I believe that our bedroom should be a place of solace which we just cannot wait to reside in at the end of a long day. An escape from the outside world... a place to just BE for a little while. For me my bedroom is not just a room with a bed that i happen to sleep in and a wardrobe stuffed with clothes and whatever else...it's so much more than that ...it's a room that i have to feel a sense of calm, relaxation and peace in... a room that i fill with pieces of who i am. Yes ... from time to time it does look like a bomb hit it. The lamp shades accumulate dust ... odd shoes keep appearing and disappearing... and beneath my bed has a tendency to become so cluttered with the unknown that it looks like a scene from a horror film and i fear something might grab me and pull me under if i let it get any worse. So my room gets MESSY... I'm human...! But i ALWAYS take the time to reorganize the chaos and give my room a little TLC. So... do you take pride in how your room looks and feels? Here are some photos i took of my little escape, and if you care to read, a few tips that might hopefully inspire you to turn your room into a space you love and cant wait to come home to...
I feel that bedroom walls should not be overpowering with too much colour. The darker the colour the smaller the room feels. Remember that if you want to paint your walls a particular colour, be sure its not going to be one that you get bored of too quickly. When i was younger i made the mistake of painting the walls in this very room a colour that i LOVED... a milky, purply-blueish colour!!!! YES.....and from that experience i can tell you that just because you love a colour does NOT necessarily mean you will love it on your bedroom walls! I definitely believe that different colours emit different moods... and this pale yellow is cheerful and uplifting, it gives my room a really fresh feel... especially when accessorized with white furniture and sheer curtains, and it looks great with the dark wood floors.
Invest in nice bedding. Your bed is most likley to be the largest and most prominent piece of furniture in your room... so make it look beautiful... by using soft, comfy covers that you cant resist diving into. I can never have too many pillows. Keeping a couple of throw pillows on the bed is a nice way of tying it in with your bedroom's colour palette and style.
It's always good to have a "workspace". But in this case I use my desk as more of a display for a few things that i personally like to look at. I love it's french elegance with the dainty drawer handles and curved legs. Remember to keep your desktop clutter-free... nice deep drawers are key! Just because it's a desk does not mean you must have all the stationary on display... unless its pretty and matches the decor. :) The mirror on the wall I painted and stressed to give it a more rustic feel... it's not exactly practical for dressing in... but it reflects the whole room, making it feel a little bigger and i use it more to stick little postcards and pictures that are just too nice to keep in a box. As for the tree on the wall... It's a Cherry Blossom, (which in China represents femininity and in Japan is a symbol of life... for the blossoms have a short but brilliant bloom then fall to the ground.) I thought it was a nice symbolic touch and i also just needed something to fill the bare wall... however ... its not quite finished yet... but i'll get around to it ... some day. The wicker basket is just for my dirty clothes and that's all I'm going to say about that... moving swiftly on...
I love the idea of having a glass tabletop. It creates a great way to build a collage underneath. Always try to have fresh flowers! They are guaranteed to lift your spirits... pick them yourself... its a nice pass-time... unless of course you are someone who regularly receives them from others... unfortunately in my case ... I have to PICK 'EM MYSELF! ha ha
My reading corner.
All you need is nice tall light ... a big comfy chair... and a Mae West poster reminding you that "Every Day's a Holiday".... Oh ... and some reading material. This lampshade covered in whimsical fabric creates a nice warm glow and helps set the mood.
I use my bookshelves to display a few little trinkets and ornaments. To me there is no need to have every shelf here stacked with books... i have the one's I'm reading at the moment ... or must get around to finishing... and a few others are purely just there for style because the covers happen to look nice. Books collect a great deal of dust!
My vanity... where the transformation takes place!
This very old, traditional dressing table is probably one of my favorite pieces of furniture in my room. It is so charming in its detail and craftsmanship.I didn't have the perfect little stool for it ... so i took a not-so-special chair and threw a lace table cloth over it and voila. My old brass lamps with the fringe detail on the shade i found in my grandmother's "things to get rid of" pile. STEAL! Be resourceful. You would be surprised at what you can create with what you already have... without having to go out and buy. Grandmothers are great for sourcing materials and different accessories to kit your room out with. If you like a more traditional vintage feel like i do ... dig it up ... dust it off... and make it work...! Thanks gran. :)
It's all in the details. I keep my nail polish where i can see all the gorgeous colours staring back at me .... i don't know ... there is just something i love about a nail polish bottle. I also use a couple of pieces from my jewelry collection as decoration by draping them around the mirrors because they happen to tie in really nicely with the rest of the room ... the feminine cover of the Style magazine i thought suited the girly theme here. I try to mix them up from time to time so that i have new inspiration to look at.
I've taken to collecting The Sunday Times, U.K. Style magazines where i find loads of style inspiration and neat fashion ideas. I keep my favorites displayed in a magazine basket on the floor next to my bedside. I think it's really important to incorporate things that are inspirational to you into your surroundings. I'm particularly inspired by fashion photography and these cover shots are never a disappointment to look at.
I love vintage, so when i happened to stumble across this old suitcase, and old tattered copies of Love, Let Me Not Hunger and Enquire within Upon Everything, (the titles of these two books just speak for themselves... ), my grandfathers first camera and a pair of VERY cool specs....I just couldn't help but find them a home on my bookshelf. They've come such a long way ... they deserve to be appreciated! All of my vintage finds just add a little charm and help the room feel comfortable and lived in. I find that anything out of the ordinary or one of a kind is a good find.
I have 6 of these little scented candles from Agent Provocateur each one has a different word and pose . They are sexy, feminine, match the room and smell lovely. Every girls bedroom should have candles, and every girls room should smell nice !!! Its always a good idea to have a nice scented room spray. Nothing too overpowering... stick to light fresh scents. I'm going through a citrus phase at the moment.... so pink grapefruit or lemon. Lavender is also nice and helps relax you. Be sure to find a spray with a good brand like Molton Brown or Maison Blanc. There scents are lovely and last. However, I especially like Natural Magic Organic Home Treatment Mist in sicilian lemon and fresh basil ! Smells amazing !
Good lighting is key... it helps set the whole mood and energy of a room! I love lamp shades... they are fun, create a nice warm glow and a lovely ambiance. I also love fairy lights... but not over the top.... just as a little touch.. so i put some around my mirror.
My Colour palette and some inspiration for my room.
Pale pinks and yellows, gold, whites and neutrals, and a little contrast with some pale teal.
So ... at the end of a long day.. is your room a place of comfort and relaxation... somewhere you can escape to for a little unwinding... if not... then give your room a little spruce and personality ... get creative ... be resourceful... and make it your own!
