Five Simple Fixes for a Boring Bedroom

5 Simple Fixes for a Boring Bedroom

Feeling like your bedroom needs a little sprucing-up for spring and summer? In general, a bedroom that feels “boring” will usually be lacking in colors, textures, and patterns. Those are the kinds of things our eyes find interesting and exciting, and adding them to your bedroom is a quick way to give the space some personality.

There are definitely some simple fixes you can do on your own that will add a ton of fun and make your bedroom feel really custom. Here are a few ideas to make your space just as bright and interesting as the outdoors is feeling right now!

1.) Adding More Texture to Your Bedroom

In a bedroom, adding texture is a super easy way to “fun” things up. Look for ways to incorporate interesting texture with items you might not normally think of like plants, baskets, pottery, or trinkets.

We talked about lots of ways to add plants in a recent post, and they can definitely be a huge contributor when adding texture to a space. Bonus points since plants help create clean, fresh air and a calming environment.

Hanging basketry on the wall is also an inexpensive way to add both texture and art. Thrift stores are awesome places to find baskets, and sometimes you might even score a handmade one! Arrange them on your wall (or floor) to bring in natural textures while also adding some attractive storage options.

2.) Selecting the Perfect Bedding Patterns

Using colorful bedding is a classic way to make a bedroom beautiful. The easiest thing to do is play with blue and white – you can’t mess them up! Most people find these colors attractive, and anyone can choose complementary pieces that match this scheme. We even used blue and white as the basis for designing our own bedroom here at the house.

To take this idea in a more high-impact direction, you can use patterns on the bed by layering different fabrics. Start with a larger-scale pattern on the duvet cover, and layer a soft blanket underneath (ours is stitched blue and white…again, you can’t mess up those classics!).

I never use pillows made of bedding/sheeting fabric on a bed. Instead, I always choose sofa-type patterned pillows that Matt and I design and have made. This adds a much more custom, layered look compared to standard sheeting.

I also wouldn’t necessarily choose a stock bed-in-a-bag product. Instead, I like finding a duvet and then layering in those patterns in different scales using your pillows, sheets, and other accessories. This kind of thinking is key for a custom look!

If you want the ease of a bed-in-a-bag without the humdrum style, check out these made-to-order packages I put together! I’m excited to offer this through a new partnership with one of the vendors we love, Reside Home. All these products are high quality, and I guarantee they won’t be boring! You can select any of the three beautiful custom options I’ve put together below, for either queen- or king-sized beds.

Color + Size

Black, Gray + White – Queen $1,928.00 USDBlack, Gray + White – King $1,950.00 USDThe Classic – Queen $1,710.00 USDThe Classic – King $1,913.00 USDColorful + Layered – Queen $1,848.00 USDColorful + Layered – King $2,048.00 USD

There are also some awesome examples of using patterns in our clients’ bedrooms. Wallpaper is an easy way to add lots of pattern to a small space without it looking cluttered. People are sometimes afraid of big, colorful patterns…but you shouldn’t be! Often times it’s the opposite: the more color you use, the more forgiving a space can be.

3.) Layering for a Beautiful Bedroom

Layering is another central design idea that can go a long way in a bedroom. It’s key to the bedding itself, since layering lets you mix all those interesting patterns and textures we just mentioned.

Lots of designers will start with a rug when determining bedroom colors and patterns, but we start with the bed and use its layered fabrics as a focal point. On our bed, we combine this beautiful embroidered John Robshaw coverlet (it’s super soft!) with patterned sheets and a duvet cover.

If I do use a rug, it will be more as a complement than a starting point. One thing to consider here is cost: large rugs can get SO expensive…you can blow a room’s entire budget there! Instead, I like to scale rugs a little smaller and just barely place them under the foot of the bed (or not at all).

This lets you layer another texture like sheepskin at the head of the bed on either side. Your feet will touch that soft piece first thing in the morning, and it feels so luxurious! Plus, the impact of your rug is maximized since it’s not covered by a bed. You can then use the rug layer to start defining an entire other area of the room, like we did with my mini-office.

4.) Make Your Bedroom Your Own

This desk was actually my original “office” when we first started the French & French business. Though we’ve outgrown it now, it stays in our bedroom and illustrates an important point: don’t be afraid to customize a space that works for you and the way you’ll truly use it.

Though it used to function for work, this desk also serves as a stylistic piece in the room and adds extra storage. I keep it neat and low-stress on the surface, even though all the drawers are filled with stuff.

If you need to have a desk, chair, reading nook, or something else specific in your bedroom to make it functional, there will always be a way to make this work in your design too. At its heart, your bedroom design should be both peaceful and practical…and throwing in some customization is always a good idea!

5.) Affordable & Creative Wall Art

My final suggestion for adding some life to your bedroom is to bring in some unique art.

If a client has a particular piece of art they like for the bedroom, I’ll start designing with those colors instead of using the bed as a focal point. This speaks to just how important art pieces can be when determining the direction of your design!

In the renderings of this design we’re currently working on, you can see how we added art and other layering pieces based on colors pulled from the rug; this is the same concept.

You also probably noticed the large textile hanging on the wall behind our desk in the photo above. This is a great example of adding art, texture, and pattern in one fell swoop!

This textile is actually the reverse side of an $80 flea market wedding blanket. The front is sparkly silver sequins and pom poms, but the back is beautiful and fits in perfectly with our color scheme. For such a huge piece of wall art, spending only $80 is almost unheard of!!

When using textiles as art, I like to float them about 2” from the wall to give the piece more presence and a museum-like display quality. To accomplish this, Matt got a simple carpet strip from Lowe’s and added a 2×4 for some extra depth. The whole piece screws onto the wall, making an incredibly easy and inexpensive way to incorporate some DIY art into your own space.

 

Make These Ideas Yours!

I’m excited to hear what you all are creating using these concepts in your own bedrooms. Thinking about ways to play with textures, patterns, and layers will up your design factor immediately, and adding custom art will really make your space special!

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