It’s likely you’ve landed on this article, because you are assessing your current bedroom scene and considering a bedroom renovation or at least a design refresh. Renovating a bedroom is a little less complicated than other home improvement projects (e.g. bath or kitchen reno), but there are still a few important elements of this project that you need to establish before you begin design and construction.
Here’s a handy go-to guide that you can use on your upcoming bedroom renovation or refresh project, plus a checklist that you can refer to during a brainstorming session with a design professional.
How to renovate your bedroom
Renovating and redecorating an existing bedroom is faster to accomplish and is often inexpensive. When planning your bedroom renovation, always do these three things:
- Establish a budget – Your budget determines what kind of renovation you can do and what materials you will be able to use on your bedroom renovation.
- Decide how much work needs to be done – Both budget and luxury bedroom renovations can require a lot of work. Determine which tasks are DIY-friendly and which ones will require the help of a professional.
- Select a style – Interior styling can be difficult to envision. To find yours, head to our inspiration gallery and save bedroom interior designs that you like. Your chosen designer via Dreamspace can refer to this in the future.
Budget bedroom renovation checklist:
Determined to refresh your bedroom on a budget? Go for a plan that makes use of low-cost materials and DIY-friendly projects.
Here is a step by step checklist of what you can do:
- Declutter – Do a ‘Marie Kondo’ sweep before you start renovating the space. Weed out your closets and drawers; get rid of the things you don’t need or don’t ‘spark joy’ in your life anymore. Go through your stuff in the beginning to make organisation after the renovation easier.
- Clean up – Empty the bedroom, move the furniture pieces outside the room, and clean the walls and the floor. Remove all the dust and spider webs that have accumulated over time. Trust us, renovating a bedroom is easier with a clean slate.
- Amp up the walls – Give your walls a fresh coat of paint or select a charming wallpaper to make the room more visually exciting.
- Work with the furniture pieces that you already own – To cut costs and save money on your bedroom renovation, repurpose or reuse the furniture pieces available in your house or buy second hand. Fix them up and spray paint to give them a new lease of life.
- Arrange the furniture pieces in the best possible layout – Change up the position of the bed when necessary; add and remove furniture pieces so everything fits within the room nicely with some breathing space.
- Lay a new rug – Since you may not have the budget to change your floors, lay a rug to enhance its looks or hide any imperfections.
- Update the light fixtures – Make sure the type of fitting you choose reflects the interior style that you want to embrace.
- Install better window treatments – It is highly-recommended to use blackout blinds in the bedroom so you can sleep better. There are so many other forms of window treatments and coverings available in the market. Choose the one that suits your space the best.
- Make the bed comfortable – Use comfy bed covers and linen; throw in soft pillows and cushions. Turn the bed into the cosiest of nests that invites you to lay down and have a restful sleep.
- Decorate with intention – Hang new art or floating shelves to display books, decor objects, a sculpture or arrange framed photos of your loved ones. If space permits, a corner armchair or end of bed bench are both practical pieces that also bring another layer of styling to the room.
- Add greenery – Lastly, grow low-maintenance plants in your bedroom. Plants help purify the air, beautify the room, provide you with enough nighttime oxygen, and freshen the bedroom design.
Major bedroom renovation checklist:
The bedroom renovation process is very different when you are planning a home extension or a home addition project to add bedrooms to your house.
If this is the route that you will take, here is our recommended step-by-step process:
Major bedroom renovations that are a part of home additions and extensions offer a good return on investment. You’ll get the most bang for your buck when your new bedroom has highly desirable features such as:
- high-ceilings
- clever built-in storage
- walk-around wardrobe
- en suite bathroom
- indoor-outdoor space
Guide to popular bedroom interior styles and decor
The design and decor of your new bedroom/s are the hardest to envision, especially when you have no concrete idea of what you want to achieve.
To help you find your style, we’ll show you six of the most popular bedroom designs. See which of these appeals to you most and embrace that style. You can also consider the services of an interior stylist who can turn your regular bedroom into a private sanctuary.
Classic bedroom design
In a nutshell, a classic bedroom celebrates tradition, sophistication, and rich designs. It is formal and timeless.
If you want a classic bedroom design, here are the design elements that you must have in your bedroom:
- richly embellished beddings, curtains, and other fabrics
- floral, checks, toile, houndstooth or other timeless prints
- ornamental crown moulding
- wall moulding
- coffered ceiling
- plush carpeting
- monochromatic colour palette with pops of elegant colours
- luxurious and formal furniture pieces
- picture frames with delicate moulding
Minimalist bedroom design
The minimalist style is known for its simple aesthetics: less clutter and less visual noise. If you want a bedroom design without unnecessary distraction, consider embracing this style.
Here are the best practices when you want a minimalist bedroom:
- intentional use of furniture and accessories (stick with essentials, always prioritise form and function)
- built-in furniture designed to look seamless
- use a neutral or monochromatic colour palette; hints of colour are okay, as long as they aren’t overwhelming
- have one tasteful piece of art that functions as the focal point in a relatively bare space
- use solid colour fabrics, not patterned
Scandinavian bedroom design
Nordic or Scandi bedroom designs give you the balance between simplicity and functionality. It is simple, but has fine details that won’t go unnoticed. Scandi bedrooms are also eco-friendly and have beautiful connections with the outdoors that Aussie homeowners adore!
Here are the design elements of a Scandi bedroom:
- light and bright colour palette; ideally a room with white or gray painted walls
- in 2021, earthy hues or muted dusty blue or green accent colours that contrast with black, white, gray and timber
- hardwood floors, ideally wood species with a lighter grain
- timber wall cladding
- copper accents
- clean and streamlined architecture and furniture design
- experimental decor making use of basic geometric shapes and lines
- layers of texture variety
- succulents, cacti, or any plant with lush foliage
- access to natural lighting
Modern bedroom design
Modern style breaks from traditionally full spaces and moves towards embracing simplicity. Modern interiors are clean and fresh. Interior walls are generally painted white with a hint of muted colour.
Here are the design elements of a modern bedroom:
- crisp and refreshing light coloured walls
- floors made of natural minerals in a neutral tone, ideally polished concrete or timber floors
- replace walls with glass
- furniture pieces and decor made from moulded plastic, wood, and polished metals
- natural materials and texture such as wood, stone, leather, and linen
- hardware made from brushed aluminum, polished stainless steel, glass and plastic
- squares, triangles and curvilinear forms
Industrial bedroom design
Industrial style bedrooms are edgy, urban and full of character. This style showcases the charm of stripped-back architecture. It celebrates a little bit of wear and tear, featuring the use of humble, salvaged building materials.
Here’s a break down of the design elements in an industrial style bedroom:
- mix and match new pieces with reclaimed ones
- repurposed materials
- solid, muted, neutral colours
- cool, monochromatic colour palette
- natural textures
- furniture with basic, minimal design
- tin, steel, iron or aluminum accents
- industrial textures such as concrete and metals
- exposed ductwork, exposed brick walls, exposed beams, bare windows, and steel staircases
Rustic bedroom design
Rustic interiors are organic, rugged, inviting, and unpretentious. This style incorporates nature in the design and takes you back in time when technology hadn’t consumed our lives.
If you want to adopt rustic style into your bedroom, here are the elements you should add to your bedroom design:
- rough and rugged room accents and decor
- organic materials like cotton and linen
- vintage decor
- cabin, cottage, or farmhouse appeal
- natural hardwood, plus reclaimed or bare wood items
- fireplace with a simple and pure rustic finish
- old or worn aesthetics
- reclaimed and foraged materials
- natural stone accents
- barn door
It’s easy to recreate a style that you want after studying them carefully and collecting inspirational photos for later use. Save inspirational bedroom photos to your Dreamboard here.
Bedroom renovation ideas that pay off
Most major bedroom renovation projects result in a positive return on investment. The following bedroom design upgrades guarantee to boost the price of your home. If you are not going to sell your home, these upgrades will improve the quality of life in your home too!
- A new, better layout – Make your bedroom bigger, add luxury features (e.g. a bathroom and a walk-in closet), and rearrange the furniture pieces so it has a more logical flow.
- Soundproofing and acoustics – These ensure that no external noise flows through your walls and disturb your sleep and downtime.
- Better doors and windows – Newly renovated bedrooms look so much better with nicer doors and windows. Make sure that these match the style that you want to embrace (e.g. barn doors for rustic farmhouse bedrooms, steel/iron windows for industrial style bedrooms).
- Decorative wall coverings – There are so many wall treatments available in the market, in case you need a paint alternative.
- Better lighting – Have a combination of light sources: ceiling ambient lights, task lights for bedtime reading, lights that ease the mood, and a dimmer switch to control the brightness of the artificial lights in the bedroom.
Get quotes for your bedroom renovation
The bedrooms are a place of rest and privacy. It is the one space in the house where you can truly retreat to for rest and quiet time. How you feel in the space is important, hence the bedroom should offer a soft place to land while being calming, cosy and beautiful! It is important to feel comfortable and relaxed here.
That being said, it is crucial to get the layout, design, and decor of your bedroom right!
Consider a bedroom renovation project when yours already starts feeling boring and outdated for a while, or when the current design no longer suits your tastes and needs.
Whether you want to freshen up your room or do a complete remodel, you can get it done safely and efficiently with the proper planning and coordination tools and the help of design and construction professionals.
Start planning your project for free with Dreamspace or request a free non-obligation quote here.
