Make Your Bedroom Look Cosy

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You can create your own comfortable hideaway from the world by making some simple changes to your room. The color of your walls, lighting, window treatments and other accents can all make a big impact on how you feel in a room. Try some, or all, of the suggestions below to create a space you’ll never want to leave!

Steps

Changing Wall Color

  1. Understand how color can change a room. The color of your bedroom walls can have a big impact on how you feel. Warm colors like oranges, reds, yellows, and earth tones can make even large rooms feel cosy and intimate.
  2. Paint your bedroom a neutral color, like a beige, light brown, or white. You will also be able to hang more pictures and photos without worrying if it will clash. Neutral colors make your room feel larger. If you have a dark color like black or purple, it will seem smaller and cramped.
  3. Identify a color you like from an existing item you have in your room for inspiration. Is it a small carpet, pillow, painting or photo frame? If possible, take that item to the store with you to look for similar paint colors.
  4. Test out potential colors. Get a large paint chip, usually around 8 x 10 inches, from your local paint store before you commit to a new color. You will probably have to order the larger samples and wait a few days to get them, but most stores will provide you with these free of charge.
  5. Focus on the colors that are most attractive to you. Select a range of shades in that color. For example, if you are thinking about red walls, choose a number of paint samples in red hues. A shade you think might not work in your room might very well turn out to be the best one for your new space.
  6. Purchase a small pot of the color you like and paint it on white poster board if your store doesn’t offer large color samples. Paint a large piece of the board with your chosen shade to get a good idea of how it looks.
  7. Leave the paint samples on the wall for a few days to find your favorite. Paint color can vary depending on the light so make note of how it looks in both natural light and artificial light at various points in the day. In general, natural lighting tends to show the true color of the paint.
  8. Experiment with combinations of warm colors. Try reds and browns, yellows and oranges or browns and golds. If you like darker, more dramatic colors but are afraid of painting your whole bedroom, you can paint that color on just one accent wall.
  9. Try a warm shade of white or lighter yellow paint if you want to increase the warmth of your room but don’t want to go too dark or dramatic. You don’t need to use a dark shade to make your room feel cosy.

Adding Different Sources of Light

  1. Experiment with different types of light. Having a variety of light sources creates a warm, welcoming feeling in your room. If you only have one light source in your room, consider adding something new. You can experiment with placing them in different places until you get that “just right” feeling. Here are a few options to explore:
  2. Try table lamps and floor lamps. Have at least one table lamp and a floor lamp with a dimmer switch so you can adjust the brightness according to need. Reading lights next to your bed are not only practical items but add to the overall ambience of your room.
  3. Buy candles of varying heights and place them around the room. If you are concerned about having an open flame in your room, there are many different types of flameless (battery operated) candles that are safer than regular candles.
  4. Look for help hanging either a pendant light from the ceiling or track lighting. You may need extra money to hire an electrician to do the work for you, but the results will be really beautiful.
  5. Consider a wall sconce or wall lamp. These are mounted directly on your wall and provide warm, indirect lighting that looks inviting.

Changing Your Window Treatments

  1. Experiment with window treatments. Changing the type of covering you have on your windows can improve the feel of your room. Many of the newer types of window treatments are designed to conserve energy and keep the cold or heat out without sacrificing on style.
  2. Consider cellular shades, which look similar to pleated blinds but contain cells that conserve heat in your home. They come in a variety of colors and styles, and look softer and better made than vinyl blinds.
  3. Explore blackout or energy saving curtains. These are made with a heavy-duty material that keeps the temperature in your room steady. Although the backing (the part facing outside) tends to be a rather dull color, the front of the curtains come in a huge range of color and textures.
  4. Try soft, flowing textures. Look at drapes and window valances made out of soft, natural fibers like cotton, silk or wool. You can use energy efficient shades to block the light out, and then frame them with soft valances and drapes to add a bit more style to your room.
  5. Try eco-friendly blinds and shades made out of bamboo or linen weaves for an earthy look. These options may be a little more expensive than some of the choices above but are long lasting and beautiful – as well as green!
  6. Explore colored curtains. You can get colored curtains, as long as they aren't hot pink or any bright color. Getting a light color for curtains will make your room feel more open because you can see through the window with a sheer one. If they are opened or closed they will not make a difference.

Adding Accents

  1. Explore accents. Sometimes just adding a few inexpensive accents to a room can make it more comfortable and inviting. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, trying just one or two of the suggestions below can make your room cozier.
  2. Add a rug next to your bed, especially if you have hardwood floors. Shag or deep pile rugs look cosy and will feel great on your feet!
  3. Buy a plush, new comforter or duvet cover in warm colors. As your bed takes up a large portion of your room, this simple change and addition of color will alter the feeling of your room considerably. If you don’t have a lot of extra money to spend redecorating your room, spend what you have on new bedding!
  4. Place a reading chair with a matching ottoman or stool in the corner of your room. If you have a floor lamp, place that next to the reading chair to create a cosy reading nook in your bedroom.
  5. Purchase an inexpensive beanbag in a soft material. You can use it to sit in to watch TV, read or as a luxurious footrest after a long day.
  6. Place heavy weight throws on the end of your bed or the back of a chair. You can choose from luxury cable knit throws that look like overly large sweaters or simple and inexpensive fleece throws. Handmade items like quilts and knitted blankets will also add a sense of homey comfort to your bedroom.
  7. Use a variety of throw pillows throughout your room to tie together elements in your color scheme. Using pillows with various textures, shapes and sizes will add a bit of interest and keep your room from looking overly coordinated.
  8. Get some mirrors. Mirrors reflect the light from the window so it will make your room feel more bright and spacious.

Adding Decorations

  1. Make a theme for your room. If it is the beach, put some seashells or other decorations in your room. You can buy them at stores or just go to the beach and get some shells, driftwood, etc., for free.
  2. Make art. If you have a clock on the wall, cut out the watches on the JCPenny or Macy's magazines that come in your mail and put them in a circle around your clock.
  3. Don't overdo on decorations. If someone comes into your room and looks around, you want them to see the a cozy room, not just a crazy bunch of decorations.

Tips

  • Purchase inexpensive home accents like pillow, blankets, throws, and candles at some of the “big box” stores to save money.
  • Add scent to your room with candles or essential oil burners. Lavender, ylang ylang and clary sage are all calming smells, or choose a seasonal aroma like cinnamon spice during the winter holidays.
  • Look for Zero VOC paint if you opt to change your wall color. This non-toxic option doesn’t produce the strong formaldehyde smell, making it easier for you to get started decorating sooner!
  • Try adding warm color into your décor by putting up prints or wall hangings with splashes of bold colors like terra cotta red, gold or persimmon. This is an especially good idea if you don’t want to change your wall color.

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Sources and Citations

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