Woman's Wonderla

Creating a heaven of peace

Your bedroom is a private, personal retreat where you can shut the door on the world and be yourself. When planning color schemes for this space, aim to create a warm, mood-enhancing look that whispers relax, take it easy, wind down.

Your bedroom is the first and last place that you see each day—a private sanctuary of your very own. It's also the place where you spend about a third of your life; it should revitalize your spirit each time you awake.

Because they are private spaces, bedrooms allow more flexibility than other rooms in regard to color, style and décor, making the decorating opportunities for these rooms almost endless

Just remember, above all, the atmosphere you create in your bedroom should be harmonious and comforting.

Base your design thinking around colors, textures, fabrics and objects that make you feel calm, serene and secure. The bedroom is also the place for the things that are most dear to you—whether that's art, photographs or personal mementos.

While bedrooms can look great in deep, vibrant colors, for a peaceful, restful atmosphere, quiet, muted colors are generally the best choice. Muted colors are soothing, comforting and calming, lending themselves well to sleep and relaxation.

Bedrooms are highly individual, allowing for more personal and expressive décor. Because of this, they are an excellent place to experiment with a decorative faux finish. Choose a technique that reflects your taste and complements your furnishings. From looks that range from subtle to dramatic to whimsical, faux finishes can add a complexity and interest that's difficult to achieve with paint alone.

Architectural elements and focal points in salvage style are fast gaining popularity in bedroom décor for adding class, distinction and sophistication to the room without going over budget. Grecian urns filled with yarn balls look fantastic and quite interesting and need not cost a fortune too. Here are some tips to lend your bedroom a touch of uniqueness and originality within our budget:

Add architectural elements to your bedroom to give it a lavish look such as a fireplace mantel. Always look out for opportunities to turn your trash and junk into treasure. Old glassware can be used as candleholders, antique cups can be used as votives and blankets can be used as vintage pillows. An illustrious wall hanging can take place of a headboard for your bed.

Feel free to use items in different ways other than their traditional uses for the customized touch. Hanging old baskets in the nooks and corners of your bedroom will add style to your bedroom and makes creative space for keeping your magazines and personal care accessories. Ornate birdbaths from someone's fountain can easily be turned into a nightstand or a table centerpiece.

Salvage antique window frames can be turned into artistic mirror frames. Search for some of the most advantageous deals in thrift shops, garage sales and yard sales where you can find home accessories, fabrics, sofa sets and even dinner sets and exquisite items in salvage shops that can be terracotta tiles, ornate wrought iron fences, old pillars and claw foot bath tubs that can make your home look like a heritage property.

Select a theme for your bedroom and only accommodate items that go well with the theme. Turn vintage clothing or decorative tablecloths into decorative pillow covers. Wrought iron posts and fences can be used as curtain rods.

For many people, a bedroom is so much more than simply a place to sleep. A bedroom can be a refuge, a place to escape the demands of everyday life and a place to find that sometimes needed silence and solitude. Simple bedroom decorating ideas can help you turn your bedroom into a beautiful but relaxing retreat.

One of the best ways to give your bedroom a lift is to paint the walls. Inject some of your favourite colour into your bedroom by giving the walls a fresh new coat of paint. Your bedroom will feel brighter and cleaner. Try a bold new colour or a soft neutral.