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How to Style a Light, Bright Bedroom

I have been waiting to share this post for forever!

Aside from setting up my studio space, my first priority after we moved was getting our bedroom set up and settled. It’s been 90% finished for a while now, but recently my dad came down to visit and help us get some last few things finished – like putting up the shelves and mirrors. It’s finally ready to share! I think this is my favourite room in the house.

It’s always been important to me to have a very light, bright, airy living space – especially the bedroom. To me, nothing feels worse than waking up on a Saturday morning at gone mid-day. So when we moved, I wanted to be sure to keep everything as light and fresh as possible.

We started off with the bed (IKEA) already from our old flat. I had picked this frame due to our past bedroom being slightly damp (just one of the many joys of renting) and I wanted to make sure there was always space for air to flow around the bed, as those box-base beds can be (as well as an eyesore) a nightmare for letting mould grow behind them. However, I do think having a metal framed bed adds to the feeling of airiness – no blocky headboards here - and we needed the illusion of space as much as possible, even if it was just between the bars of the headboard!

Luckily for us the walls were already white (though I’m tempted to try and convince my landlord to let me paint it some kind of chalky pink or blue) so we started off with a pretty good base for something light and airy. I can sometimes fall into the trap of playing it safe and sticking to “white” for literally everything, so I made sure to take a stand with the curtains and pick up this one from H&M. I was sorely tempted by the pink, but I was wary of becoming a little too obsessed with pink velvet, so I went for the soft green velvet instead.  

 

This is the first time we have had room for anything else other than a bed in our bedroom. Our last place came with an in-built wardrobe, so we also needed to find somewhere to keep our clothes! We are always on a budget – being 20-something in/around London is not cheap – so for most things I turned to IKEA. I dug the white IKEA clothes rail out of my parents attic after it came all the way to Uni and back with me. Much like the bed, I didn’t like the idea of a big, blocky piece of furniture looming over such a small room and casting shadows, so this tidy little rail was the perfect solution.

I also picked up the much Pinterest-DIY-ed IKEA TARVA unit, and did – you guessed it – a Pinterest DIY on it. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, but new ideas for them crop up so regularly that I’m half tempted to paint it all over again. I think finding something that tucked neatly into this corner made the room feel brighter and roomier, and in all honesty, we needed something affordable and we needed it now, and this unit fit the bill.

The mirrors I added to our (colossal) Ikea order in a haze of excitement – we’d never been able to hang anything more than a picture hook in our previous rental and I was just so excited to be able to have a big beautiful circular mirror. I probably misjudged the size of the IKORNNES standing mirror in relation to this room, but overall I think it ended up looking really cute. The two huge mirrors reflect a lot of extra light into this room, and I it’s such a treat to have a full length mirror.

Minimal, Scandi Style bedroom | click for links! | anniedornansmith.blog

To make it feel roomier and calmer, I did my best to reduce clutter. I will always have plants here, there, and everywhere, but by tidying away unseasonal clothing like scarves into pretty baskets and spare bags/backpacks into storage boxes under the bed, it creates a more spacious feel.

Finally – bedding. I am very much a Cushion Person TM. I want a bed that looks like a big, hotel-style fluffy marshmallow. In the past I have always had a huge pile of cushions on my bed, but in recent years I’ve switched to have more pillows, less cushions. I think the large square cushions (purely decorative you understand) adds a nice bit of contrast in size and shape than the chaotic pile of cushions. I always, always opt for light coloured bedding, and usually stick to plain, pattern free fabrics (though I couldn’t resist a gold star pattern!) cause they are the easiest to clean, and again ensure it isn’t too busy/cluttered feeling. I’d really like to get my hands on a few different options for the large 65x65cm pillows so I can switch them out (yes, I’m that kind of person).

And that’s it! It’s feeling very bright and airy in here, and honestly, I love waking up in this bedroom. I’ll put together a complete list of all the sources for everything below to answer any burning questions. I do hope you liked this post and it inspired you to give your bedroom the “light, bright” treatment. 

Chest of Drawers - IKEA, Lamp - Similar Here, Copper Face Mirror - George, Bed frame - IKEA, Circular Mirror - IKEA, Festoon Lights - Similar here, Greige Jersey Sheets - Muji, Star print pillowcases - La Redoute (Similar here), Hanging planters  - handmade, Pink velvet cushions - old season M&S Home, Peach Print - My Shop, Brass Frame - best4frames,  full-length mirror - IKEA,  small coffee table - Similar here, Clothes rail - IKEA, Grey Wool Basket - Similar Here, Faux Fur Throw - Similar Here, Standing Planter - Ferm Living, Wicker Basket - H&M Home, Pompom storage box - DIY'ed Paperchase, Brass Jewellery stand - H&M Home (sold out in brass). 

 

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How to Style a Light, Bright Bedroom - Annie Dornan Smith | anniedornansmith.co.uk

How to Style a Light, Bright Bedroom (on a budget) - Annie Dornan Smith | anniedornansmith.co.uk