Your bedroom should be a place for you to sleep, dream and retreat from a long day. It is a place to unwind, unplug and feel safe. Here are 10 of the most common mistakes you might be making and how to fix them.
- Bright colored bedding.
There was a lengthy article done by The Huffington Post to explain why we sleep so well when we stay at a hotel. The rooms are generally very muted tones. The bedding is almost always white. White or neutral colored duvet along with white sheets provide very little stimulation or distraction. You can always stick within the neutral choices and then add a few accent pillows or throws for a little pop of color.
If you have brightly colored bedding right now-10 points.
If you have somewhere in the middle right now-5 points.
If you have neutral or white bedding give yourself 0 points.
2. Opting for no headboard.
The bed and more importantly the head of the bed is the focal point of any bedroom. It is the first place your eye is drawn when you enter the bedroom. There really is no reason to have boxy matchy-match headboards. Look at one with a textured fabric or that is an unusual shape to add to the allure of the space. Need some inspiration? These options from Doerr Furniture might be just what you need in your life.
If you have no headboard or your headboard from college give yourself 10 points.
If you have a matched box store set give yourself 5 points.
If you have an upholstered, distinct shaped or textured headboard give yourself 0 points.
3. Walls painted harsh or bold colors.
We love playing with colors but the bedroom is the one place you should not be experimenting with harsh tones or bold colors on the walls. Your bedroom is a soothing place so try to keep calmer muted tones in the bedroom. It should be a place of comfort and relaxation.
If your walls are a dark color give yourself 10 points.
If you walls are in the middle or have one focal wall 5 points.
If you have a soft neutral wall color give yourself 0 points.
4.Your phone or tablet is attached to your hand.
The glow of your cell phone can disrupt your sleep patterns. Trust us when we say, there is nothing fascinating happening on Facebook after midnight-so go ahead and shut down your devices.
If you actually sleep with your phone in your hand or near your head you score 10 points!
If you find yourself up a little too late on the Ipad or phone give yourself 5 points.
If you put it on the charger the moment you get in bed give yourself 0 points.
5.You don’t make your bed or have clutter in the bedroom.
This is a simple fix if you just make sure that everything has a place where it belongs and it gets there. Making your bed everyday not only starts your day off better, you get to come home and slide into a freshly made bed. Having furniture that is too large for the room can also make a space feel more cluttered so remember the scale of your bedroom.
If you could audition for an episode of bedroom Hoarders, and NEVER make your bed go ahead and write down 10 points for this one.
If you find you just have a lot of "stuff" in a corner or on a dresser and make your bed a few times a week- give yourself 5 points.
If you have a routine of making your bed everyday and have a place for everything and everything in its place then you get 0 points.
6. Lighting is limited.
If the only light source in your bedroom is from an overhead light, you should at a minimum have a dimming option. Multiple sources of light from lamps are even better. Lighting sets the mood of the room and can increase the overall restful (and sometimes sexy) mood you deserve.
If your ceiling fan is your mood lighting give yourself 10 points.
If you have at least one lamp give yourself 5 points.
If you have dimming options and at least two lamps give yourself 0 points.
7. You have either no window treatments or mini blinds.
Window treatments are hands down one of the best ways to add overall décor to your bedroom and they are often overlooked. If you have to start anywhere-start with window treatments. They can complement your decor even if it is minimal. Curtains, shutters, and shades offer so much control as far as light, privacy and visual appeal. Plus no more sideways hanging blinds or broken slats on the windows which lets all agree does nothing for the mood. We love roman shades or the layered options of two treatments. If you are layering, one should be sheer and the other should be heavy such as black out to help you sleep when you need it.
If you actually still have mini blinds in your bedroom give yourself 10 points.
If you have at least some curtain up covering your blinds give yourself 5 points.
If you have shutters, roman shades or thoughtful drapes then you get 0 points.
8. Your mattress is something you settled for.
I think we all appreciate the feel of a great mattress, just many of us faint at the costs involved in purchasing one-so you settle. The old world idea of mattress buying is out the window. Consumers are much more savvy and more mattress companies are adjusting their style. Finding a local mattress store (that is not a major big-box chain) can change your attitude on the entire experience. At Hestia, we love our neighbor at Bedding Plus because they are big enough to have a great selection, but small enough that customer service is important. They can find you the best mattress within your budget.
If you still have your mattress from college, its time to give yourself 10 points.
If you settled on a so so mattress and you remember instantly every time you get into bed how awful it is-give yourself 5 points.
If you have a newer mattress that you invested in you get 0 points.
9. Placing rugs in the wrong places.
Make the most of any rugs in the bedroom to ensure a cozy landing. Place the rugs where you will be able to appreciate them the most. Even carpeted bedrooms can use a little love with a small accent rug like this one we just added from Bowron.
If you have no rug in your bedroom anywhere to be found give yourself 10 points.
If you have a rug but it might not be in the right place to soften your first steps out of bed, give yourself 5 points.
If your feet hit the floor into something cozy, give yourself 0 points.
10. Your bought your sheets based on thread count.
If there is only one thing you do to retrain your brain, know this-lose the thread count. I have said it before and I will say it again, Bamboo sheets are really worth the investment and actually incredibly affordable. Chain stores are wanting close to the same prices for so called high thread count sheets. We want you to sleep in our Bamboo sheets. They are cool, low maintenance, anti-microbial-really the list goes on and on.
If you have sheets from any old department store-give yourself 10 points.
If you purchased sheets because of the label saying 800 or more thread count give yourself 5 points.
If you are a Bamboo sheet believer and tossed the idea of thread count out with last weeks trash, give yourself 0 points.
Now's the moment to tally your score! How did you do?
A score of 60-100 means we are so glad you read this article because you are sleeping in the danger zone and its time to invest in your space. We can help and make it affordable-you would be surprised!
A score of 35-60 means you are probably on the right track with only a few tweaks needed.
A score of 0-35 means you must be the most rested person we know! We are giving you a slow clap in awe.
We love everything about bedroom design at Hestia Linens. If there is anything we can do to help transform your space from blah to wow, let us know. We love to make the place you sleep a place you love to dream!