How to update your bedroom
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It’s no surprise that I like to update my wardrobe but unless you follow me on Instagram you may not be aware that I also like to update things around the home.
The first thing I did more than 12 months ago when we moved into our Brisbane home was to create a chaos-free lounge/dining zone that was unpacked and decorated in the style I’d had in my head before we moved.
I’d been “collecting” things – decor pieces and furniture – especially for this space once we knew we had the house available to us to rent.
Creating this one zone to sit in while the rest of the house was in that crazy state of half unpacked boxes was essential to my sanity.
It’s more than having spaces where everything has a place. It’s about having spaces that feel good to spend time in … that’s the thing that inspires me to decorate those spaces.
Over those first couple of weeks, we all worked ridiculously quickly to get the rest of the house into a chaos-free state but there was one room that I didn’t pay nearly enough attention to.
The bedroom.
The ultimate place of rest.
I kept saying that it was on the project list but a little thing happened in the middle of last year … I released my first book and suddenly found that any spare time I may have had on the weekends was not taken up DIYing or decor shopping.
No, it was spent catching up on sleep in the very room I wished I’d devoted some love to back when we moved in.
So, when leading paint company Valspar and colour expert Sarah Stephenson offered to give ideas and inspiration on how to update my bedroom through the use of colour, I was all ears.
We talked through the current situation – a matchy-matchy 2003 furniture catalogue look (albeit with nice bed linen!) that suited our tastes back in the day but didn’t reflect our current home and style preferences.
Here’s a visual.
We talked about how it wasn’t necessary to completely ditch what we already owned but use some colour to freshen and re-purpose.
Strong tonal and colour contrast bring vitality and fun to a space. Mixing pieces of furniture eclectically confirms that sense of boldness and freshness. This room should make you smile every time you walk in. Sarah Stephenson
Here’s the mood board that Sarah put together for me based on things I was keen to shop for as well as existing bed linen colours.
This was a great starting point for me – and just the motivation I needed to make this bedroom makeover happen.
I’m no interiors blogger but I have picked up a few tips along the way when it comes to updating the look of any room, so I thought I’d share them here in case it inspires you to tackle a project on the to-do list.
8 ways to update your bedroom
1. It’s essential to start with an end look in mind. A bit like you would when planning an outfit. Bedroom decor should reflect who you (and your partner) are and be a relaxing place to spend time in. One person’s idea of relaxing will differ from another’s – and that’s ok – it’s about your bedroom style.
2. Colour is crucial. Even if your colour scheme is predominantly white, colour is key to creating the mood of the room. Two existing pieces in our bedroom helped anchor the colours we worked with for this makeover – a timber and multi-coloured drawer side table from Retrojan and a black and white chevron quilt from Oh Mabel. Just like in my wardrobe, I love using black in my home. It’s striking and classic in style and provides the perfect backdrop for a splash of colour of your choice. That splash is yellow – and depending on the bed linen change – may also include mint or chambray blue. The Valspar Colour Selector is a great online tool to use. Log in and visualise what your colour choices will look like in different rooms of the house.
3. Re-purpose existing furniture pieces with paint. This is an inexpensive and fun way to update decor in your home. Yes, I said fun. I’m now totally hooked on painting things after spending time re-purposing a varnished timber bedside table and tall boy for our bedroom. Using the Valspar colours and preparation Sarah recommended (see mood board above Bohemian Glam C26.24; Black is Black C15.01; Halcyon C11.14), I turned these 2003 pieces into striking elements for our new bedroom. When I say “I”, I mean I roped Mr SY into sanding back the two furniture pieces and I also roped in my step-mum visiting from the UK (a painting pro from way back) into getting the coats on. Bonding over DIY … that’s so a thing, yes?
The actual painting bit was quite addictive. All of the Valspar colours I used went on so easily. Even with a primer one coat of colour, it looked well covered. Most normal surfaces don’t require a primer if using Valspar Paint and Primer in One but this previously varnished surface did. By coat number two, it was almost fully covered – including the Black is Black. We decided to do the third coat for good measure. And I’m very happy with the result. And my step-mum was impressed with how the paint went on so easily. She’s got way more experience in this kind of thing that I have. If we hadn’t been happy with the colour, Valspar would have replaced the paint for free – thanks to the Valspar Colour Guarantee – find out how it works here. This guarantee takes a lot of the fear out of doing any paint job.
4. Look for new furniture pieces that help mix things up a bit – removing the matchy-matchy feel. I decided early on that I no longer wanted both tall boys in the bedroom, so I painted one and we went shopping for another drawer option for the room. The Freedom Furniture dresser fits the look of the room but will also offer a variation in height along the wall where the matching tallboy drawers once sat. We ditched the old matching bedside lamps for a floor lamp and table lamp. I love these retro-industrial style globes and I’m obsessed with anything copper right now. The copper obsession led me to the side table from the Interiors Addict Shop.
5. Hunt down one-of-a-kind pieces at markets or second-hand/antique retailers. Much as I’m a marketers’ dream and could just buy one of everything when it’s been well merchandised for me in a store, I also know that the key to creating your own look – for an outfit or a room in your home – is to find things from all sorts of places and bring them together in a way that is as far removed as possible from a furniture catalogue
6. Swap out existing furniture and decor pieces with others from other rooms in your home. I do this a lot. Everyone asks where I store my cushions but truth be known, I mostly rotate them around the house. Only a few are stored in the linen cupboard. The same goes with small decor pieces and prints on the wall. These pieces are to your room like accessories are in an outfit. They are the icing on the cake and can really pull a room together. So why not mix them up for variety?
7. Don’t scrimp on good bed linen. Think about the cost per wear! We spend that many hours in bed, it makes so much sense to buy the best that your budget can afford. I’ve become a bit addictive to good quality (and organic) cotton sheets as well linen sheets and quilt covers. They are the most visible decor “accessory” in a room so it’s important to think about how they can work into your colour plans. I generally have two sets of sheets/quilt covers and swap them out each week, changing the cushions as well. While they are two different looks they are still anchored to the rest of the room with black and white.
8. Have fun with it. Just like your wardrobe isn’t serious business; decorating doesn’t have to be either. Make it a space that you truly like to spend time in. Nothing beats that feeling.
Could your bedroom do with an update? What colours do you like in a bedroom? Got a DIY paint project on the go?
Valspar’s paint range is available from Masters Home Improvement and Home Hardware stores nationally. Prices start at $69 (4l).For more information and to discover your colours, visit www.valspar.com.au
Coordinated by The Remarkables Group
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