Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love. —Nate Berkus
Imagine changing into your pajamas for the evening after a lovely and warm shower.
You’ve also just finished your evening skincare routine. After a long day, you slip into your bed with silky, soft sheets that hug you like a child hugs their favorite teddy bear.
Then you pull your comforter closer up to your chest and settle in. In one hand, you pop open a book you’ve been meaning to read and in the other, a cup of sleepy time tea. Doesn’t this just sound lovely?
One of the greatest luxuries in life is having a space where you can relax and unwind after a long day. And if there’s anything this pandemic has taught me, it’s to learn to relax more and focus on self-care.
That’s why I’m excited to share with you today’s article sponsored by AllModern!
In this article, I’m partnering with one of my favorite home decor brands to give you tips on how you can elevate and refresh your bedroom!
However, before I dive in, I want to be transparent with you. For my entire adult life, I’ve never had a bedroom where I could fully relax. And what I mean is that I never had time to create a peaceful space where I could retreat to after long days, not to mention long commutes. I’ve never displayed family pictures artfully, hung up art itself, styled bookcases or even owned nightstands/side tables.
Crazy right?
Well, today, I’m so excited to tell you that aside from giving you some decor tips and tricks for the bedroom, I will be sharing my bedroom reveal too! And while we’re on this subject, if you love modern style interiors, I’ll be sharing some secrets on how to decorate a modern bedroom too!
Grab a drink because it’s going to be a long article. Let’s get to it!
HOW TO REFRESH YOUR BEDROOM
If you’re looking to refresh your bedroom quickly or are on a decorating budget, try these effortless decorating tips.
REARRANGE, REARRANGE, REARRANGE!
Rearranging will help bring a sense of newness to a room. However, before you rearrange, edit your things. That way, you have the best of the best items that will add a sense of joy to your space.
When you’re done editing, organize your items on your bedside table, dresser, or bookcases using beautiful trays, decorative boxes, and books/magazines you already own. It sounds like a “duh” tip, but keep rearranging/grouping your items until you achieve an edited look. I’ve rearranged my bookshelves multiple times already and can guarantee you, I’ll do it again because I’m so indecisive, ha!
As you’re rearranging, stay focused on refreshing the bedroom instead of adding to it.
CREATE A SENSE OF SERENITY WITH LINENS.
If you have a television in your bedroom like I do, increase a sense of serenity with some extra linens. To put the final touch on my bed, I added this cotton textured throw to anchor the foot of my bed while also balancing out my many and oh-so-loved pillows at the top!
SHOP YOUR OWN HOME FOR UNEXPECTED DECOR.
Sometimes items that you haven’t been used for awhile (like a serving bowl from your kitchen) can refresh a room so easily as unexpected decor! Why not shop and pull items from other rooms in your home to refresh your bedroom? It’s a short commute with no shipping delays anyway, haha!
For decor, I didn’t want too much modern art for my bedroom. I purchased two blank canvases and had my artistic best friend cover them with white glitter spray paint. I chose to flank my dark canopy bed with white art to soften the black and grey.
For those who are going to ask why I left my canvases blank, to me, white represents a clean slate, a chance to start over/a chance to create something new, that’s why I didn’t do anything else with them.
HOW TO ELEVATE YOUR BEDROOM
If you already have your space put together for the most part, here are some tips to elevate your bedroom. Hint: it doesn’t take much.
EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!
More doesn’t always mean more. You may have more stuff than you think so go through your things and evaluate. Make sure each item brings you a fun memory, a sense of happiness, love, or serenity or makes you look forward to the future. Since I believe in feng shui, I wanted a peaceful space so I opted for no mirrors in the bedroom and added a pinboard of my favorite sayings and photos instead.
LOOK AT THE DETAILS.
Elevating your room can be as easy as painting your bedroom walls a new color. To really elevate your bedroom, look at the details and level up.
Create an accent wall by putting up some wallpaper. If you live in an apartment, try peel and stick wallpaper! Add curtains if you don’t have any yet or hang them higher if you already own some you love. I got these nearly blackout curtains in the color Ice, but haven’t hung them up because my curtain rods have been en route for awhile now. #PandemicShipping
Switch out polyester-filled pillows for feather-down pillows. They’re easier to fluff and look so luxe! Take the extra step to layer them and karate chop your pillows like I did. And don’t forget to hide your cords. Nothing is uglier than black or grey cords sticking out.
BRING NATURE INSIDE.
Depending on your personal preference, add some real flowers or live plants to bring more life into your space.
And if you don’t have a green thumb like me, choose a realistic-looking artificial plant like a faux tree. Another way you can add a touch of nature to your bedroom is to choose decor made of wood decor or woven caning.
HOW TO ACHIEVE MODERN INTERIOR STYLE
To me, modern interiors are SO beautiful! If you don’t have the finances to achieve this home decor style (yet), here are some tips to modernize your bedroom.
FIGURE OUT YOUR COLOR PALETTE.
My home decor style is very much modern. Depending on your budget and how modern you want to go, the first step is figuring out your color palette. For me, I prefer white, grey, and black colors and for accents, I love marble, brass, wood, and a bit of silver. For modern bedroom colors, don’t be afraid to like darker colors! It can look and feel incredibly luxe.
I love that my apartments gave me a good foundation to build on with light grey bedroom walls. That’s what made me choose my black and grey canopy bed and decorate around it.
GATHER INSPIRATION…AND A LOT OF IT.
You may be used to going for traditional pieces. However, to achieve a modern look, you have to go outside your comfort zone when researching. For example, I researched for modern table lamps for nearly a month. I can’t tell you how many stunning lamps I saw, but none fit my standard of modern. I finally found some styles I’m in love with and even though they’re way out of my price range, I was still inspired because it gave me ideas to add to my bedroom’s vision board.
If you are out shopping, visit showrooms like Restoration Hardware for inspiration and don’t be afraid to be play interior designer while you’re at the store too!
Lastly, don’t forget that most brand’s like AllModern have Style Shops or Room Inspiration pages on their websites for you to peruse for tons of inspiration.
GO FOR UNIQUE INSTEAD OF TRADITIONAL.
Go for unique when it comes to modern furniture, modern bedding, and modern decor. If you’ve seen it on Pinterest a whole ton, is it still unique? To me, it’s a hard no.
For example, I originally purchased these marble and brass lamps, but after styling them on my side tables, I realized they were still too traditional for my taste. At that point, I realized I was looking for really modern bedroom lamps so I went out on the hunt again and found the LED table lamps (with dimmers) you see in these images.
Oh and save your receipt! Just because it looks good online doesn’t mean it’ll fit aesthetically in person.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, UPDATE EVERYTHING!
Take this tip from me: you can update everything if you take your time. Before making a big ticket purchase, ask yourself if you can see yourself living with said item for at least five to ten years in the future. Then start with foundational pieces like beds, nightstands, or other bedroom furniture you may need.
After that, go for function like new wall sconces (don’t be afraid to change out warm lighting to LED lighting on a dimmer) or a stylish ceiling fan. Lastly, accessorize with items like bedding sets, rugs, organizational decor, pillows, blankets, and art.
Regardless of your financial situation, don’t go broke trying to figure out what you want. Sometimes, it’s best to just pin/save things you want. You never know when you’ll change your mind when you do have the money to make your purchase(s). I’ve been doing this for years and it’s certainly saved me a lot of money. Shopping like this has also helped me make more conscious purchases instead of contributing to a landfill should I change my mind a few months past a store’s return/exchange deadline. I encourage you to do the same!
I hope you enjoyed today’s article!
If you’re looking for inspiration on a modern bedroom aesthetic or have been researching for tips on how to elevate or refresh your bedroom, I hope you found it!
To be honest, decorating a home was a lot more difficult than I thought, but it was so worth it. I’ve had one heck of a year (like we all have, really) so treating myself to a bedroom refresh was much needed (and let’s be honest, way overdue).
For the first time in my adult life, I feel like I finally have a bedroom that reflects my style and the feelings I want to evoke. And it feels so good. My heart just skips a beat when I open my bedroom door now to see a cozy space I can finally call mine!
What’s your bedroom style and how would you refresh your bedroom if you’re on a budget? And if money was no object, how would you elevate your bedroom? Whatever your style is, let me know in the comments how you are currently refreshing your own bedroom!
DISCLOSURE: A huge thank you to AllModern for sponsoring this article! All thoughts and opinions are my own. As always, thank you for supporting my sponsors!
Ana
October 5, 2020Awww I absolutely adore this, but agree on not going completely crazy and broke. Rome wasn’t built in one day 🙂
Ana C., xoxo
http://www.adreamersland.com
facebook.com/adreamersland
Huong
October 5, 2020Thanks, Ana! Yes! A little bit at a time. Thanks for stopping by! x
Danielle
October 4, 2020It all looks ever so lovely!
Danielle xx
https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/
Huong
October 5, 2020Aww, thank you, Danielle! It means a lot coming from you!
Hoàng-Kim
October 3, 2020Huong, your bedroom is STUNNING!! I love how serene and calming it is.
Huong
October 5, 2020Thank you, love! I’m so happy you feel that way because that was the goal. Thanks so much for your feedback! x
Tori
October 3, 2020Love it so much!!
Huong
October 5, 2020Thank you, love! What’s your favorite part?!
Lovely
September 30, 2020Fantastic tips! I like your style. In love with your interiors.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Huong
September 30, 2020Aww! Thank you for your kind words! x
Rachel
September 30, 2020Okay WOW! As I “walk” past your room in the post, I can feel your space calling me in to take a nap and have a relaxation session! I have always thought I liked the more rustic or country style when it came to decor. Since then, my style is more eclectic and lean more towards the modern especially after following you. I will for sure have to pop on to AllModern and see what I can find to elevate and refresh my home.
Reading your post I feel like I need a cup of your sleepy time tea myself and enjoy a binge session on Netflix together. Thank you for inviting us on a tour of your room. I love all the tips on how to refresh my own place and where to shop to do just that. I plan to move into an apartment soon and when that happens, I will refer to your article and do what you suggested: edit my things, rearrange a lot, and for sure, come to you to know where to get the best deals and find out how to show my newfound love for modern living. Thanks for this post!
Huong
September 30, 2020Wow, thank you for such a thoughtful comment, Rachel! Creating an inviting space and inspiring you to do the same was my goal for this article and I’m so glad you’re thinking ahead of your future move too. Feel free to share with me what you end up getting for your bedroom from AllModern! Thanks for taking the time to read this article, love! x