Bedrooms, of all the rooms in the house, are the most personal -- and the most easy to change. That said, change no longer comes with a big price tag. Why? Because the bedroom, like any room that is personal, should have a "collected" look. You will achieve a look that you love, that is yours alone, by mixing high and low, old and new, and being resourceful as you shop.
Fabulous FabricsWork a thrifty transformation you can change with the season by making fabric and pillows the primary elements. This lively scheme is refreshing, perfect for a studio or corner of a room that doubles as a sleep space.
Vintage FindsSecond-hand or vintage items are inexpensive to resource, easy to spruce up, and lend a lot of personality to a small space, such as a guest room. Make the space happy and fun, and invite guests to feel at home.
BEDDING: This chenille bedspread is inviting on the newly painted iron bed. Sheets in spring hues pull it all together. And extra pillows can be propped for bedtime reading.
COLOR:This room is all about welcome, so communicate that with a generous dose of cheerful colors, such as soft greens and yellows.
FURNITURE: Treat guests like family members and provide a sound frame and a good mattress. A place for clothes, a reading lamp, and a table for personal items are also thoughtful touches.
DRAPERIES: A gingham sheet sews up nicely into country-style draperies that filter light and provide privacy. They're thrifty to make and easy to match to any type of bedding, too.
WELCOMING TOUCHES: Take a cue from a favorite hotel and provide amenities such as scented toiletries, towels, bottled water, and even delicious snacks.
FURNITURE PLACEMENT: Fit a small room with a large bed by angling it in the corner. This de-emphasizes the room's size. White paint on the frame softens the look.
Paint can yield the largest change for the least money. The transformation of this boxy master bedroom was realized with a mix of pastels on the floor and walls. The furniture is mostly painted, too, including flea-market finds that benefited from a couple of coats.
FURNITURE: Painted finishes, both new and weathered, unify the happy hodgepodge here. The silver-colored metal bed keeps the overall effect serene, not sweet.
WALLS & FLOOR: The walls are a tone-on-tone combination: soft gray above the wainscoting; white below. The ceiling is a pale blue. The crown molding is white, as is the floor, eliminating the need for anything underfoot except area rugs on either side of the bed.
BEDDING: An exuberant layering of patterns on the sheets and pillows underscores the romance and tranquility of this master bedroom, while creating the perfect complement to the solid regularity of the metal bed frame. Successful decorating always begins with comfort. Choose sheets that are a pleasure to look at and to touch. Here, inviting textures--softly bleached cotton, silk, and raised crewel--establish the relaxing mood.
FUN FINDS: Two stools, renewed with coats of high-gloss marine paint, stand in for bedside tables. A bench at the bed's foot offers a place to stow books and a throw.
TRICKS WITH PAINT AND HARDWARE: Heather found this dresser abandoned curbside. She painted it pink and added crystal knobs. Like a great outfit, sometimes furniture needs just an accessory or two to be transformed.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY BUILT-INS: If closet space is short, consider a pair of built-in armoires. Painted to match the walls, they seem to recede into the room while providing needed storage. Each is fitted with its own sconce, for bedtime reading.
GOING FOR A VINTAGE LOOK: Heather Cameron purchased inexpensive sheet remainders, and then gently bleached them until she achieved the desired soft hues. When overall expenditure is low, you can feel free to experiment a bit.
Special Touches for the Guest RoomYou'll have as much fun choosing and assembling these welcoming tokens as your guest will enjoying them. Start with a set of fluffy towels and a fresh bar of fragrant soap. Body wash or bath salts, and lotion, too. Bottled water, fresh or fizzy, will be appreciated, as will packets of herbal tea and small snacks, such as dried fruit or, for fun, fortune cookies.
The dresser is a receptacle for all those odd personal items. Keep it orderly and stylish with a mirrored tray corral jewelry taken off at day's end. Personal luxury is a daily necessity, too, so include a bottle of perfume a candle, and, oh, yes, a dependable alarm clock.
Where to Find Furnishings and Fun Accessories for a Colorful RoomCreate your own at-home retreat or getaway by layering on colorful furnishings and fun accessories. Need some resources?
Try these:- For bedding and decorative fabric in lush weaves and saturated colors, try Ikea(ikea.com) or Designer's Guild (designersguild.com ).
- Find a daybed at Charles P. Rogers (charlesprogers.com).
- Pier 1 (pier1.com) is the go-to place for India-inspired and other exotic accessories.
- Try Shades of Light (shadesoflight.com) for a soft-underfoot flokati rug.
Where to Find Vintage Styles for a Country-Eclectic LookTo achieve a country-eclectic look, mix eras and styles with abandon:
- For painted furniture try Country Roots (countryroots.com) or British Traditions, Inc. (britishtraditions.com).
- If you want eclectic lighting, pay a visit to Anthropologie (anthropologie.com).
- Vintage Suitcases and other interesting accessories are available from Great Stuff by Paul (greatstuffbypaul.com).
- Find lanterns at Pottery Barn (potterybarn.com).
- Check out Garnet Hill (garnethill.com) for colorful, country-hued bedding.
We're going to be dating," is what Jarret tells his clients when they first meet. He wants them to understand that interior design is a process, and in order for it to be successful and feel organic, it has to be created over time. Jarret, an interior designer, took one year to transform Sarah and Dan's rental apartment into their home.
It’s almost a year ago when we moved in our apartment and we are pretty much settled. When we had to choose for furniture it was a hell of a job, because my love and I have a very different taste. A few years ago I found new interest in decorating and I was hooked on country-style, rustic furniture. But my love is more into the modern style. So I had to find a way to make these two styles work together. 
Jeanine, also known as the voice behind Aphrochic, has been bringing her blend of "modern style with soul" to the blogosphere for years. We've been intrigued with the occasional shots of her house that have been featured on the blog, so it was with pleasure that we headed over to North Beach to meet Jeanine and tour her home.
My recent gut renovation of my kitchen was pulled together for less than $5000 (appliances included) proving that you don't have to spend a fortune to pull together a great looking kitchen. This philosophy extends to the rest of my (600 sq. ft.) 1 bedroom apartment as well...proving that there are no limits when it comes to mixing eBay finds with big box pieces — and all on small budget.
Can you imagine living at high school? While it may be every sixteen year old's nightmare, Chuck and Holly were able to fully embrace the unique character of their new home. It is located in an old high school building originally built in 1872 which was converted to condos in 2005. The conversion was done with an eye on the past as the space retains some of details from the original use - their wood floors are from the boys gymnasium!
If you think that this sunny San Francisco studio apartment looks familiar, congratulate yourself for having a keen memory -- Frances' bright and cozy Lower Pacific Heights apartment was a contestant in our Small Cool 2008 competition last April. We liked how comfortable and inviting it seemed, even for such a small space, so we were glad to take an in-person look at the studio and share what we saw.
As a little something different for our day away from regular posting, we put together a crash course in bedrooms, midwest-style. Ten interesting, well designed bedrooms pulled from our recent housetours, these are filled with inspiration and ideas for bedrooms of all sizes and styles...and you can click through to the original full tour for each in the links below the jump. Enjoy!
We're very happy to present our first house tour from India, compliments of architect, Rajiv Majumdar, whose modest sized 500 sq. ft. apartment is an amalgam of styles, components, textures and colours. Budget solutions like a near-free steel bucket sink compliment a nearby steel pipe framed bed, blending an industrial chic veneer with modernist solutions: sliding bathroom wall and a flush-mounted LCD television invisibly set within a large mirror wall. Despite the small space, Rajiv has managed to even incorporate a miniature art gallery with intention of letting elements of it to rust!
We heard from Lois, who rehabbed a tiny cottage into a cozy home. She writes, It is in St. Louis, MO and built in 1938 for the sum of 500 dollars! I found the original bid when I bought the property. It is 400 sq. feet but I really love it.
See that porch light there by the front door? It's a beacon. To a warm and cozy retreat at the end of a snow-filled walk. Home to Lena for 30 years, her house in downtown Montreal shelters a much-loved interior filled with art and collections from a lifetime of creation and travel. Hailing from Sweden with extensive travel in Vietnam and Africa, the home reflects her widespread roots while remaining a traditional Montreal residence...
