Decorate your bedroom for a new lease on life

Even if you’re thinking of selling or renting out, you can still create a space that soothes and relaxes.

Perhaps more than in any other room, it’s worth taking some time to decide on the best colour scheme for your bedroom. If you’re stuck for inspiration, try clearing out as much furniture as possible and giving your walls a coat of white primer or undercoat. Then, over a week or so, observe the fall of light and how it changes at different times of day. A wall that receives plenty of light is a good candidate for light or neutral colours, while a wall that attracts more shade will tend to make such tones look dull.

Choosing warm colours – with a touch of yellow or red – will make your room feel cosy and inviting, while cool colours – blues and greens – will give it a more relaxed and calming atmosphere.

This one’s just right

Everybody likes a big, comfortable bed, but it’s important not to overdo it. You don’t want a bed that’s so long or wide that getting in and out is a chore. If you’re not sure how big you can go, check the dimensions of the bed size you’re considering and mark it out on the floor with tape – then see how everything else fits in around it.

Bedrooms also need lots of storage, and, while a bedside table is a necessity, built-in wardrobes can be a great way to reduce visual clutter and add plenty of shelves, drawers and hanging space. Renters rank built-in wardrobes as one of their top property must-haves.

Finally, take care with desks, entertainment units, armchairs and other miscellaneous items of furniture. You need to carefully weigh up their utility, attractiveness and size. We recommend erring towards less is more, as a less cluttered room will improve your quality of sleep.

Light up your life

It’s great to have subtle, moody lighting in your bedroom for those late nights and early mornings, but you’ll also want good strong lighting for when you’re getting dressed or reading in bed.

In addition to suitable (and preferably dimmable) roof-mounted lighting, bedside lamps are a great way to add personality and practicality to a room. They’re also easy to swap if your taste changes, and they make it possible to stay up late to finish your latest page-turner without preventing your partner from getting some shut-eye.

A treat for your toes

Floor coverings are an endless source of debate in the bedroom: to carpet or not to carpet, that is the question. If you and your partner have different views, consider floorboards throughout the bedroom and a large rug on the carpet-lover’s side.

You may prefer the feeling of floorboards, which have the added benefit of being relatively inexpensive to change in colour. For those considering selling or renting, painted floorboards are unique and surprisingly durable. If you think you’ll stay in your home, the floor can be painted a deeper shade of the colour you choose for the ceiling to give the room more depth.