The function of the room is just as important as the overall look. The main function of your bedroom is as a place to unwind and sleep, so while you may be loving those loud prints, they might be better suited to a room with more action. Make a list of words that describe how you want to feel in the room: productive, quiet, social, inspired. Keep these words in mind when you’re decorating and ask yourself if the furniture, colors, and accents you are choosing support the mood you want. [2] X Research source Do a little research on color theory to help emphasize the mood. Bright colors encourage social behavior, so they work well in a living room. A room that is all one color isn’t as exciting but works well where you want a calm vibe, like a bedroom.
Look at colors, textures, themes, and styles (like rustic, modern, or nautical), furniture, lighting, or anything else that you notice popping up in your inspirational rooms. Remember to consider the feel of the room. If one of your inspirational rooms makes you feel happy, try to pinpoint what it is about that space that brings out those feelings. Is it because there is a lot of natural light? Or the bright colors?
Take your measurements whenever you go furniture shopping, so you don’t accidentally end up with furniture that won’t fit in your room. Consider the spaces just outside your room as well: you might not be able to get that huge sofa through the door if there are lots of tight corners leading to your room. Measure doorways and elevators, and find out if you can take larger furniture apart. Even unscrewing the legs of a couch may help. Mark the location of your outlets so you can plan where your lighting, television, computer, and other electronics can plugin.
Don’t stop at colors–consider the pattern (geometric, organic) and texture of your lead piece and how to work those elements into the rest of the room. Your lead piece doesn’t need to be something new. It could be something you already own, or a vintage or antique piece you find on craigslist.
Dorm rooms and rentals often have a single overhead light fixed to the ceiling. If you can, swap it out for something more attractive, like an inexpensive chandelier from Ikea (remember to save the original lighting to replace when you move), or soften the light by hanging a scarf or covering it with a lampshade. Remember the lighting will affect how the colors appear in your room. That beautiful shade of green you painted your walls may look like swamp water in bad lighting. Use mirrors and other reflective surfaces to create light sources. [7] X Research source
Once you’ve selected a color, stick to complementary or analogous colors (the ones opposite your color or right next to your color on a color wheel) to avoid clashing.
Having a lot of space in a bedroom can make the overall mood more calm and serene. [10] X Research source If you have a large piece of artwork or something you want to stand out from the rest of the room, try surrounding it with negative space. It will draw attention to emphasize that particular piece. [11] X Research source
Try walking through the room to make sure there aren’t any obstacles and you can move freely into the next room, or to the table, couch, or bed. [13] X Research source If you are using prints, try mixing to bring balance to the room. If you use striped wallpaper, try adding in less structured, more organic details, like a pillow with a floral pattern. [14] X Research source
Your landlord may agree to let you paint your walls a neutral color like white, cream, or grey. [15] X Research source Add hidden pops of color by wallpapering the back of a bookshelf or painting sides and inside of your drawers a bright color. Remember to keep anything you remove so you can replace it when it’s time to move. If you swap out hardware, blinds, or lighting, keep the original someplace safe. If you’re decorating a dining room, there are always a couple of chairs that will be facing an empty wall, and you could try decorating it with a gallery of different art or with a big mirror that will capture the lighting fixture you have above the table, creating more visual interest.
