Build a Better Bedroom

Place the bed opposite the entry door so it’s the first thing you see as you enter the room — even if there are windows, says Beth Keim, owner of Charlotte, N.C.-based design firm Lucy and Company. “The bed can be on your window wall with a gorgeous wallpaper backdrop or flanking curtains.”

Define certain spaces, like a reading nook or the foot of the bed, with smaller, patterned rugs. “I tell my clients not to forget about the floor—I call it the ‘fifth wall,’” says Keim. “You can even layer them on top of a large, area rug.”

Keim steers her clients away from off-the-rack metal or wood blinds. “They can look busy with their horizontal lines and often lack imagination.” Instead, Keim recommends choosing bamboo or custom roller shades. “You can even pair these with narrow curtain panels that don’t have to close. You’ll need less yardage, which saves on the budget.”

Visually add height to a room by hanging curtains at least 8 to 12 inches higher than the window casing, if space allows. Keim says width is important, too. “Bringing your curtain hardware a good 12 inches off the sides of the window will not block too much of the window and allows you to see more of the fabric’s pattern.”