Single Design Moves to Update Your Bedroom

Reupholster your headboard. If you have a very simple headboard design like this, you could probably reupholster it yourself by wrapping the new fabric over the headboard and tacking it at the back with a staple gun.Many fabrics in the U.S. are 54 inches wide, so if your bed is any wider than this, you’d need to join two pieces of fabric together and match the repeats if you’re using a pattern. A good upholsterer would be able to do the job.Reupholstering can be costly, but it’s a quick way to start a change in your bedroom design that the rest of the room can follow.

Adorn your wall. Sometimes all it takes is a newfound objet to bring a fresh sense of glamour to a bedroom. I love this sunburst mirror. There are so many designs available these days, and a decorative mirror is a great way to add a focal point as well as bounce light around the room.Of course, your new wall accessory could be anything. Let whatever it is shape further changes in the room. Don’t be afraid to build things up slowly, in layers — you don’t need to do everything right away.A word of warning: Make sure your walls are strong enough to hold something heavy like this mirror and, before you drill, that there aren’t any pipes or cables running down the wall.

Add architectural features. New-build properties often lack architectural detail, but there are some lovely ways you can add this sort of feature to a room. These perfectly scaled, painted wooden frames really add interest and help the lighting and artwork have more impact. Picking them out in a contrasting color to the walls keeps the look fresh.If you aren’t sure how an addition like this would look in your own room, or quite what the best dimensions might be, create a paper template, stick it to the wall and live with it for a while before you have a framework made and installed. That way you’ll be free to make adjustments until it’s perfect.

Revive with a rug. A rug is a brilliant way to add a new layer to your room, as well as a sense of warmth and softness underfoot. I love the large scale of this rug. You can go almost wall to wall if you want to make a big change without replacing a carpet or changing any existing flooring. I wouldn’t advise this, however, if you have underfloor heating, as it will reduce the amount of heat that comes up through the floor.

Reboot your bedding. When you spend so much time in bed, it seems crazy not to be sleeping in lovely bedding, rather than tattered gray sheets and pillowcases no longer in their crisp, white heyday. Egyptian cotton bedding is widely available, so there’s no excuse not to bring that fresh, luxurious feel to your nest.A few pillows and a throw blanket can also introduce color and texture, and they can easily be changed when you grow tired of the look. You could have a summer throw and a winter throw, which you would get pleasure from rotating as the weather changes.

Let a wall do the work. Do you have a blank wall you’ve been looking at for ages, one just crying out for some attention? I love this little street scene with the bike leaning against the post, and it just goes to show how unusual a feature wall can be.If you don’t feel brave enough to do something permanent, then maybe try wall stickers first. That way you can keep changing them and decide whether you want to do something more permanent. You could also, more simply, just paint the wall a different color to add a new tone to your room.Many companies also do wallpaper in panels, and these are brilliant for smaller areas, as the more detailed and beautiful a wallpaper is, the more expensive it’s likely to be.

Go with twins. Perhaps you have a spare room you’d like to refresh, or one recently vacated and ready for a revamp, now that a loved one has flown the nest. As time goes on, rooms change their purpose, children grow up, grandchildren come to stay (or you and your partner might not want to share a bed anymore). Whatever the situation, it’s a good opportunity to look at your bed anew. Perhaps it’s time to change the whole arrangement and go for single beds, or perhaps to go the other way and install a bigger bed.If you do opt for splitting up the beds, I would advise getting a full-size version, which is about 54 inches wide, rather a twin size, which is about 39 inches wide — that way you’ll be covered no matter who sleeps in it.

Paint the floor. Painted floors look so clean and fresh, and these gleaming white boards bring an extra dose of glamour to an already luxurious space. The high gloss also helps to bounce that lovely natural light around.If you have a floor covering in place, you’ll first need to see whether you have boards underneath. Go to a corner of the room or perhaps peek at the surrounds of a radiator pipe to discover what’s there. Some coverings and carpets, particularly sisal, are glued down with a really sticky adhesive, so it’s not always a simple change. The floors will have to be scraped back and then sanded, which can be costly and time consuming. But if glossy boards are your goal, the hard work will be worth it.

Do something crazy. If you are doing something purely cosmetic that can be painted over, then why not go a little bit wild? New paint should easily cover up any experiments you tire of.This graffiti would look brilliant in a teenager’s bedroom or in a minimalist white room like this one.