A master bedroom is such a personal thing to people. It is the one place in the house where guests only visit when they’re invited. So it can be a very different space than the rest of your home. It can be a place of divine comfort, supple relaxation, classic décor or modern luxury.
Just remember – this room is the last thing you see before you drift off to sleep and the first thing you see in the morning. So it should be a promote peace, serenity and comfort above all so that you can get a good night’s sleep.
Begin at the ground floor
The easiest way to get started with a makeover is to create a floor plan of your room. It doesn’t have to be fancy and you don’t need a CAD program to do it. A piece of paper, a ruler and a pencil will do just fine. Start by measuring your room. Then draw it out in the same dimensions on a piece of paper, using one inch to represent one foot. So a 10’ x 15’ room would be 10 inches by 15 inches on paper. Be sure to draw in the doors and windows as well as any features you have such as pillars or outcroppings, because the design needs to factor these in. Now, measure your furniture and make paper representations of them using the same scale. Now you’re ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of designing your room.
Mapping out the room
Begin by moving the representational pieces around the room. The bed needs to be positioned first since it is the anchor of the room. Make sure it doesn’t block a door or that the door would open into it. Placement is key and it’s based on your preferences and needs. For example, you may want to position it across from a window so you can see outside when you wake up. If you have a bedmate, you want to make sure that both sides of the bed are away from the wall so getting in and out of the bed is easy for the both of you. Next, add the nightstands, then the dressers and armoires; again, starting with the pieces with the largest footprint and then working your way down to pieces that can fit in several spaces. This gives you flexibility in designing the layout of the furniture before you ever move a single piece or real modern furniture. Don’t rush this process. Try several different groupings and see which one gives you the view you want of the room and the floor space you need to move around the bedroom easily, especially on the way to the closet or the bathroom in the early morning.
TV or TV free?
Many experts suggest that you leave the television out of the master bedroom. This goes double for the computer. The master bedroom should be a retreat, a place to reenergize and regroup after a hard day. A television simply keeps you ramped up. If you must enjoy the late show, watch in the living room and then head off to bed.
The same is true of everything else in the room. Do you really need a writing desk in your master bedroom? Do you ever write on it? Do you ever sit in the chairs that are in the room or are they just a dumping ground for your clothes at the end of the day. If the room looks a little bare bones, consider adding a floor length mirror, some plants or an area rug. It’s far easier to add things back than take them away initially.
Do you really need a designer to decorate?
It depends on your personality, really. If you like to show your home off then you may want to get a decorator to at least confirm some of your design thoughts, such as fabrics or your choice of furniture style. However, if your master bedroom is for you alone or just you and your significant other, you can probably accomplish the same thing on your own with a little time and some elbow grease. There are plenty of home improvement shows, books and websites that cover your options and provide you with a good grounding on interior design – certainly enough to create the master bedroom you’ve always dreamed of. If you’re still unsure, ask your modern furniture retailer – they can give you some really good ideas based on your budget and personal tastes.