A Master Makeover: Rejuvenate Your Master Bedroom

by Randy Skidmore/Wordwright Publishing

Your busy schedule doesn’t stop at home. Where will you go to rest, relax and rejuvenate? Is there an uplifting spot set aside just for you? Thankfully, such a refuge already exists: your master bedroom. It is easy and fun to transform your bedroom from a mere square on your floorplan into a restful and inspiring sanctuary. Below we chronicle the transformation of a master bedroom into a tranquil sanctuary for the homeowner.

Color Is Key

Start by identifying a soothing color palette. As Dorothy Parker, the influential American interior designer, once wrote, “Bedrooms should be very intimate rooms-they should express your personal preferences. Of all the rooms in the house, your bedroom is yours.”

In the master bedroom, the existing cool blue wall color was replaced with a warmer, more inviting khaki tone. This warmer tone draws in the open spaces of this large room, creating a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. While repainting is an important step toward redefining your personal space, its benefits will go unrealized without effective lighting.

Don’t Forget the Light

In the absence of light, color has no value. A poorly lit room will only disguise your careful paint and furniture selections. During the day, allow natural light into your room by employing effective window treatments. The featured master bedroom suffered from worn curtains that diffused the light and dulled the room, so the curtains were replaced with new wood shutters that not only admit direct light, but also provide striking apertures for the day’s changing light conditions. For the nighttime, the ceiling’s recessed lighting is complemented with four lamps whose beige lampshades harmonize with the hue of the walls. With a solid color scheme and lighting in place, the right accents can help your eyes navigate your reinvigorated space.

Accessorize Your Space

A simple space, properly accessorized, can become a personal oasis. Notice how the addition of lamps adds individualized flair to the room without distracting the eye, and how the introduction of a few wood-framed photographs adds visual interest to the large walls. These accents suit the dark wood of the new armoire (a stylish way to supplement closet rack space) and bedside tables, and match the striking wooden bed frame. Taken together, this coordination connotes unity and elegance. However, while it’s helpful to standardize colors and shapes within a room, don’t be afraid to use a few dramatic touches to create appeal in the room’s focal areas.

A bold circular mirror contrasts the rectangular dresser and reflects the focal point of our room, the bed. New Classic Chic sheets and comforter from Pottery Barn, add a touch of delicate blue to the center of the room. For additional emphasis on the bed, and to give the space further definition, a large Oriental rug adds a layer of comfort and style.

Whether you’re ready to redefine your personal sanctuary, or staging your home for maximum buyers’ appeal, your master bedroom makeover is a vital and rewarding personal investment.