How to Enhance the Look and Feel of Your Bedroom

How much of your life to you spend in bed?

Most of us don't realise that we spend about 40% of our lives in bed. Not all of that time is spent sleeping of course! So if we spend more than a third of our lives in the bedroom then surely we should spend some time and money to make it as beautiful and comfortable as the living room. Even though not every guest may visit the bedroom, it still deserves a good personal investment. So what are some things that we can do to liven up our bedrooms look and feel?

The first change that you can make is in the sheets. There are two main factors that go into a great sheet, thread count and fibre. Usually, the higher the thread count, the softer the sheet. However, you can still some across 1000 thread count sheets that feel like cardboard because they are made cheaply. A 300 tread count is the recommended minimum because it is great for summer. Then you can move up to 1000. The other very important factor is the sheets fibre. Ensure that you don't chose anything synthetic as it won't breathe. Egyptian cotton is the softest cotton by far as well as cotton bamboo blends. Linen also looks great and breathes, but the negative with cotton is that takes lots of washes to really soften up. Anything marked "sateen" will have a silky feeling to the surface of the sheets.

After you have your sheets covered move onto a new a blanket. It is highly recommend to have a lightweight blanket in between the sheet and comforter. This provides extra warmth in winter and is great in summer when the comforter is too hot. Some good things to look out for here are waffle weave or lightweight merino wool.

After your blanket we have the top layer. There are three main choices in this category to suit all preferences.

1. The traditional quilt or bedspread - This option is lightweight and has a neat and tidy feel when tucked in. The only drawback is lack of warmth in the winter time and your traditional quilt can look rather flat on top of the bed.
2. The comforter- This is a fluffy blend that is usually top stitched with a decorative fabric on the outside. This provides lots of warmth and also looks fluffy and neat. The down side to a comforter is that it is not easily washed because they are usually too big for household washers. Therefore a visit to the drycleaner or big Laundromat is required.
3. The Doona - The most popular option in these days consists of a sheet like envelope that goes around a fluffy insert. Advantage is you can pick the insert to suit your climate, so use a light doona in summer and a thinker doona in winter. In regards to the filling, down is the warmest and microfiber provides great fluffiness. You can also get alternative non-allergenic fibres like corn or eucalyptus for people with allergies. Polyester fill will not breathe and will go flat over time. The other advantage of a doona is that you can launder the cover on a regular basis, so you can change the colour and the style. A disadvantage is that a doona tends to look messy and you will forever be readjusting the insert.

The next added extra that you can add to a bed for detail is a throw. It adds style, texture and colour to a boring bedroom. It is place to rest your feet when you sit on the bed, and it is great way to add an extra bit of warmth in winter. You can also throw over your legs when lounging during the day without having to ruin your nicely made bed.

Accent cushions are another nice detail to add. It is vital to not overdo it though with cushions because as good as they look made up in the shops, a bed with 101 cushions can be annoying when you are tired and ready to get in bed. Keep it to a few well chosen accents that work into your colour scheme. Adding three mismatched cushions looks stylishly eclectic. Two square Euros in a contrast colour is good if you are looking for a more classic look. Or for a more minimalist dream try one big bolster. They are nice to rest against when sitting up in bed. Put a basket or ottoman at the end of the bed to throw them into when you go to sleep- another nice touch to add to your bedroom and great for storage.

Your head pillow is not as vital to the aesthetic to the room, but having a good pillow to support your next is still very important. It is recommended you replace your pillow every 6 months, but this can easily be extended with a good pillow protector. Latex is the best pillow but expensive and some people don't like the feel. Down is nice but can cause allergies and flatten over time. Microfibre or corn fibre is other good alternatives to avoid these problems. Make sure you try your pillow out for comfort before purchasing.

The styling of the bedroom is best left to the owner's preference and taste. However some aspects that one should ponder are the colour scheme of the walls, carpet, bed and cushions. And when all else fails, check out some example online or in magazines for inspiration!