Tips for a Quick Bedroom Refresh

People often ask me for tips on ways to update their home, for less. No one ever wants to spend more than they have to on home design and decor. But sometimes, less is not more when it comes to home updates. For example, when it comes to an outdated bathroom – definitely DON’T try putting “lipstick on a pig”. Spend the money to update it, otherwise, you will waste money on the items you bought to “freshen it up”, because you will eventually have to change it.

You should generally about 5% on your home value every 5 years or so to renovate it. This will help you keep you home from being dated, and also allow you to budget for these major home updates. Of course, if you are a renter, this doesn’t apply – but the next advice will!

But there are some things you can do, to freshen up a space, with a small investment. This is a great tactic if you have trouble waiting 5 years to make a change. My favourite room to do this in, is the bedroom. Why? Well, you spend a lot of time there and its a space that should be very personal and relaxing. While other spaces need to be functional and inviting for others, this is one space that is all your own.

Typically, your not changing out your bedroom furniture on a regular basis. You usually buy pieces that will last (as any kind of furniture is not cheap, but bedroom furniture, if made well, is quite expensive). It’s also very common to buy pieces that fit the space, but reconfiguration is not always an option. So you can’t just shift things around to “change it up”. You have windows and doors, but also closets that restrict you.

Here are some of my go-to’s that are great for changing up your bedroom, or any space for that matter, at a minimal cost:

wall decor: pictures, paintings, mirrors and shelves
a new rug
new lamps or light fixtures
small houseplants

The cool thing about the above list, is that you can do one or a couple of the items. And find them at many different places. What I recommend is to decide on a style and colour and then go from there. Do you want to have a contrasting space, monotone, more textures? Your furniture will largely dictate your style selection, but sometimes you have a couple of options. For example, sometimes a rustic look can be turned into an industrial one.

Now back to the bedroom…

The bed is the focal point of your bedroom. (Umm…hello, that’s why its called the BED-room). This means that changing it can have a BIG impact. The best way to do this (considering you already have a bed), is to focus on the bedding.

The best thing you can do, for yourself and the space, is invest in a good duvet. This makes changing your look and feel of your room so easy and affordably in the long run. A couple sets of neutral coloured, high quality sheets also is a great investment. Make sure you have a couple of sets and rotate them through – otherwise you will notice them wearing very quickly.

Now for the duvet cover. My biggest recommendation for this item is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. A single colour, or it can have a design in the fabric, or a very subtle pattern is the way to go for not only longevity, but also for keeping with the trends. Then add a throw and toss in some cushions that lend to your preferred style and BOOM – you have a whole new room!

Speaking of trends, one of the biggest trends we are seeing right now is LINEN!! I mean, who doesn’t love linen?! Its so comfortable, versatile, and meant to look lived in – so you don’t need to worry about it looking wrinkled. Some of the most comfortable clothing is linen – so why wouldn’t we want it on our beds?

Credit: Lisa Cohen vis Vogue Living Australia

So, I personally hadn’t invested in linen yet for my home – I loved the look, but simply wasn’t in the market for a new duvet cover. However, I was given an opportunity from a great company called CULTIVER, to try out one of their Linen Duvet Covers. And I must tell you – it is definitely worth it. So comfortable, on trend and light!!

Credit: Cultiver

Our summers here in Montreal can get very hot and humid, and even with our powerful central air conditioning – our room gets very hot in the summer…so much that I can’t even have a nice light fixture, only a large ceiling fan to keep the air circulating. However, I’m also one of those people who can’t sleep without some weight on me – my covers. So I’m constantly tossing and turning during the summers, trying to sleep comfortable, while not sweating through the sheets.

But the linen duvet cover is so light. Now, combined with our lightweight duvet, I can already tell I’m going to be sleeping comfortably, all year round. I don’t know about you, but I spend a good amount of time in my bed…not just sleeping, but often after the kids are in bed, I settle in also to do research, work, or just catch up on a book. So I don’t just want my bedding to be stylish, I need it to also be comfortable.

So thanks to Cultiver, I’m a Linen Lover 4 Life and can’t wait to get some more of their great items in stock – probably next up will be the sheets in one of their awesome colours (ahem…hubby…if your reading this…my birthday IS coming up). It will be so much cooler when all my bedding is meant to have the lived in look of linen, rather just looking lived in.

If you like this look as well…check out CULTIVER online! They can help get you some luxe linen pronto (AND they ship to Canada!!). Plus they have A LOT more to offer in terms of bedding, different textiles, and more.

Thanks for reading and take care.