Time and time again, I have wished my bedroom could look like a hotel room with all the luxuries. Haven’t you…? In reality, not every one of us can afford a bedroom like that, but (fortunately) transforming your bedroom into a sanctuary, you could unwind in after a busy day of work, shouldn’t cost you a fortune.

Between smart mattresses and counting sheep, we seem to have forgotten how much the ambience of our bedrooms contribute to a good night’s sleep. As someone who likes to work while everyone else is asleep and doze off pass midnight hours, I must confess, sleeping feels like a waste of time. Surely, some of you might disagree 🙂

Anyway, the past couple of days I’ve been waking up in the morning feeling quite exhausted. Quite the opposite of what I  should be feeling?! Maybe it’s because I am not getting enough sleep or worse it could be that I have been having restless nights. So, I made a few changes to my routine and my room.  Yes, especially for someone like myself, the look and feel of the bedroom playp a major role in gently falling into deep slumber.

Being able to decorate your room on a budget to bring out that peaceful and serene ambience makes it worth a try. 

As for those who fall asleep as soon as they hit the bed… I envy you! No, I don’t but I do think you’re  lucky! 

Well, the rest of us can start by decluttering. Once you have created white space, you could consider the below aspects one by one.

Size & Space

To me, the bedroom has to be spacious. Quite frankly, a small room makes me feel uncomfortable. I remember about two or three years ago, my husband I spent a night at a hotel in Kandy. Although the hotel itself was huge, rooms were comparatively small. I was so glad it was just one night.

What I am trying to emphasize is, that the depth of the room is crucial for me to feel relaxed. If you love small cozy rooms it’s completely fine. But if you love a little bit empty space around you, consider this when buying a house or choosing a room as your bedroom. 

Well, if you already have a room and it’s not so big but you really appreciate some good depth in your room, don’t worry. There are ways to make your bedroom spacious or roomy. Here are a few tops you could take into consideration in making your bedroom a more spacious one.

Hang your drapes from the ceiling (instead of just few inches above the window pane) to add height to your space.

Use a color palette that is neutral and easy on the eyes to expand your space visually.

Do not block natural light by placing furniture against your windows.

Mirrors can play a major role in creating the illusion of a bigger (also luxurious) room if placed strategically to reflect natural light.

Select unifying patterns,textures of a selected color palette for your linen, throw pillows, drapes, rugs etc. to appease the illusion of expansive room area.

Dramatize with a considerably big art piece.

Use rugs to define separate areas of your room.

Avoid cluttering the room with multiple small pieces of furniture, but instead use statement pieces that fill up the room.

Using rugs or drapes with stripes can also elongate the length and breadth of the room.

Bed 

You mustn’t hold back when it comes to investing in a good mattress. The best way to determine what works best for you is to overlook the commercials, visit some vendors and try it out yourself. A mattress isn’t something you buy simply based on an advertisement or someones recommendation. Look at your options and evaluate. Even if it cost a little extra, give your self the mattress you deserve 🙂

The next element that plays a major role is bedding. I am obsessed with this, like I just can’t have enough… When I was much younger, I would buy my bedding simply based on the color or the pattern. The fabric options, thread count were not factors I considered at the time.

Now, I prefer linen bedding in whites(mostly), neutrals and pastels(blush pinks and mint shades). In a tropical country like Sri Lanka, linen makes so much sense as it is lightweight and permeable. It also has heat conductivity properties allowing you to stay warm during the rainy season and keeping you cool when it’s too warm.

Colour

Honestly, you can paint your room any colour you like but, if you wish to make your room an oasis of tranquility, it’s best to consider a more calming colour palette. Having experimented with many colour options in the past, now I stick to a neutral palette. In my opinion, cool and earthy colours could help achieve the peaceful vibe you’re going for( if you do love warm hues, take back a notch or two and accessorize the room with them, instead). Colours such as deep grey, navy blue, eggplant purple and sandstone can be used on an accent wall. Having bedding that matches the walls, will give a harmonious and soothing feel that flows throughout the room.

You do not have to go all monochromatic, if that’s not your style but what is important is that you make sure, colours and patterns used in the bedroom blend harmoniously with one another, to create the perfect sleep sanctuary  for yourself.

Layering

This is a very important but often forgotten factor that needs to be considered when transforming your room to the most comfortable and the coziest space in your home. Nothing is more welcoming than a cosy bed  that is skilfully layered. For years I have been drooling over pictures of perfectly layered beds on magazines. One day I decided I’d like to know how it is done so I could try it out myself. I am a huge fan of Robeson designs  and have been watching her channel for a long time. (Checkout this video where Rebecca explains perfectly how to make your bed.)

If you are living in a tropical country like myself, layering will have to be done in a different manner. Unless your room is air-conditioned too many layers will make it too warm for you to fall asleep. In this case, you could skip the down comforter (or use a lightweight one or a quilt). Personally I believe nothing screams ‘unwind’ better than white linen bedding. I like to accent with a colourful throw blanket to add in some character.

Second element of the layering process is your window treatments. You could use lace or sheer material as the base  and a rather thicker material on top. Using roman shades as the base is also another option(one that I prefer…). Plain roman blinds with floral or patterned top drapes would be an interesting combination.

Lighting

Studies suggest excessive lighting in a room can disrupt the quality of sleep. Low dim lights can create the coziest ambiance but as modern bedrooms have become multi-functional, it requires several light sources such as lampshades by the bedside, pin lights in the wardrobe, a table lamp at the work station and so on. This eliminates the need of a main overhead light fixture.

Aroma

I love the smell of lavender and cinnamon in my room. Scented candles and oil burners are a must to help me unwind while I sip a cup of hot tea, reading a book in a cozy nook in my room(I do recommend you put them off before you go to bed though for safety reasons).

Lavender is known to soothe and help you relax after a tiring day whilst cinnamon too can be quite therapeutic and has the added benefit of repelling bugs and mosquitoes. (I love the Cliárá essential oil collection).

However, sometimes if I need more than a scented candle or an oil warmer, I simply take a flavored tea bag of my choosing and put it under my pillow…and it works just fine.

Rituals

Like I mentioned in my previous post on how to “Finding Calm In Everyday Chaos”a pre-established nighttime routine will allow you to gently unwind and prepare your mind to fall into blissful relaxation. You could create your own ritual. I like to have a warm bath once all my work is over, then soak my feet in hot water while I read a book, sipping a cup of hot tea. Days I don’t feel like reading, I like to listen to a prayer podcast or some lovely Lauren Dusky music to get my mind off everything else.

As a final touch, you could even consider adding some plants to your room depending your preference and of course the space availability.

Easy, isn’t it? Let me know what you think and how you would bring in that serene vibe to your room… xo