Your bedroom should be a place of rest without the stress of work or the over stimulation of technology. With winter fast approaching, days will become shorter, light will fade to dark, and weather will become
unpredictable. This results in a shift from the outdoors to interiors and you begin to feel the urge to cuddle up under the covers with a cup of cocoa and a great book. Here are some easy master bedroom decorating ideas that will create a cozy, welcoming sanctuary that you won’t want to leave.

1. Master bedroom bedding

Look for quality bedding, thick textiles and soft natural fibers such as wool, down, linen or flannel. Wool can make the perfect quilt cover or throw, and down is very lightweight but warm. Linen has high air permeability and heat conductivity properties, meaning it’s a breathable fabric that makes you warm in the winter and keeps you cool in the summer, not to mention it’s great for people with allergies while also having the benefit of being eco friendly.

Flannel, while not as stylish as the others, is ideal to use as a bottom sheet. It helps trap your body warmth, which will keep you snug during those chilly mornings when you don’t want to get out of bed. Layer your sheets, quilt, throws, runners and cushions similar to the way you add jackets to jumpers. Dress your bed with a big, fluffy quilt and cushy pillows. By piling on the different textiles, your bed will look like something you could sink into. Layering can increase your physical comfort, please the eye, and change the ambience of your room.

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2. Window dressings

Window dressings will help keep the warmth in, and the cold out. They can be used both as a decorative element of the bedroom design while also being practical. ‘Hard’ window treatments such as plantation shutters and roller blinds can offer varying degrees of insulating protection for chilly drafts. ‘Soft’ window treatments made of fabrics such as floor to ceiling drapery panels, gently frame your window and absorb sound, softening and completing a room. Custom window treatments are an important design element. Bare windows can feel cold and uninviting.

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3. Rugs

If your home is covered with floorboards or tiles it may feel rather cold and bare during winter. A rug in your bedroom will create a welcoming feel, providing warmth and softness underfoot. The bigger the better! It will also help to anchor your room’s décor and colour scheme.

While we’re on the topic of rugs, why not add another? This is a great way to cover a large space without investing in a room-sized rug. It’s also an easy way to subtly but effectively break an open space into zones, adding extra depth and interest to your room. Choose contrasting textures or patterns for a unique look that’s truly you, or alternatively you could add sheepskin or faux fur rugs on top of an existing carpet, rug or floorboards to bring extra warmth and comfort for your feet in the morning.

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4. Lighting

Be sure to pick bulbs with warm tones for your bedroom. White globes are generally used to stimulate the brain in workplaces and this is certainly not the feel you want when you’re trying to settle down for the night. Your bedroom lighting could also benefit if controlled by dimmers, which will allow for various effects.

To add some more warmth to your room, consider some low, soft lighting such as a bedside lamp with a low-watt bulb (40 or lower) and a softly diffused shade. Candles are also one of my favourite winter warmers. They create a beautiful ambience, smell amazing and help add warmth on a cold winter’s night. If you’re feeling bold go neon artwork.

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5. Fresh Flowers and greenery

With our lifestyles moving indoors, we continue to want to feel connected with the outdoors to offset our busy lifestyles and ever-growing dependence on technology. This has encouraged the trend of letting the outdoors in. Spoil yourself with some fresh-cut stems or live greenery! Nothing brings a breath of life to a drab wintry day better than elements of nature. If you’re not a green thumb, why not opt for a framed print, cushion or realistic artificial plant?

Getting your bedroom ready for winter starts now. With these five master bedroom decorating ideas, not only will you have a little head start to get the look you want; it might give you a few extra cups of cocoa, if you’re lucky.

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Elise Finnerty is an interior decorator and stylist. She is passionate about beautiful spaces that are accessible and affordable for everyone. She has appeared in publications such as Yours magazine, Sunday style and more. You will find her working from her home Office or for Designbx “Australia’s online interior design solution”

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All of these dreams can be realised…until children become part of the family. From this point on, most of us can say goodbye to the grown-up, spacious, clutter-free tidy home, which will no doubt be replaced by scattered toys (suddenly it’s a hazard to walk around barefoot in your own home!), walls used for a variety of ‘artworks’, stained carpets, and scratched/bashed/broken items that you used to recognise as your favourite pieces of furniture. 

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But what can you do? No one wants their children to grow up living in a museum – that is no fun at all! But must you simply accept that this is your home for the next 16+ years? Absolutely not…who said it’s only kids who should have their dedicated play areas, full of their things and catering to their needs?? Hello parents retreat! 

Yes, a parents retreat has become an actual thing over the last few years, and can come in many shapes, sizes and styles. But the one simple rule is this – no kids allowed! No toys, no pets, no drawing on walls or wrecking expensive carpets and furniture. Everything else is entirely up to you – it’s your space! Your sanctuary, your escape zone. However, here are some of the things to consider.

Decor Style

This is entirely up to you, everyone’s preferences are different, as we talked about previously. You might be close to the ocean and opt for a coastal theme or love the country french look. We have opted for a bit of a luxe interior style – it’s adults only so why not! 

Colour

Think about the vibe you want to create in your retreat…do you want it to be light, bright and invigorating? Go for whites and neutrals with pops of bright colour.  Or cosy, romantic and feminine? Pastel colours with touches of white and soft pale grey will work. Working towards creating a specific mood will help you determine which colours are best. Or build your palette around a favourite artwork.  We went for a contemporary palette of soft pastels teamed with jewel shades, with hints of gold and navy, which reinforces the grown up luxe feel. 

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Furnishings

Well…what are the main requirements of this space? Sleep? Escape? Work? Relax? Eat? Again, these factors will guide you in choosing the perfect items of furniture for your retreat. At the minimum, try to go for an amazing comfortable bed (as large as will fit!), a comfortable sofa for 2 (movie screen optional!), and a large luxurious bathtub if you have an en-suite. Comfortable luxurious bedding, textured throw cushions and a large area rug will add to the luxury decor feel whilst creating warmth and character. If you plan to escape here to work at times, find yourself a stylish desk and comfortable chair. Or maybe you have other interests and passions – avid reader? Make yourself a reading nook complete with huge armchair or chaise. Love arts and crafts? Build yourself a corner workspace. Anything that makes you love being in this space should be included. 

Other things that could be included are plants, amazing ornate mirrors, artworks and personal photos, a drinks trolley and walk in wardrobe…but again, it is entirely down to you and what you love – it is your retreat so you better enjoy it!

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The cool bedrooms of famous monarchs are well within reach. To turn your drab bedroom into a boudoir starts with the essentials—those images that come to mind when you remember period pieces or the art of antiquity: the majestic four-poster with a large, extravagant bedhead that adds scale.

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Peach and plump!

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Buttons, studs, leather, mirror, this is pure Luxe!

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Come on folks; we’re spoiling ourselves here, so let’s do it properly. Can you ever have enough cushions? That’s a trick question of course. No self-respecting member of the nobility would settle for less than a small mountain of them, filled to excess with feathers.

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Cool bedrooms include layers of breathable bed linen. From the interior design styles of Coastal to Luxe, there’s a wonderfully excessive boudoir to fit most styles. The softness of Coastal is an obvious way to guarantee comfort (cotton, hemp and bamboo) while Luxe fabrics for cushions, bedheads, ottomans and window treatments offer a truly stately appeal.

Why not mix and match your linens to create depth…

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In all cases, start by being bold, and that includes artwork, with special attention to frames. Similarly, the use of ornately framed mirrors helps to enlarge the space. As you decorate, treat each item like art, including a signature item of furniture—perhaps a large, luxurious armchair in a corner.

Bold in size and colour

In stark contrast, colour is the one factor that requires a more subdued approach. Make your bold statements with pattern, texture and scale instead. While classic boudoirs were lavish, they were not loud. Remember that this is a space where you need to truly feel relaxed. Lighting is crucial. Like your choices of colour, avoid anything that has a jarring or abrasive effect. Stylish pendent lights are an effective way of adding a Luxe interior design feel.

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Organise the bits and bobs of your vanity area in crystal boxes and place creams in glass bottles. Along with Lucite make-up organisers, these garnishes add opulence while removing clutter. Having pampered your senses of touch and sight, don’t forget to add the right scents.

Flowers ignite the senses

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Fresh flowers provide the final touch, and give your boudoir a unique and changeable flourish that makes your bedroom feel like a hotel get-away. Why escape when you can spoil yourself at home?

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