Bedroom Color and Light

The colors of a bedroom can enhance the atmosphere that you want to achieve. For instance, pinks and yellows will add to the sun's warm morning hues, while greens and blues have the reverse effect, giving the room a cool, fresh feel. (Click on image for larger view.)

Waking up in the morning to a bright and cheery day sure helps get that day going in the right direction. Sunlight, or the lack of it, can have an effect on attitude so it is important to stop and think of how you want that first visual experience of the day to be.

The colors of a bedroom can enhance the atmosphere that you want to achieve. For instance, pinks and yellows will add to the sun's warm morning hues, while greens and blues have the reverse effect, giving the room a cool, fresh feel. Pure white on the other hand, serves as a backdrop for bright, colorful fabrics on the bedspread and window treatments.

For a relaxing room, soft colors will work best. Choose any colors in the spectrum, just keep them soft.

The bedroom ceiling is important, too. Stop and think a minute; of all the rooms in the house, the ceiling most likely to be looked at is in the bedroom. If there is a tray ceiling, consider painting the tray part a different color or papering the tray. Painting the entire ceiling a different color from the walls is another idea. Faux painting is still another choice. Adding crown molding is a good enhancing concept. Or ever try stenciling? Now is the time to try it around the perimeter of the bedroom ceiling.

Usually barefoot is the way to go in the bedroom, so choose the flooring accordingly. Would a thick, well-padded carpet underfoot be ideal or is the earthiness of a wood floor covering more appealing? Though carpet is the most popular choice, many people have allergies that can be aggravated by the fibers in the loom. Besides wood, carpet alternatives include vinyl, cork, tile and marble.

What about storage in the bedroom? After all, you can never have too much storage space. Closet systems seem to be the best thing since sliced bread. They afford at least double the storage capacity of a plain closet and, in most cases, they quadruple it by compartmentalizing the space. These closet systems really make the most of the square footage.

Don't forget the space under the bed. Remember when you were a kid and you would hide things under there? It was a quick way to clean the room. Well, that space is still available. Buy an inexpensive set of luggage or storage boxes and use them to store items like seasonal clothes, books, souvenirs or any items not used on a daily basis. Slip the luggage or storage boxes under the bed and rekindle that great childhood hiding place.

A pleasant atmosphere and good storage are the secrets to successful bedroom decorating.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, is president of Rosemary Sadez Friedmann Inc. in Naples, Fla.)