While many things in life change and evolve, the steps to creating a beautiful bedroom do not.
Once upon a time author and designer Mary Carol Garrity laid out a road map to creating a stunning space in which to relax and regenerate, and this advice still gets me through my room refreshes today.
I thought we could all use a reminder from her this spring as we look to breathe a little new life into or completely transform our rooms during spring cleaning.
1. Select functional but attractive furniture
Before you think about fun stuff like colors and fabrics, you have to make sure your bedroom is fully functional. Start by drawing up a floor plan that works for your daily life. For instance, if two people are going to share the bed, you don't want one side pushed up against a wall, making it difficult for the person on the inside to get out of bed easily.
As you think through your floor plan, determine which existing pieces of furniture will stay, which will go and what you need to add to make the room work better.
If your room feels tight and cramped, consider paring down your furnishings. For example, if you have a TV in your bedroom that's housed in a large cabinet, replace the cabinet with a console table that eats up less room.
If your room is large and lofty, you might need to add a few larger pieces of furniture to ground the space. Many new homes have lots of built-in storage in the closets to hold clothing, minimizing the need for dressers in the bedroom. But I still encourage clients with large spaces to fill to add a dresser, armoire or bookcase to give your room some visual appeal and balance.
2. Bring on the textiles
I think that picking out textiles, such as bedding, window coverings and upholstered furnishings, is one of the most fun parts of redesigning a bedroom. And fun is the optimal word when you're talking about a bedroom palette.
This is your place to really express yourself. Bask in the glow of festive florals or find tranquility in soft blues — the choices are endless. Start layering your textiles with rows of pillows adorned with tassels and trim for a bold and powerful look.
Once you have your bedding picked out, you can move on to incorporating your curtains, rugs and even side chairs into your vision.
3. Finish off with interesting art and accents
Once you have the right furniture in the right places, and your bedding and window coverings are magnificent, it's time to finish off the space with interesting art and accents.
If you have a collection, feature a few choice pieces on your bedside table or dresser top. Or work in a few special family heirlooms. How about some snapshots of family and friends? Use your treasures to create motifs that tell a story.
Adapted from nellhills.com. Katie Laughridge is the owner of Kansas City interior design destination Nell Hill's.
