Your perfect bedroom design

Tips and ideas on how to create a dream-worthy space

Creating the bedroom of your dreams is all about creating a space that expresses your personality. It wasn’t always the retreat modern homeowners have come to expect, however: centuries ago, bedrooms were shared by all manner of household residents and guests because there weren’t enough rooms to accommodate everyone.

Today, the bedroom, particularly the master bedroom, has become re-imagined as a relaxing, private refuge from our busy lives. From a suite that encompasses a large bathroom and closet to a more modest, intimate space, bedrooms are where we recharge.

“What makes a bedroom a retreat depends on who you ask,” says Christine Chapin, co-founder and creative director of Concord-based Company C.  “Men and women may have different answers.”

You also want to ask yourself some questions about how you use the bedroom, says designer Lee Perrault of Via Design in Rye. “How are you sleeping? Do you spend a lot of time in the master bedroom or are you up and out at night?” she says. “It helps to have answers to these questions before you pick colors.”

There are many ways to create a dream-worthy space.

Bedroom as hotel getaway

Perrault believes that people are really interested in bedrooms that feel like luxury hotel rooms: minimalist furnishings, a comfortable bed and luxurious bedding. “The linens and art work you find in higher-end hotels say ‘luxury’ and convey a sense of getting away,” she says. “That’s what many people want now. They can walk into their bedroom and essentially walk away from daily life.”

Photo courtesy of Garnet Hill Make the bed your focal point with a bright headboard and contemporary bedding.

Beds are the focal point

Large headboards, contemporary or traditional, help make beds a focal point in the bedroom. Padded headboards are practically “de rigueur” says Perrault and can come in all styles and fabrics. Soft metallics, velvets, natural linens or brocades in rich, earthy tones with lavender undertones, grays, bronze and even deep purple are on trend and help make your bed welcoming.

Neutrals with colorful accents

photo Courtesy of Garnet Hill

A combination of neutrals with colorful accents is an easy way to update the look of your bedroom.

As with any room, color is a simple way to update as well as create a relaxing space. There’s lots of research on how different colors — soft blues, greens, grays, yellows –— can create a soothing effect and encourage sleep. What matters here is preference. “If you’re thinking about the bedroom as a place to relax, you want to think about the amount of ‘wow’ you want and the feeling you want to create,” says Chapin. “Our customers tend to buy things that are in a softer palette and more serene. Our best-selling color is called lake — it’s a very soft, aqua blue — that’s very relaxing and is featured in many spas.”  Warm neutrals, especially shades of gray, are popular and can be spiced up with bright colors like yellow or slate blue.

Neutral colors (say, in bedding) can be spiced up with touches of color — think a soft gray with accents of yellow or slate blue — like decorative pillows, a piece of artwork, a rug or a piece of furniture. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as too much color,” notes Chapin.

Organic bedding

Organic bedding is growing in popular, especially among millennials, says Chapin. Company C recently launched a line of organic bedding made without harsh chemicals or dyes that is certified to meet global organic textile standards. All come in the company’s familiar vibrant colors.

Make it Your Own

The most important part of designing a bedroom is incorporating your own style and knowing what makes a great retreat to you. “Use your own style,” says Perrault. “Make it your own place. The bedroom is a fun place to create that feeling.”