Decorating Bedrooms

A bedroom's decoration should reflect the occupant's personality and needs. If it is a master bedroom, the room should be a quiet sanctuary, ideally void of exercise machines, desk and clutter. For a husband and wife, the environment should nurture their intimacy. The room should not be too masculine or feminine, but it should be a place they both feel comfortable. A child's bedroom usually doubles as playroom or study. It should be an environment that fosters security and comfort.

Instructions

1. Choose a color scheme that the occupant likes and can live with. Muted colors and pastels will provide a more relaxing environment. Bright colors create a more excited and energized environment. Fast food restaurants often choose hot, excitable colors that encourage the customers to eat quickly and move on. While bright colors are tempting for a small child's room, they may over stimulate.

2. Pick a theme. A theme will help pull the room together. Like a color, is should be one that the occupant can live with for an extended period of time. While a ballerina theme might be sweet for a little girl. However, if she is a preteen, it won't be long before she outgrows the room.

3. Think mural, wallpaper, rag painting, or stencils. There are many options for covering the walls of a room. A painted mural works nice in a child's room. Textured walls created with wallpaper or rag painting adds an interesting element to rooms. Stenciling can do this as well. The room's theme will determine which choice to make.

4. Consider storage. If you don't already have a bed for the room, one can be purchased that has under-mattress storage drawers. If the room has pot shelves, they can be converted to overhead storage shelves if extra storage is needed. Baskets don't just make attractive room accents. They provide storage space.

5. Control the clutter. Clutter can contribute to stress. Don't feel compelled to display every knickknack and ornament. Choose just the items that enhance the room's theme without creating additional housekeeping chores.

6. Provide ample lighting for the room. Reading lighting should be available in the room. Having the option to dim the room's lighting--by either a dimmer switch or by using several lighting sources--is a plus. Soft lighting is appropriate for quiet times, but bright lighting is necessary when cleaning or doing homework.

7. Calculate the window covering needs. Depending on how the bedroom window's face will determine which window coverings would be best for the room. If bright early morning sunlight streams into the room, room darkening shades might be appropriate.

8. Organize for convenient living. Make day to day living easier by positioning trash bins, laundry baskets and clothes drawers at the most appropriate location.