The Bedroom: Creating a Serene Escape in Your Home
After a busy day running around after little ones (especially in the summer holidays), all you want to do is get as much relaxation in as possible before the routine starts again at 6 am (haha, more like 5 am). So, your bedroom needs to be that one room in the house where Peppa Pig can’t talk over your thoughts, and somewhere you can retreat to for some serious shut-eye. A peaceful, serene environment will always help ease the stresses of the week and help to restore your mum power so that you’re ready to spend time with your favourite humans in the morning. The following are some areas to consider if you feel it’s time to spruce up a tired-looking bedroom, to help you look as fresh as a daisy.
Colours
Colours should be kept calm and neutral if you want to drift off to the land of nod without any trouble. A crisp white wall, or an equally calm hue, will ensure that you can add photography, art, and accessories with ease without making the space look as cluttered as your tired mind. Add simple white picture shelves; these are a great way to update your photos and artwork, and you won’t leave multiple holes in your wall.
But before you even get to colour schemes, though, it’s worth asking if your current bedroom is actually in the calmest part of the house. Sometimes the problem isn’t the décor itself, but it’s the location. If your bedroom faces a noisy road or sits right above the living room chaos, you might never get that true sense of retreat. Some families look into loft conversions as a way to create a peaceful “grown-ups only” zone tucked away from the noise. Of course, it’s a bigger change than a new duvet set, but if serenity is the goal, a quiet top-floor space can make all the difference.
Heavy patterns on your walls will also induce headaches; so if you prefer to read your book in a relaxing room, stick to plain colours and paint your walls. Deep teal and blue shades are a dark alternative for those who love a cosier feel to a space. You can lighten the environment with crisp white sheets, blinds, and soft furnishings; deep blue and green-toned shades also couple beautifully with an array of metallics. Therefore, you can introduce a copper lamp or brass drawer handles with ease.
Whether you decide on light colours or go for a deep hue, put together a mood board and see what your room will look like and how it will feel with the combination you choose. Pinterest is the perfect place to source some bedroom inspiration so create a little bedroom board and start pinning your favourite shades and spaces. Once you’ve chosen the wall, ceiling, and floor colours, you can begin the fun bit (all the accessories shopping).
Textures
The textures you choose can enhance the comfort and sumptuous feeling of your new bedroom. You’ll want to feel like you’ve retreated to a luxury hotel room and all that’s left to do is sleep. Invest wisely in items that are going to last a long time, like mattresses, pillows, and duvets. Get the right mattress for you to snuggle down on; check out companies like John Ryan by Design and figure out if you’re going to upgrade to a king-size from a double or not (there’ll be more room for little gatecrashers on a Sunday morning). Your mattress and your pillows should support your back and neck; the idea is to make your bed as comfortable as possible so that you get enough sleep to wake up the next day (but also sort of don’t want to get up either).
Your duvet, blankets, throws, cushions, and rugs (you get the idea) should all reflect why you’re there: to relax and unwind. Introduce varying weights of fabrics, and mix together the cool cotton of your bed linen with the warmth of a woollen throw. If your colours and patterns are in sync, your material choices can be a varied as you want.
Ambience
It’s no good having a soothing palette on the walls and heaped bedlinens to sink into if you’ve got one stark ceiling light above your head. Ensure that the lighting in your bedroom is soft and low when you head up to chill out and unwind. It’s worth putting a couple of bedside table lamps in the room, and perhaps wall or floor lighting if you need a little more to read your book by.
To really amp up the relaxing ambience, introduce some scented candles; take a look at The Independent for a list of some of the best scented candles and drift off to a dreamy sleep (after you’ve blown them out). You want each of your senses to be as calm as possible, so now you’ve soothed yourself with the lighting and scent of the room; put down your phone. The temptation to have a scroll right before sleep is so tempting, but it can be detrimental to a proper night’s rest. Take out the TV and leave it for the living room; think about the top spas and retreats and how they don’t have TOWIE on in the background. By looking after what’s best for a great night of Zs, you’ll be able to wake up refreshed in your shiny new bedroom that’s fit for a 5-star hotel.
This is a collaborative post.
