The Bedroom - Coastal Living

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Dramatic Pattern

Allow a fabric you love to play a starring role in the room. Select a graphic print with a large repeat and spread it around. Show it off on bedding, a headboard, accent pillows, and seat cushions.

Idea Spotlight
Paint walls, furniture, floors, and accessories the same color as the fabric’s background to help the look hang together.

Jean Allsopp

Bend the Rules

In kid-friendly spaces, there’s no such thing as pattern overload. Combine stripes, polka dots, and prints with chenilles and cottons for a lighthearted look. Pick a two-tone palette, such as green and blue, and use several shades of each hue.

Idea Spotlight
Boost character in a beach bedroom with simple board walls. Mix up the look by placing some boards vertically and some horizontally, as though they were installed on a whim.

gallery wall of black and white framed photographs

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Bold and Beautiful

Let rich color dominate a space. When tempered with doses of white―on trim, upholstery, furniture, and accents―the look is dramatic and fresh.

Idea Spotlight
Accent a wall with a collection of black-and-white photos. Unify photos with frames in a single color, but vary the sizes and shapes. For precise placement, first trace the perimeter of each frame onto craft paper. Tape the templates to the wall and make space adjustments before picking up the hammer.

mosquito nets hang over the bedrooms to protect guests

Brian Vanden Brink

Light and Breezy

Mosquito netting is essential to open-air island bedrooms, but the flowy material has exotic appeal everywhere. Hang netting from a canopy bed frame like curtains or suspend it, hoop-style, from the ceiling.

Idea Spotlight
Find a fresh way to use pattern other than on the bedding. Try it on lamp shades, or frame poster-size pieces of botanical wallpaper.

Sheer white fabrics and scalloped beadspreads in the guest bedroom

Brian Vanden Brink

Sweet As Can Be

Pamper yourself with a romantic room. Choose bed covers with scalloped edges and add ruffled pillows. Skirt a table in tulle.

Idea Spotlight
Every well-stocked guest room should have extra pillows and blankets, books and magazines, bottles of water, and cut flowers. Little touches go a long way to make guests feel welcome.

bright colored cubes at the end of the twin beds store kids' sleepover items

Jean Allsopp

Sleepover Central

Make slumber parties a cinch with a summer camp–style setup―no sleeping bag required. Place storage cubes at the foot of each bed to hold spare towels and blankets. Mount hooks or pegs low on the wall so kids can hang their bags. Give the space a dose of whimsy with polka-dot lamp shades (get the look with stencils).

Idea Spotlight
Canvas cots provide extra sleeping spaces in a pinch and are easy to fold up and store when not needed.

Navy and white patterned bedspread, drapes and more give small space a new sense of depth.

Lisa Romerein

Optical Illusion

If your room is a tight fit, choose a mix of patterns―including stripes, solids, and prints―to give the space depth and make it appear larger than it really is.

Idea Spotlight
Give a small room big presence. Billowing fabric hung overhead softens the lines of ceilings and walls, adding texture and dimension without using paint.

A collection of coral is on display on the wall behind the bed

Colleen Duffley

Off the Wall

Let the way you showcase your collectibles be as creative as the items you display.

Idea Spotlight
Emphasize small details. Accessories often make or break a room, so be sure to choose accent pieces―such as skirted slipcovers, pleated lamp shades, or bamboo-framed mirrors―with an extra something to them.

twin beds suspend in space with ropes in this nautical beach bedroom

Jean Allsopp

Hanging Out

Typically reserved for the porch, hanging beds command attention when installed indoors.

Idea Spotlight
Teak platforms suspended from heavy-gauge rope play up a nautical look and create sleeping quarters your guests will fight over. You’ll need to attach the ropes to sturdy beams or studs, so be sure you have the support before you buy the materials.

kids' beds are conveniently tucked into one side of the attic space

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Added Value

Create a bunk room in an otherwise unusable attic space. Back-to-back beds fit just right in this long, narrow room, while the steeply pitched ceiling makes the space cozy for kids. Get the bunks shipshape with peek-a-boo portholes, and pump up the playfulness with whimsical patterns and tangy hues.

Idea Spotlight
Built-in storage maximizes limited square footage. The under-the-bed drawers are easy for kids to reach and eliminate the need for bulky dressers.

wood-paneled bedroom with accents of kiwi green used (in a blanket at the foot of the bed)

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Color Credo

Natural wood, white, and black all act as neutrals, so don’t be afraid to combine them with a vibrant shade. Let an accent color, such as kiwi green, leave its mark on the space.

Idea Spotlight
Paint the window muntins and sashes for contrast in an all-wood room. Select a color from the room’s palette.

tall lamps at each side of the bed fill in the spacious room

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Don’t Lose Perspective

Extra-tall headboards and oversize table lamps add height and fill in a spacious room. Select bedding and area rugs with large-scale graphic patterns to complete the effect.

Idea Spotlight
To prevent furnishings and accessories from appearing dwarfed beneath a dramatic vaulted ceiling, opt for bigger-than-average pieces.

grass skirts hang as curtains from the canopy bed

Celia Pearson

Tropical Punch

Incorporate travel souvenirs into your decor and you’ll feel like you’re on vacation year-round.

Idea Spotlight
Grass skirts make a festive canopy or bed skirt when trimmed.

a deep blue painted floor off-sets the pale peach and lavendar of the rest of the island-inspired bedroom

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Island Inspiration

Bring home the tropics with an adventurous palette. Pick two colors that are analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) and one that’s complementary (opposite on the wheel). For best results, use the deepest shade on the floor, to ground the space.

Idea Spotlight
Install wall-mounted fixtures with movable arms or eye-catching sconces if you don’t have room for substantial bedside tables. The light aids after-dark reading while leaving space around the bed uncluttered.

Used in this small attic space, white creates a sense of airy feel against the sloped ceiling

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

White Is Always Right

Enlarge a small space by coating every surface in white. The absence of color opens up areas that have limited natural light, making them feel airier.

Idea Spotlight
Add texture with building materials and textiles to keep a pale scheme from falling flat.

15 Beautiful Bedrooms

Dramatic Pattern

Bend the Rules

Bold and Beautiful

Light and Breezy

Sweet As Can Be

Sleepover Central

Optical Illusion

Off the Wall

Hanging Out

Added Value

Color Credo

Don’t Lose Perspective

Tropical Punch

Island Inspiration

White Is Always Right