master bedroom decorating Archives

Organized Home Week 4 – The Master Bedroom

January 26, 2015 · by Maria · 8 Comments

I have mentioned before that the home should be a place that you feel safe, loved and that the home should feel like a hug. Needless to say, sometimes things get crazy and it feels less like a hug and more like a kick in the gut!

Well, even when other rooms may be out of hand because life happens, the master bedroom should still feel like an embrace. My boys know that they can come into our bedroom whenever they want, they can get in our bed, but there are limits – no food, no toys in mommy and daddy’s room.

Of course when they were babies our room was taken over by small cribs, bibs and diapers but that was just for a season, an awesome season. Now that they are older and they each have their own rooms, there is no reason to have toys everywhere. If my little one walks in with a little car in his hand, I don’t respond like mommy dearest (although I hate wire hangers) and I let him play, but if he wants to come in riding a truck and leave it there, I do tell him “not in mommy and daddy’s room”. It is important for you (and your spouse) to have a space that is calming and that you can really enjoy when the day comes to an end.

Sometimes it’s not even toys, we tend to stash things in the bedrooms so that they are not littering the house but we can be left with a room full of stuff and not a welcoming retreat. So let’s de-clutter the master bedroom!

1- Make the Bed with clean sheets

The bed is the largest piece of furniture in the room and if the bed is made (or isn’t) it makes the biggest difference. This could have been the last step but let’s make it the first so that we are encouraged to continue with the rest of the bedroom.

2- De-clutter the dresser

Pick up the items on your dresser that don’t belong there. I don’t have a dresser now but I used to and I know that it can be a magnet for trinkets, hair brushes and jewelry. After putting everything away, give the dresser a good clean by wiping it down.

3- De-Clutter the nightstands

My nightstand gets messy pretty fast because I have been reading the same 16 books for the last 2 years. I remember when I would devour books in weeks. Nowadays, by the time the boys are in bed and my chores are done (maybe) I can only read a few pages before drifting off to sleepy land. So I keep buying books and reading them at my new snail pace and once a week I need to organize them into stacks. If you bring water or water bottles to bed or place your jewelry there at the end of the day, clear out any clutter and keep what you need. Clean the nightstand and place the objects that are staying back in place. Don’t forget to add a pretty touch, a faux plant or flowers will brighten up your nightstand.

4- Clear items from the floor that don’t belong in the master bedroom

If there are a few things on the floor that out of place, take them into the room that they belong in. Put away any clothing that you have on a chair or bed. If you have a lot of things to sort through that are currently on the floor, take one zone at a time. Consider separating the items into boxes so that you can separate trash from things that need to go into another room or items to donate. Do not become overwhelmed, you have done so much already! You have all week to pace yourself. You can do this!

5- Vacuum and dust the room

Cleaning is the last step! Yay! Doesn’t your room look great? Now diffuse some lavender and get some rest…you deserve it!

Also in the Organized Home Series:

Week 1 – Organizing the Refrigerator

Week 2 – Organizing Kitchen Cabinets

Week 3- Organizing the Pantry

Master Bedroom Sitting Area

July 28, 2014 · by Maria · 3 Comments

Many newer construction homes have large master bedrooms. So large, that there is plenty of space for a sitting area. When we purchased our home, I was happy with the size of the master bedroom, but I knew that it wasn’t large enough for a master bedroom sitting area. There was only space for a dresser and a television, in addition to the bed and night stands. I thought that if I could find large enough night stands, I could forego the dresser. That’s exactly what we did, when we found these…

It still did not replace a dresser, but it made it possible to do without it. I also needed to find a small couch. I didn’t want to crowd the room or make it look like we were stuffing a piece of furniture in a space that clearly did not call for it. I found this couch and chair and I loved that they were armless. Armless furniture creates less visual bulk, and allows for furniture to be placed close together.

We purchased the chair in a print so that it wouldn’t look too “matchy” but honestly, I wouldn’t do that again because it did tie me into a color scheme. If I had purchased it in a neutral tone, like the couch, I could have simply changed the pillows for a new look. Don’t get me wrong, these pieces are more than 10 years old and I still like them very much!

The bedroom is decorated in neutral tones, with pops of coral.

This lamps and shades are from Target. I purchased two of these shades (that were on clearance, bonus!) so that I could tie together the floor lamp with the one on the side-table. This floor lamp used to be black and it was in my son’s room. I spray painted it gold, and now it works in my room. (You can’t see the gold stripe going through the floor lamp shade, due to the light.)

If you have mix-matched lamp bases, you can still tie the look together with matching shades.

Do I miss the dresser? At times. It was always our goal to customize our closets so that we would have extra space and so far my closet is done and my husband’s is next. Having drawers in my closet really helped!

I do love having a little sitting area to read, chat with my husband, or simply tie my shoes.

Is there an area in your home that was initially too small for your “vision” but you still made it work?

See you soon!

Maria

Creating a Master Bedroom Retreat

July 25, 2014 · by Maria · 11 Comments

The last two weeks we have talked about the master bathroom, and shared ideas about creating storage in small bathrooms, I also painted my laminate cabinets and organized under the sink. But now, let’s step into the master bedroom. Creating a master bedroom retreat is our project this week, and I want to share with you some decorating ideas.

The master bedroom should feel like a hug. Creating a master bedroom retreat is so rewarding because after a hectic day, you want to go into a space that says “peace”. My favorite bedding is all white because it has a casual, welcoming feel. I never try to make my bed perfect, I even like the wrinkles. I don’t think I have ever said those words before, but I do. They add to the casual, inviting feel. And it works because my boys always seem to feel that they are “invited” into our bed.

I purchased this bedding from Ballard Designs and I LOVE the large monogram. The sheets are not fussy-looking but they feel luxurious. Monogramming has a bad rap for being stuffy, but when paired with cotton, it’s just an elegant touch.

The “Graceful Order” wasn’t monogrammed into the sheet, that was editing. 😉

On the foot of the bed, I place a throw. Honestly, we rarely use it but I think it warms up the room.

Our bedside tables are large and thanks to that, we opted for a sitting area instead of a dresser.

I love this lamp and shade, both from Target. In this picture the lamp was off, but the sunlight was flooding in.

My husbands nightstand has a valet box where I store all the little papers and receipts that he brings home. Otherwise, the nightstand would be covered with receipts and business cards.

I love having an Oil Diffuser in the bedroom to disperse lavender and eucalyptus. Bring the spa-feel home!

Right now, the Oil Diffuser is resting on my jewelry cabinet.

There are a few steps in creating a master bedroom retreat.

Clear the clutter from the night stands. They become the “catch-all” in the bedroom and get messy fast.
Clear items from under the bed. I used to store stuff under the bed and I have to admit, it was just a big dust magnet. Most of the stuff I had under the bed, I should’ve either thrown away or made space for it in my closet. If you can, clear out this area and it will be so much easier to keep the room clean. I am glad I did this years ago.
Decide what “look” you are going for and get rid of decorations that don’t match the “look”. Sometimes you need to shop-your-house and bring in items that you already own and love into your new space.
The biggest investment (besides furniture) and the one that will make the biggest difference, is the bedding. Splurge on nice sheets. They last longer and therefore more economical in the long run. I look for a comforter that is washable since the boys love to jump on our bed. White comforters are my favorite because I can always add color pillows if I want to add a pop of color. For now, all white is my favorite.
Have the books that you are currently reading out on your nightstand, but not an entire set of encyclopedia next to your bed (do you still have those by the way? I do).
If you are going to go all out and paint the walls, choose a color that is relaxing. Skip “Peacock Green” and “Magenta Madness” for this project.
The next thing on my list (which we still don’t have) is purchasing a nice rug for under the bed. We have wood floors and I would prefer stepping onto a plush rug when I get out of bed. I know it will be a finishing touch to our bedroom and also add an added layer of comfiness.

Soon we will talk about creating a seating area and how to use ottomans in bedrooms.

Until then, please share with me your favorite color scheme for the master bedroom. Is your bedroom decorated in warm neutral colors, do you prefer cool tones, or just pops of vibrant color? I look forward to reading your comments!

Maria