TURN YOUR BEDROOM INTO YOUR SANCTUARY
YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE HOME AGAIN…
If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing that lights up your soul more than the endless romance of travel.
The adventures that await your every escape. The joy of immersing yourself in a culture so foreign that you marvel at the sound of their words on your tongue, if you can even make the sounds at all. The stunning colors that merge together in one of their local markets in ways you never imagined, as sellers peddle their wares. The wonder of how the fabric of life that these incredible beings wove is so uniquely different from yours, and yet somehow, they are magically so similar to yours on the other side of the world.
And yes, as the sun sets, the fabulous anticipation of knowing you return to your incredible hotel after your grand adventures and your full day. Knowing that you get to drink in the stunning beauty of your exquisite surroundings and sink into that cloud-like cocoon of a bed that they prepared for you. And for a moment - just for a moment - you can pretend - that you never have to leave.
But what if that stunning, serene space was YOURS to come home to at the end of EVERY day?
What if that room was YOUR bedroom instead of just a hotel room on vacation?
A place where you could escape from the world and just feel instantly at ease?
A space where you could breathe?
Your Haven. Your Sanctuary.
It’s so deliciously beautiful that there is nowhere it in the world you’d rather be.
Would you want to create that magic?
Yeah, I thought so! Well, pay attention to these steps and you’ll be creating your own hideaway…
PLAN LIKE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER
Don’t not - I repeat, do NOT - buy a single piece of furniture until you have a Plan. Your Plan should have three integral parts: 1) Your Ideal Investment Amount and Needs Assessment, 2) the Ideal Layout for your Functional Needs and Aesthetic Leanings, and 3) the Feeling you want to Create for your Design.
We’ll dig deep into this in later blog posts, but suffice it to say that don’t do anything until you have a plan!
Go Minimal
A luxurious room has zero clutter. Everything has a place. So before you do anything else, remove the clutter. Be ruthless with all the extra ‘stuff’ you have (and don’t need or never use) and make sure everything that is in your room is essential and beautiful. Keep everything that involves ‘work’ out of your bedroom, so you can relax. Hire an Organizer to help, if you need to. The brilliant thing about Organizers is that they not only are unattached to your things, but they are pros at giving you a system that works with how YOU live your life. The best Organizers make it feel effortless.
Can You Feel It?
Think about how you want to feel in your room. Want to feel like you’re in Paris? Tulum? Skiing? On a beach? Calm? Sexy? The mood you want to create is the starting point of your design. It makes design decisions easy, and the overwhelm that comes with endless choices disappears. Because truly, THAT is why it is so hard to design a space - there are an infinite number of choices. But the minute you decide on how you want a room to feel, you basically eliminate 90% of those items that don’t fit with that feeling and you give yourself direction.
Personality is Paramount
The biggest secret to creating your sanctuary is to infuse it with your personality. Choose pieces that move you, that remind you of your journey and make you smile. They take you to places and times in your life that only you remember. And just like that, it becomes a room that can only be yours.
Choose Another View
Accentuate what is already beautiful about your room. Play up any architectural features. If your space has none, then create some with expansive velvet panels or decorative molding, such as this image to the left.
Work with your room layout. Choose one that works for your functional needs, your sleep habits and still creates drama. A new vantage point can make all the difference, and sometimes moving your furniture can be all that you need to completely change how you feel in a space.
Step Out of the White Box
Get rid of the dreaded ‘white box’ feeling in your space by using the 3 powerful design devices of color, texture and pattern. Color is the easiest way to create calm. Pattern provides an obvious jumping off point to guide color and design decisions. Texture adds depth and intrigue. We’ll talk so much more about this in future blog posts - I have SO much to say - so stay tuned. But for now, never use more than 3 colors in a space.
Use All Five Walls
Your fifth wall is your ceiling and it is one that people tend to ignore, but it can have a huge effect in how a room feels. A darker ceiling creates a warmer, cozier feel. A lighter ceiling and darker walls creates a more voluminous, expansive feel. Wall coverings can add so much dimension, interest and personality to your space and change the mood of your room entirely. A serene, textured wallpaper can be used throughout the space, while a bolder color or patterned wallpaper can be used as an accent wall (or ceiling) to make a statement. Create drama, serenity, tradition, refinement with wallpaper, fabric, wall paneling, wood designs, architectural details and more. The soothing, but moody space below is a very pale blue gray wall color used throughout the room, while all furniture and bedding were kept to a very pale color palette. Even the lighting was kept to a pale color palette, and were purposely chosen to have fabric shades. All these choices evoked a sense of calm and peace, to create a serene haven for this busy, single mom to escape to.
A serene bedroom recently complete for #Client-Can’t-Stop-Won’t-Stop
Go for the Glow
The power of Lighting to create mood and transform a space is second to none. Think of your lighting like jewelry for your room. Always make sure you have multiple lighting sources in your space including task, ambient and accent lighting. A fabulous chandelier, bedside sconces or pendants and warm bulbs are essential to a fabulous bedroom. I love going larger with both my chandeliers and sconces/pendants. And yes, I prefer doing away with the bedside table lamps. Why? Because then you have more space on your nightstands and you minimize clutter!
Make a Statement
Make your bed the crown jewel - the focal point - of your room. An oversized, statement headboard creates a sense of height, space and unapologetic gravitas. And there’s nothing more luxurious than a seating area in a bedroom. Pay close attention to scale and symmetry. Keep pieces clean lined, and again reduce clutter. Give your furniture lots of breathing space. A few beautiful, well-made pieces are better than lots of cheap ones.
Curtain Call
To get the delicious luxury of a pitch black night, as well the gorgeous diffused stream of natural daylight that hotel rooms have mastered, layer sheer curtains, blackouts and drapery. Mount your rod as high and as wide as you can, regardless of what your window size is. And take the curtains all the way to the floor. This will make your room look wider, taller and add magnificence.
Complete the Look
Just like accessories take an outfit from mediocre to spectacular, they can also elevate a room. All the small details can make your room come alive. But remember not too flood your space with too many pieces - restraint is key. Choose beautiful pieces that are pleasing to the eye, but that also have gravitas and real meaning for you. And really focus on your senses - scent, texture, even sound - to lend luxury to your space and take it to the next level.
Seeing Green
Plants purify the air and make the best sleeping partners. They make you more relaxed, add lovely scent, texture and color. And take your room from average to fabulous. To style with them, use three different heights at varying levels and locations. Try flowers in a bedside vase, a corner tree and a medium size plant on a dresser. No green thumb? Don’t fret. Faux plants and flowers still bring visual magic!
Buy Luxury
A third of your life sleeping, so in my book, luxury bedding is worth the splurge! But with endless options - Egyptian cotton, Portugese & Belgian linen, thread count, cotton percale, cotton sateen - are overwhelming! With the help of experts like Parachute Home, cut through the confusion and get personalized recommendations. They’ll also teach you how to easily style your bed in a way that you can do every morning. You’ll recreate that cloud-like cocoon and luxurious hotel feeling in no time!
Get Some Help
Investing in your bedroom is really an investment in YOU. When you feel rested, rejuvenated and relaxed, you offer the best version of yourself to your family, your friends, your work and your world.
But as interior designers who do this every single day, we know that it takes work. And time. And not everyone has the energy to dedicate to making their space a dream.
So don’t do it alone.
If need help, give your interior designer a call. I speak for all of us when I say that we (they) have done this for decades and know exactly what it will take to make magic in your space. While it is possible to transform your bedroom by yourself, it is a whole lot more fun, and a whole lot easier to have a professional guide you through the process.
We can make the process easy, fun, and fabulous. We’ll transform your space and take care of every little detail. Lie back and relax, while we take you from ‘Dream’ to ‘Done’.
Now roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work shall we? Once you’re done, I want to see pictures of your gorgeous room and I want to hear stories of how you CANNOT wait to come home and dive like a seal into your fabulous bed!
AND if you struggle, I want to know about it. Because I’m here to help.
By the way, this post is not one and done. Know that there will be many more to help you along this journey of turning your bedroom into your sanctuary.
So if you’re not part of the Taashki Tribe, sign up below and you’ll know everytime a new blog post lands. We’re going to be talking about things like:
How to Style Your Bed with Pillows
How to Style Your Bed in a Way You’ll Actually Make it Every Morning (with Pictures)!
The Rule of 3s in Interior Design
How to Really Style a Room
The Only Accessories You’ll Ever Need in a Bedroom
The Ultimate Guide to Bedding
How to Buy a Rug without Spending Your Kids’ College Fund
The Fifth Wall and other stories…
How to Upgrade Your Bedroom with What You Have Now
Hotel Style Drapery - Make that Happen in Your Space
How to Declutter - the ‘Hell Yeah’ method and other things my Mama never taught me
Nail Your Furniture Layout
and more...
And another thing to remember: ALWAYS Tell A Story with your Home.
Til next time, my lovelies!
xxx Tash Loved reading this and want to turn your home into a space you absolutely adore? Follow @taashkistudios on Instagram and join the Taashki Tribe below!
WANT SOME HELP WITH DESIGNING YOUR DREAM HOME?Coming home to a space you love is simply, magic.
The sanctuary that you crave, that feeling of a warm hug enveloping you, that effortless comfort.
But creating it is anything but easy.
It’s overwhelming and time-consuming.
There are SO many decisions to make, and sometimes, you just don’t want to go at it alone.
If you want a partner in this process who can steer you towards options that work best for your life and style; a knowledgeable guide to take you from ‘dream’ to ‘done’, our Interior Design Services are just what you need. Find out more about Tash or Schedule a Discovery Call to learn more about our process.
We can’t wait to come on your journey with you!