If you’re itching to redesign your bedroom, it can be overwhelming to think about all the elements you need to pull together. There’s the furniture, decor, color palette, and textiles to think about, and making everything come together in a cohesive, comfortable way can be difficult. One way we’ve found to help narrow down all of your options and ideas is to learn from experts about what not to do. It’s a way to identify what will not only work for your own personal style but keep your bedroom looking on-trend and up to date.
The experts we interviewed have seen their share of ugly bedrooms and are here to help you avoid mistakes so your updated bedroom will look and feel stylish, functional, and fun.
Furniture mistakes to avoid
Matching furniture
According to interior designer Anna Franklin of Stone House Collective, large matching sets should be a thing of the past.
“While these sets were popular in the past, there has been a rise in different (yet still coordinated) types of furniture in the bedroom,” she said. “Try and have two matching items at the most where it makes sense (such as with nightstands), but use other colors, textures, and materials in other areas of the room. When all the furniture matches, the bedroom feels more manufactured and less thoughtful.”
Too much clutter
Less is more when it comes to furniture (and other decor) said Ximena Rodriguez, principal and director of interior design with CetraRuddy. “When designed well, a minimalist bedroom offers a calming environment and a sense of serenity that can reduce anxiety levels and aid focus. A cleaner environment creates more space for your mind to concentrate on positive ideas, goals, or tasks.”
Beware impractical layouts
The bedroom isn’t just for sleeping, and designers warn against placing or designing furniture with only a single use in mind. “Even in a very spacious apartment, bedrooms are often called upon to serve double duty and fill more roles than simply a place to sleep,” Rodriguez said. “Whether parts of the space are also being used for work, exercise, contemplation, a combination of these, or even a different purpose entirely, finding the right layout is critical.”
In terms of bedrooms that aren’t ideal, Eugene Colberg, principal at Colberg Architecture, agreed that impractical designs make bedrooms unusable and feel out of date. “It’s unfortunate when you look at a house or building where the architect did not think at all where the furniture would be placed,” he said. “When the proportions of the room are not adequate for the different furniture or family living needs, it creates ongoing challenges.”
Out with the old (colors)
When it comes to bedroom color, experts agree that certain colors have been overdone and it’s time for something new.
Gray gray, go away
“While gray can be a good neutral alternative to white, it can also limit the design possibilities and color schemes available to use in the space,” Franklin said. “Instead, those that desire a neutral space should use white as the base color” to give them more options when designing a room and adding in other colors via textiles.
Nature rules
If your bedroom is missing plants and natural greenery, Rodriguez said you might be missing out on both the color and benefits it brings.
“Greenery is a very tranquil element, and it brings a sense of connection to nature that has positive mental health benefits,” she noted. “If your home offers great views of a natural green landscape, you might not need much greenery within your interior spaces. Even so, it only takes a few strategically placed plantings to bring that feeling of nature into your home in a way that contributes to a warm minimalist mood.”
While your bedroom should be a space to relax, unwind, and reenergize for the next day, it has also become a room where many of us work, exercise, and hang out. As such, it’s important to design the space with that in mind. This may mean a desk looking out over your bedroom window or a nice piece of art over your desk to inspire you. It can still feel cohesive with the rest of the room, but it’s considered its own space within it. As mentioned above, this means getting rid of large, matching bedroom furniture in lieu of pieces that are designed around how you use your bedroom today.
As always, by finding storage areas under your bed, in a master closet, or hidden inside wall shelving units, you’ll be able to keep your bedroom free of clutter and have more space to use it for whatever you want and need.
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