Bedroom decor ideas: 12 tips for the perfect bedroom makeover

How can I decorate my bedroom?

To decorate your bedroom, start by deciding what look you want to achieve. Take bedroom decor inspiration from shots of bedrooms in magazines, Instagram and Pinterest and even hotel websites, films and TV shows.

Draw on these ideas to pick furniture and accessories that draw on all your favourite bedroom trends.

This will lay the foundations for your bedroom decoration project.

Learn the basics of decorating in our comprehensive interior design guide.

How can I style my bedroom?

You spend a lot of time in your bedroom, choose bedroom furnishings that reflect your personal taste. Opt for pieces that complement each other in terms of style, colour and texture or try mixing and matching for contrast.

With a lot of thought, an eclectic mix of furniture and bedroom accessories can make your bedroom appear both on trend and unique.

When mixing styles, bring them together with a common element. Team a traditional four-poster bed and a mid-century modern ottoman at its foot, but upholster them in the same material, for example.

You can also duplicate the same shape in different contexts around your room. Go for circular cushions, a circular mirror and rounded furniture, for example.

Consider the bedroom’s size and select furniture that is proportionate to the space.

Some brands offer modular or bespoke furniture designs, so you can tailor pieces to perfectly fit your room.

You want your bedroom layout to create a space that functional, comfortable and serene.

The bed is often the focal point in a bedroom, where it's positioned impacts the room's overall look and feel.

If possible, place your bed facing a window, then you can wake up to a pleasant view and lots of natural light and fresh air.

To promote a feeling of safety and intimacy, try to avoid placing your bed towards the door. If this is unavoidable, perhaps add a screen or curtain between the bed and the door.

For balance, place bedside tables either side of the bed and ensure that no furniture obstructs the flow of natural light into the room.

A cluttered space can feel oppressive, while a well-arranged room functions better and is more pleasant to spend time in.

Colour is crucial to creating the right atmosphere in your bedroom.

Soft, neutral tones will produce a peaceful atmosphere, while vivid colours add a more dramatic feel.

What colour suits a bedroom?

Some colours are known to promote a good night’s sleep, while others might hinder it.

Consider the psychology of colours and how this impacts the effect you want to create in the bedroom.

Light blues and greens and shades of mauve support good sleep, inducing feelings of escapism and calms.

Warm colours (reds, yellows, oranges, chocolatey browns) radiate light and may stimulate you, which is not ideal for rest. If you prefer warm colours, choose soft pastels.

If you’re a big fan of simple white colour schemes, you’re not alone. Many designers swear by clean white walls and have go-to white paint favourites. Farrow and Balls’ Wimborne White or Benjamin Moore’s White Dove, for example, are time-tested choices for gallery-like all-white rooms.

Designers typically add splashes of colour or texture, however, to a white scheme. Adding interesting bedroom accessories and tactile materials, will also ensure that your white bedroom doesn’t appear clinical.

You can also bring in soft accent colours with your bedroom furniture, bedding and bedroom wall decor.

Scandinavian bedroom designs typically incorporate a simple, organic and peaceful colour palette, drawing on nature and evoking snowy landscapes. When looking for Scandi bedroom inspiration, think clean whites, Nordic blue, forest green, aqua and pale pink.

When undertaking a complete bedroom renovation project keep in mind how it will look when everything comes together. To create a cohesive look, choose one central theme or style to unite each aspect of the room.

Which style is best for a bedroom?

Popular bedroom decor styles include Scandinavian, farmhouse, maximalism and minimalism.

Once you’ve settled on your bedroom theme, you can bring in your own unique touches to make sure that it reflects your personality.

With a monochrome decor, for example, you can add a splash of colour with a colourful rug. Or you can soften an industrial theme with soft textured bedlinen.

Maximising the flow of natural light and building in strategically placed artificial light is key to any bedroom design. Throughout the day and night, light sources affect the appearance of everything in the room and have a marked effect on your bedroom decor.

By carefully managing the window dressings, placement of bedroom furniture and reflective surfaces in the room, you can maximise your exposure to natural light.

Choose items that allow you to adjust and play with natural light, such as lightweight linen curtains and room screens, and strategically place a mirror opposite a window to bounce more light around the room.

When deciding which room will be the master bedroom, choose the room with the most natural light or where there is the potential to add more natural light sources.

Openings, such as roof windows and skylights, introduce more natural light and help create an environment that is lively, warm and comforting.

Roof windows let in the greatest amount of natural light (almost twice the amount as a facade window of the same size). This is because their pitched angle allows light to penetrate deeper into the room.

By teaming roof windows and skylights with blinds you can control the flow of natural light into your room. Also, consider VELUX exterior heat protection - anti-heat blackout shutters and blinds which sit on the outside of your roof windows and help stop your bedroom getting too hot in the summer months.

Depending on the position and orientation of the roof window, it can offer panoramic views of the sky or your surroundings too.

Exterior openings connect you with nature, promote relaxation and prevent feelings of confinement.

Incorporate large window openings and roof windows to enhance your bedroom and improve your general well-being.

The temperature in your room plays an important role in your comfort and sleep quality and by keeping the space well-ventilated with VELUX roof windows you ensure that it doesn’t become humid and damp. A poorly ventilated room means poor indoor air quality, which can encourage mould to grow and pose a risk to your mental and physical health.

Ventilation plays a crucial role in maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment in your bedroom. It lets in fresh air from outside and takes out contaminants, such as dust and allergens from inside.

Opening the windows or using VELUX automated ventilation systems helps replace poor quality air with clean, fresh air from outside, creating a comfortable interior environment.

Read about how you achieve natural ventilation with roof windows

Now, let’s explore the types of artificial lighting and their uses. Soft bulbs and dimmers create a variety of ambient lighting that can be adjusted according to the time of day.

• Ambient lighting: the main source of illumination in the room. Consider ceiling lights, such as recessed lighting or spotlights, to distribute light evenly across the room and avoid dark spots.
• Task lighting: this type of lighting concentrates the light onto a specific area. In a bedroom, this could be bedside lamps or a desk lamp for reading or working.
• Accent lighting: for a touch of sophistication, and to create the mood you’re after, use spotlights, wall and table lamps. These serve as focal points and add a sense of intimacy to the room.

Lighting can also influence the perceived temperature of a room.

Warm lightbulbs create a cosy, welcoming atmosphere, perfect for cold nights.

Cold lightbulbs create a refreshing, airy feel, ideal for the summer months.

Lighting is a great way to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your bedroom. Choose your light brightness carefully. You will notice that bulbs are often labelled ‘warm’ or ‘cold’. The lower the Kelvin (K) unit, the warmer the feeling of the light.

Warm lighting ranges from 2700K to 3000K.

Colder lighting ranges from 4000K to 6500K. This is most often used in professional settings and for task lighting. You might want some cool lighting options if your bedroom doubles as your office or craft space.

Experiment with different light settings in your bedroom to find the perfect balance for your needs. You can get bulbs that can be switched from ‘cold’ to ‘warm’ and even different colours, so you can change the colour of your room to suit your mood.

Subdued or indirect lighting enhances a room's ambience and comfort in several ways.

Contrary to direct and intense lighting, which can feel overstimulating or glaring, subdued light bathes the room in a warm glow that promotes relaxation and rest.

This is particularly beneficial at night, when you want to prepare your mind and body for a restful sleep.

Finally, angled or indirect lighting adds a touch of sophistication and style. It can pinpoint an architectural detail or artwork, while creating soft shadows.

Fabric and textiles bring warmth and comfort to your room.

Use a variety of textures to add a tactile dimension to your bedroom: soft cushions, linen sheets, a thick rug and an upholstered headboard, for instance.

These elements can radically transform the look and feel of your bedroom design.

Fabric and textiles (especially your bedsheets) help create a welcoming, cosy atmosphere that promotes rest and relaxation.

They can also be switched around to suit different seasons. Thicker textiles help insulate the room in winter, while light textiles provide freshness in the summer.

In terms of acoustics, certain fabrics absorb sound, reducing reverberations and echoes that can disturb sleep.

Also use textiles to inject your personal style into your bedroom, choose colours and textures that reflect your personality.

Textiles can be easily changed, replaced and switched around, ensuring you’ll never get bored with your bedroom decor and allowing you to create different looks to suit your mood and the season.

It’s hard to relax in a cluttered room. Opt for intelligent storage solutions, such as underbed drawers or wall-mounted shelves. Organise your bedroom well to make it feel functional and peaceful.

Make the most of the multifunctional furniture. Hunt for bedroom decor pieces that are practical and make your room comfortable.

Footrests with storage compartments, storage ottomans and fitted wardrobes are all great for storing your personal items, avoiding mess and making the space welcoming.

Or use a room divider screen to separate your desk from your sleeping area.

Finally, don’t forget to choose a floor that feels great underfoot and looks lovely and keep the floor area as clear as possible to make your room feel larger.

Further reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

For a deep and re-energising sleep, you want to cut yourself off from the outside world when you are in your bedroom.

Turn your room into a sanctuary where screens are banned. Set your phone to aeroplane mode, get into a good book or find another way to relax before falling asleep.

Screens emit blue light that disrupt sleep. Create a space dedicated to reading books or meditation, instead of one full of digital distractions that are linked to the stresses and strains of the outside world.

Walls are a canvas for expressing your personality. Do this through artwork, personal photos gallery, paint or wallpaper.

You could even cover your wall in textiles. Fabric wall-hangings are easy to make and widely available to buy. There are endless ways you can make your bedroom wall decor stylish and elegant.

Use display shelving for books, ornaments, plants and antique finds to add further interest to your bedroom wall decor.

Your bedroom should be a sanctuary from the outside world.

Fit dimmable smart lights that allow you to change the mood and even the colour of your room on a whim.

Soft, thick, silky textiles and high-quality bedding also help create a restful setting and surround yourself with sentimental objects as an additional comfort.

Add objects to your bedroom that aid relaxation, such as an aromatherapy diffuser or a white noise device or create a meditation space filled with cushions.

Finally, integrate natural elements to help create a peaceful atmosphere. A few plants dotted around will help your room look beautiful and improve its air quality.

Choose plants that are easy to care for, such as succulents, which require little watering.

Some plants, such as jasmine, can even improve sleep quality.

Like windows, plants and natural elements in a bedroom create a connection with the outside and echo the tranquility and beauty of the natural world beyond.

These decorative elements can be placed anywhere in the room: on a shelf, suspended from the ceiling or on the floor.

Do you want to give your bedroom a makeover on a low budget? Here are six helpful budget bedroom decor ideas.

1. Declutter: sort the contents of the room, empty drawers and wardrobes and get rid of unused objects, you may even be able to sell them to boost your finances. Once you have less stuff, you won't need as much furniture.
2. Bring in colour: paint is inexpensive, use it to put your mark on your bedroom. Perhaps paint one wall in a darker colour or use it to create on-trend geometric patterns that you would normally find in more expensive wallpaper.
3. Repurpose objects: re-use existing or retrieved objects to create new decorative items. You could turn a stool into a bedside table, for example.
4. Refresh the basics: replacing your curtains and bedsheets can really transform the look and feel of your bedroom. Add blankets and scatter cushions for extra comfort.
5. Fine tune the lighting. Use warm light bulbs for a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere.
6. Place a bench at the foot of the bed for additional storage and seating.

Follow these practical budget bedroom decor ideas to create a chic and welcoming bedroom retreat without having to spend a lot of money.