Parkes Phoenix Editor

Bedrooms are no longer just a place to lay your head after a long day of toiling. Whether we work outside of our home or inside its walls raising children, our bedroom can be a room of great importance and significance to our wellbeing. A bedroom can be a private sanctuary that we can retreat and withdraw to when needed. By escaping from the outside world for a while, a beautiful bedroom can allow us to relax and unwind, taking pleasure in the fact that we are safe and secure in a tranquil space that we have created for ourselves.

By surrounding yourself with items you love and cherish, your bedroom can become a true reflection of your own personality. Because your bedroom is a private space you can really express your own personal style in a much more dramatic way.

A bedroom is not on show to the world like the main entertaining areas of your home, so decorating choices can be bolder. Get daring and express yourself with colour, prints and patterns. When choosing your bedding and curtaining don’t be afraid to mix patterns and prints as well as incorporating different textures into the choices you make.

Purchasing a quality mattress and bed will ensure that you will have that sensational night’s sleep you have been longing for. But for an instant update, just change your bedding. A new quilt cover can work miracles in changing the overall look to a room. Throws and cushions add texture, warmth and bring the whole theme together.

And in my opinion the more cushions you pile on the bed, the better the effect. This is a design rule that I follow to the letter, as all my friends will attest to when they see my own bed. Remember to decorate with pieces you love and that hold special significance to you, as well as incorporating photos of loved ones to really create a story about your life. I personally love groupings of photos arranged in block formations with the same framing to give a really designer look to our everyday family photos.

A well-placed rug in a bedroom will have maximum impact in giving your private space a really luxurious feel. Imagine placing your feet on a soft shag rug each morning when you step out of bed.

Making sure you have enough storage is also critical to gaining maximum efficiency from how you are going to use your bedroom. There will be no solace sought in the space if clutter is intruding on your life. Lamps and soft lighting will give the space an intimate feel, add an armchair and your room is ready to go. So grab your latest copy of my magazine or the current novel you are reading, curl up in your favourite chair or lay on your new bed surrounded by cushions and start enjoying the fruits of your labour.

By Karen Creith
www.karencreith.com.au