10 Biggest Bedroom Decorating Mistakes You’re Making

Artwork has the power to complete any space. Blank walls can make a room feel cold and soulless, especially if you’ve chosen a single paint colour for the room. Including paintings, photos or prints that complement the style of your space will bring everything together.

Bedrooms are meant to be warm and cozy. This can be achieved by opting for various materials and a strategic colour scheme, but ultimately, it will depend on your lighting. Relying solely on pot lights will never make your room feel cozy. Make sure you add bedside lamps, floor lamps and wall sconces to brighten up those dark corners.

It can be tempting to select matching furnishings. After all, it’s a safe bet. When you visit a showroom, they often display a bedroom set complete with a bed frame, side tables and even a coordinating dresser. But this design choice can also lack character. It’s fun (and very aesthetically pleasing!) to mix-and-match your pieces instead. This will bring a sense of personality and style to your bedroom, and will ultimately add interest.

Selecting cold colours for a bedroom is often not advisable. This doesn’t mean you can’t paint the walls white or a light grey, but if you do, just be sure to inject warmth in other ways. This might mean choosing a bolder hue for your drapery or bedding, or opting for a textured rug. Either way, you want to ensure the end result feels snug and inviting.

When designing a bedroom, I always like to include a seating space. This could mean adding an armchair or sofa (depending on square footage), but it’s a luxury to have somewhere to sit in your bedroom. Whether it’s a place you put on your shoes or decompress with a good book, it’s nice to have another comfy area in the room that isn’t your bed.

If you’re adding drapery to your bedroom, it’s important to hang them correctly. By hanging drapes at ceiling height, you’ll add a sense of height and spaciousness to your room. Even if the window starts significantly lower than the ceiling, hang the drapes as close to the ceiling as possible.

To continue the hanging conversation: artwork and lighting are often hung incorrectly. The height at which you hang your artwork will depend on the space, but as a rule of thumb, it should typically always be at eye level, and straight! It’s scary how many pieces of art I see that are not level.

Including a rug is a must for any bedroom that has hardwood or laminate flooring. This will immediately add warmth, and allows you to inject a bit of colour to your room. But make sure you choose a rug that fits the space correctly. A rug that’s too small stands out like a sore thumb, and one that’s too large will make for some difficult furniture adjustments. Make sure you measure and get a rug that fits perfectly.

I’ve seen a wide-range of bedroom designs, and sadly there are many that don’t give me a sense of who the person is who will use it. It’s key to add personality where you can to ensure your personal style is reflected in the space, whether through personal mementos or beloved colours and patterns.

Use natural light whenever you can – it’s far more serene than artificial lighting! If you can, add windows, and open those blinds every morning to let the sunlight pour in. Take note of how the natural light enters your room at different times of day, and choose a soft colour palette that allows it to bounce around the space.