How To Create Your Best-Ever Bedroom

Interiors

For most of us, our bedrooms are the first space we ever got to personalise and decorate by ourselves. Things may have slightly changed from poster-covered walls, stuffed animal shrines and bead curtain entryways of bedrooms past, but there’s no reason that your bedroom shouldn’t still be a place that reflects who you are, as well as a soothing place to rest your head!

Texture, colour and lighting all make a huge difference to how these spaces feel. Our interiors columnist Lauren Li of Sisällä takes us through these elements + more, to help create your best-ever grown-up bedroom!

25th September, 2019

A very calm room designed by Fiona Lynch with the asymmetric Serge Mouille wall light that adds a dynamic feel to the space. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Lauren Li

Wednesday 25th September 2019

The bedroom is arguably the most important room in the house – it’s the most intimate, personal space in the home. Since we spend so many hours of our lives here, we really should make the effort to create a bedroom that we feel totally comfortable in.

The great thing about decorating a bedroom, is it’s a lot easier and quicker than other high-traffic rooms in the home, like the living room. This room is for no one other than you (and perhaps, a very accomodating partner!), so we can really flex our styling muscles here, and create a personalised space that reflects our personality. Just by simply refreshing the bedlinen, perhaps adding artwork, and layering some gorgeous texture we can create a whole new feel.

Decorating your bedroom isn’t going to change the world, but it will change your world. And that’s important. Read on for some tips for how to create a bedroom mood for any style!

This dark plum wallpaper in this bedroom by Nina Maya is pure grown-up luxury. Photo by Felix Forest.

Lighting is everything in the bedroom! Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A wall-mounted light can help save space. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Lighting

This is an important one! There is no need for downlights in a bedroom, where ambience is key. In fact, bedrooms may as well just NOT HAVE ANY downlights on the ceiling. And especially never have downlights directly over the pillows on bed.

Instead, ambient lighting is best achieved using lamps or pendants, and this is where the real fun begins! A feature wall light is a great option for a reading light beside the bed. Alternatively, consider a pair of matching pendants handing above bedsides, for a more streamlined, symmetrical look.

Luxurious deep emerald silk wallpaper sets the mood. Interior Design – This Is Joy Design. Photo – Stephanie Rooney

A deliciously dark and moody bedroom. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

This dark wall is made bright by a perfect pairing with colour and texture. Photo – Eve Wilson. Styling assistant – Nat Turnbull. Production – The Design Files.

A Moody Palette

With the fast-paced nature of our busy work lives, we need a room that makes us feel instantly relaxed before we sleep. Immersing yourself in different colour can act as a cue to change your mood into relax mode. Colour is such a powerful way to change the way our spaces make us feel!

Dark grey, deep blue and even black (yes!) are great choices for the bedroom. They’re also surprisingly versatile hues, working well in both older style and contemporary homes.

Uniquely feminine, yet not a floral print in sight. This is the new romantic feel. Abundant with soft curves, yet edgy, this hotel designed by global interior design studio Chzon, lead by the creative genius of Dorothee Meilichzon. Photo – Karel Balas.

A beautifully feminine room with soft pastels and gorgeous curves by Nina Maya. Photo by Felix Forest.

It’s no surprise that an artist like Tom Adair would choose to work with Fiona Lynch. The practice is known for their artistic approach. Also, I’m just trying to think of something to write that doesn’t mention that artwork being above the bed. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

New romantic

Pink is romantic, modern, soft, restful and chic, which makes it the perfect choice for the bedroom. And I’m not just talking about traditional ‘baby’ pink – consider shades of coral, through to light reds and even hot pink. Accent colours like this can be incorporated in your choice of bedlinen, scatter cushions or artwork.

Throw in a few curvaceous pieces of furniture or objects, and you have the perfect recipe for a gorgeous, sensual (!) bedroom.

Delicious texture in this bedroom scene. Photo – Eve Wilson.

Textured sheets and curtains add interest to the area. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

In the hotel design for Il Palazzo Experimental, Dorothee Meilichzon used very classical venitian elements alongside more contemporary elements such as tribute to the Memphis movement, some bright colors and scalloped edges. And of course, Venetian plaster finish on the walls. Photo by Karel Balas.

Textiles and Texture

Creating a cosy, welcoming interior isn’t just about choosing the right colour palette – the textures in your space can have a huge impact, too. This is never more important than in the bedroom, where comfort should be a priority! Choose natural fibres for the bed, and add variety with a knitted throw, and tactile scatter cushions.

A soft upholstered bedhead lends incredible plush texture to the bedroom – try Australian made Heatherly custom bedheads.

Drapes and window furnishings add so much to the bedroom, too. This is the best room to consider investing in heavy drapes, to block out the light, provide insulation add a gorgeous feeling of softness to the room. Curtains like this should always hang all the way to the floor.

When there is a limited colour palette, texture and pattern become so important. Seagrass wallpaper made by hand in Japan comines with linen and wool to keep the space interesting. Interior by sisällä. Photo – Tess Kelly.

A neutral (not boring!) room. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Eco House Western Australia. Photography – Dion Robeson, styling – Anna Flanders.

Neutral (not boring!)

A neutral bedroom doesn’t mean that there are no colours: in fact, selecting these nuanced colours can be the most challenging! Consider oatmeal, beige, cream, taupe and warm greys as an alternative to white, for a more sophisticated, layered space that still feels bright and contemporary.

However, these neutral tones can also look extremely flat and boring if one important ingredient is forgotten – texture and pattern. Add natural materials such as timber, rattan, stone, leather or a metallic detail to lift the space.