And just so you know that I practice what I preach, or I walk the walk, or I walk the talk or however the saying goes...here is our bedroom:

   I have a thing for pillows. I like to change them up. You can see the $49.99 chandelier that I patiently waited for 5 years to find...I like pretty...but I'm a frugal girl!

 I hope you find some inspiration in making your sleep space beautiful!

Thank you so much for reading and sharing this post with me...I am so honoured by my readers every day who give me their precious time & attention. Thank you so much!

 And after reading this post, what is the first change that you think you will make to the bedroom, if any?

Inquiring minds want to know!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:




















Sundae Scoop @ I {heart} Naptime

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table & Dreaming

A Lovely Riverside Picnic....

Today was my birthday.

I was up half the night with my youngest, who was not feeling well.

I had plans to go & sew with a friend today, but I was too tired to even think about sewing... plus I didn't want to take Tyler out anywhere.

I was kind of bummed about my plans getting squelched.

But a girlfriend called & invited me to come for lunch with her at the library.

Little did I know that she threw this wonderful little lunch picnic for my birthday.

She brought a pretty tablecloth...and fresh flowers.

A simple but delicious lunch of a sandwich, soup and chips from the local deli.

Homemade chocolate cookies.

It was perfect!

I felt so special and it really lifted my spirits!

I am so grateful for thoughtful girlfriends!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Style & Organization for a Girly Dressing Room...

So another project that I tackled while I was home visiting in Nova Scotia was styling & organizing my Mom's dressing room.

{After}

My sweet mother realized that this large & spacious area next to her walk-in closet had become a bit tired and was in need of a little makeover.

She asked for my help & of course I said YES  because when the woman who has been one of your biggest cheerleaders in life needs help, you are at the ready!!

I  did a little shopping at IKEA and shipped a large box to her just as Canada Post went on strike. However, much to my relief, the goodies arrived not long after I flew to Nova Scotia.

We also did a little shopping at Winners before the big makeover day!

Behold the 'BEFORES':

 Notice in the photo above the 15 years of magazines like Martha Stewart, Gourmet, Canadian Living, and others.

We cleared those the heck out of there and donated them!

We worked hard to tame the wild piles of stuff...

coordinated some black & white & pink to make a slightly romantic & girly space.

And after I worked my magic...the 'AFTERS':

A sweet spot to sit in to do hair & makeup.

A simple vignette to make the space feel relaxed.

Shelves made pretty and hair stuff contained in feminine containers & IKEA boxes.

Makeup perfectly organized.

This little makeover took only a few hours but the results were well worth the effort.

Now my Mom has a space that feels fun & fresh.

{Love you Mom!!}

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

Strut Your Stuff Saturday @ Six Sisters Stuff

Sundae Scoop @ I {heart} Naptime

Tyler's New Room Plan....

I have returned from vacation and am throwing myself back into projects around the house like nobody's business.

It was great to come back after a fabulous 5 weeks in Nova Scotia because not only did I get lots of rest & relaxation...I got to come home and see my house with fresh eyes!

So my Mr. Tyler has been asking repeatedly for a new & BIGGER bed in his room.

He is a growing boy and he wants to say 'bye bye' to his twin bed and hello to a Double Double please.

Let me be honest here...his room is small.

I have been over the floor plan 6 ways to Sunday and there is no way a double bed could be added to the space without loss of a chest of drawers AND a desk. Boo!

I really believe every child needs a desk in their room, along with a bookcase.

I just cannot seem to bend on these issues...I think a place for quiet study in a private space is a must.

Let me share the new room plan:

I want to make a room that will take him to the end of High School...so it should be fun but also allow him to mature in it.

Remember that the goal is to add a double bed and keep a space for a desk and a chest of drawers.

After much careful thought... a LOFT bed seems like the best solution.

I didn't want this solution, but a measuring tape convinced me otherwise.

I have been wrestling with this decision for weeks and weeks...trying to talk myself out of a LOFT bed.

But with the lack of square footage, it offers the best solution.

{However, I may change my mind, but the colour scheme will not change.}

And Ikea offers great solutions at affordable prices...because you know I am getting the 'eyebrows' from the husband.

He agrees with the new bed. The rest...not so much. {Men!}

So here we have the double LOFT bed...as it will look in his room with the space underneath for a cozy study space and a chest of drawers.

The chest of drawers that will be placed on the right side behind the ladder.

A desk & shelves will be placed on the left side. I will paint his current desk and add some shelves.

The new wall colour. Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter. I wanted a warm grey for this space in contrast to the black furniture.

The new bedding...a light gray that will take him right into teenage years.

Up in his little loft space, he will need a shelf for a drink and a few books:

And a wall lamp for reading...

And now for the fun part...zippy accents in red...like these pillows...along with some artwork and red draperies.

Thoughts? Comments?

Please do share!

Do you know of another gray that would work well in this room?

What colour should I paint his desk? Red? Dark Gray?

Ready..set..go!

This post is linked to these great parties: