Personalize Plain Rooms
To personalize plain rooms, put yourself in the picture. Display objects of affection, such as deep, comforting beds, welcoming quilts, and grown-up toys. If you truly love a piece, it will work in your decorating scheme. Include mementos, souvenirs, things from your life. The bedside chair in this room, for example, was purchased from a friend, a remembrance that makes it more special.
Easy-Sew Curtains
Painted canvas and sheets pair up to make a neat set of curtains in the bedroom. To make the curtains, cut lightweight artist’s canvas to make a panel that’s twice the width of the window, with extra allowed for seam allowances and hems. Seam the panels, then paint them using taupe water-base paint and a natural sea sponge. Let the paint dry.
Cut the sheet stripe to make the border. Count the border as part of the curtain width; stitch the border to the canvas. Then cut a sheet to the same size as the canvas panel plus border. With right sides together, seam the sheet to the canvas, leaving a 15-inch opening to turn the fabric to the right side. Turn the curtain to the right side, press, then handstitch the opening. Fold the top of the curtain to the front allowing 5 inches of the sheet to show. Stitch 3/8 inch from the edge. Attach wood curtain rings every 9 inches.
Make Your Headboard Do Double-Duty
One smart way to add oomph on the cheap is to make the walls work as furniture. The stairwell partition in this attic bedroom is also the headboard.
Transform a Chair
The most unattractive furniture often gets relegated to the bedroom. Here’s a great way to transform a rundown chair into a delight to the eye. Rather than toss a woven cotton coverlet across the foot of the bed as expected, throw it over the chair. The result is a charming slipper chair that doesn’t require a single stitch.
Use Texture
To turn a small bedroom into an airy and serene retreat use more texture than color. Here, two designer wicker-look sheets were sewn together into chair cushions, big bolsters, and a duvet cover (backed by a muslin sheet).
Warm Up To White
The secret to doing white right? Make it easy on yourself with washable fabrics, such as this removable duvet cover made from two flat sheets. Then, prevent whiteout by warming the hue with wood and greenery.
Simplify and Refresh
For a restful night’s sleep, simplify the amenities in your bedroom until you get the peaceful atmosphere you desire.
If you like to sleep in, paint walls a cool teal and you’ll want to snuggle down longer. Paint secondhand furniture in a fresh white coat to show off their sculptural shapes against the dark background.
If you enjoy waking with the dawn, paint walls a warm pink to reflect the rosy glow of the early morning sun.
