6 tips for a dreamy bedroom makeover

[PRESENTED BY JO ALCORN - WHITEWASH & CO] 

Your bedroom should be a decorating priority – it’s the first thing you see in the morning and the place you end every day. Here are 6 tips from designer Jo Alcorn, who recently worked on a bedroom makeover. Follow her suggestions to make your bedroom a place that brings you joy, and where you look forward to spending time.

Tip 1

I always recommend starting with a colour that you love; choose one that gives you a serene, relaxing feel and that speaks to you personally. For this space I chose Benjamin Moore’s Wickham Gray HC-171. It is the base that started to bring this room to life.

Tip 2

Don’t just re-paint a room – add interest and dimension. In this bedroom make-over, I made a few features with moulding. We created a wall treatment using great trim products from Metrie, which gives the space an elegant feel.

To spice up the new fireplace unit (more on that in a moment), we had a custom build-up created to give it that “real” fireplace mantel feel. We used Metrie products again and matched the existing crown moulding to the new unit. It creates a simply stunning effect, adding more interest and dimension to this space!

Tip 3

Bedrooms call out for a serene, relaxing atmosphere. What could be more relaxing and visually pleasing than a fireplace? Given the mess of a wood burning unit and the expense of installing a gas unit, a great option is an electric unit.  Electric units have drastically evolved in recent years and can create the exact ambiance, mood and overall sense of comfort that is perfect for a bedroom. They are also easy to install and extremely affordable; this is a Dimplex unit that only took the homeowner 25 minutes to unload, unpack and set up!

Tip 4

Your bed is where you spend almost every night; it needs to be comfortable, but you don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort! It’s also a focal point in any bedroom – so let’s talk about what to keep in mind.

First of all, shopping for a new mattress and bringing it home doesn’t have to be a chore. Here we used a Casper mattress, which was delivered in a box right to the homeowners’ front door. It’s a great option for people without cars and city dwellers. Plus it’s exceptionally comfortable!

Pair that up with a headboard and bed frame from the Jo Alcorn Collection and we have a winning combination of style, colours, textures and comfort.

Now to dress the bed. This is where you can have some serious fun with patterns, colour and texture. We started with crisp white sheets, pillows and pillow cases from Casper and topped it off with a subtle duvet cover from HomeSense. Again from the Jo Alcorn Collection, we used pillows to incorporate the exact texture and finishing touches that are perfect for this room.  

Tip 5

After creating a spectacular bed focal point, don’t forget to look at the other pieces in the room. I often like to add a bench to the end of the bed. It looks great and is also the perfect place to pile your decorative pillows and throw at night when you turn in. For this space I used this stylish white bench from Bouclair which fit perfectly in the space and the budget.

Accessories are the cherry on the sundae. For this bedroom, I picked up some great artwork and accessories from HomeSense and placed them on the mantel. The addition of these items takes this room from amazing to spectacular!

Tip 6

Don’t forget about lighting … and darkening. You need to make sure you have the perfect lighting for reading and relaxing, but darkness is a necessity for sleeping

In this bedroom, the side table lamps and curtains were purchased from Wayfair.ca. Wayfair is a great site that has an outstanding amount of products to choose from (over 7 million to be exact!), their site is easy to navigate and they offer two-day delivery options and free shipping over CAD $75. This is a great option for finding what you want without going anywhere.

For those who like to browse, touch, and have eyes on before you buy, Bouclair Home is a wonderful source for so many items. Bouclair is a great place to get inspired, consider your options, and select perfect accessories, draperies, furniture and more. In addition to the bench, the ceiling light was a wonderful find from a wander around a Bouclair store.

 

So think about a colour you love and get started on creating the bedroom of your dreams. When you love how your bedroom looks, sweet dreams will be yours!