Creating a Bedroom Sanctuary

If there’s one space in a home that demands comfort and coziness, it’s the bedroom. As the place where you unwind before recharging for the next day, it’s imperative that your bedroom looks and feels good. That doesn’t mean you have to sign up for a total re-do, though. The following ideas will help create an inviting, tranquil space, with minimal effort.

Paint colors set the tone for the room, so opt for a soothing palette as opposed to something that screams “high energy.” Restorative colors include soft neutrals, pale blues and greens and misty grays.

It goes without saying that your sheets need to be soft and your mattress supportive. But you also need to like what you see.

When it comes to pillow cases, sheets, duvet covers and so on, you don’t need to be matchy-matchy. Mixing things up adds depth and interest—if you pick a print for your sheets, for example, use a solid color in the same hue for pillow cases and your comforter. Or, vary patterns. Try pairing the classic look of stripes with another print, like a floral.

Maybe you already have an area rug in your bedroom. But why stop at one when you can have two? Just like bedding, patterns layered with patterns work if you coordinate the colors. If you already have patterned walls, try mixing a solid rug with one that has a pattern. Also, make sure your rugs are different sizes.

For a restful night’s sleep, the less exterior light creeping into your room, the better. When choosing window treatments, opt for room-darkening (opaque) fabrics, which will block light, or for styles that feature two fabrics on the same shade that you can control independently of one another—one light-filtering, the other room darkening.

Good lighting in your bedroom is just as essential as it is in your kitchen and bathroom—especially at the bedside and in your closet. Wall-mounted fixtures with adjustable arms on either side of your bed are essential for kicking back with a book before you call it a night. Closet lighting is a must, too, so you don’t look like you literally got dressed in the dark. If your closet isn’t hard-wired for electricity, opt for wireless, rechargeable, battery-operated lights.

An over-sized, floor-length leaning mirror makes even the smallest room feel more spacious, brighter and cheerier. It’s also great for adding dimension—as well as a little elegance—to a plain wall.

A little bit of Mother Nature in your bedroom is an easy way to incorporate texture and color, as well as help reduce stress. Don’t have a green thumb? There are plenty of easy-to-grow, low-maintenance plants to choose from, including jade, snake, and spider plants.