It’s no secret studies show that kitchens and baths are the top two most popular rooms to be remodeled first within a home. Next in line are living and dining rooms and surprisingly, in fifth place are guest bedrooms. But with 30% of our lives spent sleeping, a primary bedroom remodel should at least break the top five. So, whether you’re planning to demo walls or just want a refresher, these ideas will catapult a primary bedroom to a priority remodel.
Make a Plan
Planning is the most important step of any remodel but before you begin, ask yourself what you want for your bedroom makeover:
- What do you like and dislike about the space?
- Are you going big with a full gut job adding a walk-in closet and connected bathroom or just want to refresh things?
- Do you need more storage, or space for a vanity, desk or to watch TV?
- Do you need new flooring, or refinish it or just add rugs?
- How is the lighting and current color choices?
- What do you want to keep and or replace such as linens, a bed, rugs, headboard, nightstands, curtains, artwork, and small furniture?
- Most importantly, what’s your budget?
Create a Floor Plan
Empty the room entirely and draw a floor plan that will comfortably layout the furniture with adequate space to maneuver around. In most cases, you’ll discover you have too much furniture in the room and deleting pieces will let the room breath better with open space. If you had a queen mattress and bought a new king size mattress and didn’t calculate for the larger size, you’ll be in for surprise. Interior design tip: with blue painter’s tape outline on the floor the furniture placement.
Flooring
There’s nothing worse than worn out carpet or hardwood flooring that’s all scratched up. A band aid solution is to throw down a rug or never look down and deal with the floor eyesore later. But once you finally tackle the floor situation and upgrade it with flooring of your desire, you’ll ask yourself, “why did I wait so long.”
So, before you begin, it’s important to determine what type of flooring fits your family’s lifestyle, holds up to the test of time and ultimately gels with your personal style. Browse through these various types of flooring to find the right choice for you.
Carpeting and area rugs: With installed padding underneath, carpeting creates a soft walkable surface and provides thermal and acoustic insulation. The material selections are vast so it’s important to select the right one. Research the various piles, fibers, weights, heights, density, durability, and resistance of carpeting to decide what’s best for your lifestyle. Area rugs can offer a variety of design and decorative solutions. They come in endless size options, colors, and materials and can be layered over any floor surface, adding cushioning under foot. Patterns and color selections can be as subtle as solid under tones or create a dramatic patterned piece of art in the room.
Engineered Wood: A hybrid of scrap wood, shredded wood fibers and or sawdust with adhesive, this product looks like and acts like wood but is designed to be stronger and very durable.
Hardwood: A classic material that never goes out of style. It’s important to have a professional install or refinish and regular maintenance is needed.
Ceramic Tile: Recommended in climate zones that experience high humidity and moisture. Color choice and patterns are vast allowing you to showcase your unique interior design style.
Vinyl Plank: Vinyl planks have come a long way from their thin, cold material traditionally found in high traffic areas such as kitchens, baths, and laundry rooms. But nowadays, vinyl planks are thicker with a solid core, can have a textured surface and some offer the look and feel of real wood.
Color
We are constantly surrounded by color. It affects our moods, our behavior, can energize us, mellow us out, and every feeling in between. So, when picking out a color scheme for your bedroom it’s important to choose colors that stimulate calmness and relaxation. Neutral colors of warm whites, cool grays, and subdue earth tones all have tranquil qualities. Muted hues of your favorite color will also work. They lower stress levels and create a peaceful environment. Choose a paint sheen of either eggshell, or satin. These sheens provide a slight reflection and harmonize with natural light. If you love big, bold, and bright colors, incorporate them at a much smaller scale such as pillows, lampshades, small furniture, artwork, and patterned window treatments.
Lighting
Raise your hand if the only type of lighting you have in your bedroom is a ceiling light and a lamp on a nightstand? And if the ceiling fixture is a flush mount style that is nicknamed the “boob light”, get rid of it, the style immediately is an interior design no no. Listed below are some light fixture choices that not only can replace outdated lighting but provide the proper lighting for all needs in the room.
- Ceiling fixtures: If you have high ceilings (9ft or taller) install a bold statement and textural detail with a chandelier. Make sure it’s installed in the center of the room, or if you have a corner seating area, above that area. And adding a dimmer switch gives you control to create different moods in the room. If you don’t have tall ceilings, a flush mount ceiling fixture with an oversized fabric shade or a large etched glass shade also can add drama in the room without distraction.
- Recessed lights: Usually known to be installed in other parts of the house, recessed lighting, also known as can lights or downlights are a utilitarian way to add light to larger rooms or if you want a modern look with a clean line ceiling.
- Wall Sconces: A common location for wall sconces in a bedroom are above a nightstand, usually on both sides of the bed. Typically, you’ll see a matching pair, but have fun and mix and match. This adds a touch of whimsy and a relaxed feeling to the room. Pendants lights also have become popular in the same locations of bedside lights. Regardless of which style you prefer, they are a necessity for reading and create a warm and cozy ambiance when they are the only lights on.
Furniture and Decor
Rearranging the furniture doesn’t cost a thing and can give your bedroom a whole new look. Start by emptying the room except the bed. If the room’s square footage allows, create space on both sides of the bed. Opt for small pieces of furniture that have multipurpose uses. For example, a small dresser beside the bed and a trunk at the end of it adds extra storage. Resist the temptation to bring everything back in the room. Decluttering opens up the space and provides room to exhale. Grab and incorporate in the room, some of your favorite décor items from other rooms, such as family photos, candles vases and artwork.
Bedding and Window Treatments
A major factor of lack of sleep is an old mattress. If yours is sagging or you can’t remember the last time you bought a new one, it’s time to replace it. A quality mattress will improve not only your Z’s but your overall health will benefit greatly. Bedding consisting of a down comforter, or duvet, cozy blankets and high thread count sheets will make your bed feel like you’re staying in a five-star hotel. Window treatments are a wonderful way to express your interior design style. Colors, patterns, and textures are endless, so just remember to coordinate with the rest of the room’s color palette. If you like light to stream in, sheers are a popular choice. Café curtains also allow light in but by covering the lower portion of a window, can provide privacy. Shades of various fabrics and organic materials filter in light and to completely block light, select blackout curtains and or shades.
Want to see these ideas in action? Watch PARR Weekend Warriors Redo with Q; Episode 17, Bedroom Remodel Reveal as cohosts, Corey Valdez, Tony Cookston and homeowner, Shannon Quimby transform a drab, outdated tiny room, into a bedroom dream oasis by sharing DIY projects, showcase clever storage solutions, and highlight design and decorating ideas, perfect for a small bedroom that ultimately created a big before and after remodel makeover punch. Want more? Contact us. PARR Lumber is the supplier of choice.
Shannon Quimby is an internationally acknowledged salvage designer, television personality, DIY expert and photo stylist for Better Homes & Gardens. She’s an HGTV alumni and for the past 20 years NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX broadcasts have featured her work. Currently, you can see Shannon’s DIY’s and design ideas on “Create with Quimby” on CW KOIN News AM Extra
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