Tag Archives: interior design

Turn Your Master Bedroom Into a Sanctuary

Since we spend about a third of our lives sleeping, we should place high importance on the look and feel of the master bedroom. Follow these tips to transform one of the most important rooms of your home into a relaxing sanctuary.

What to Bring In

  • Neutral Colors — Light, neutral hues like creams, taupes, grays and blues provide a tranquil atmosphere. Use soft, coordinating colors for your bedding and walls.
  • Soft Lighting — Overhead lighting can sometimes be harsh or too concentrated. Create a soothing mood with soft, balanced lighting throughout the room. Add lamps to brighten dark corners and illuminate each side of the bed.
  • Window Treatments — A sense of privacy is essential to any sanctuary. Window treatments offer coverage from the outside world and can be a beautiful design element. If outside lighting disrupts your sleep, consider blackout curtains.

What to Take Out

  • Outdated Bedding — A relaxing bedroom begins with a comfortable bed. Most experts recommend replacing your mattress every eight years. Pillows should be replaced every two to three years or every six months if you have asthma or allergies.
  • Excess Furniture — Get back to basics by paring down your bedroom to just the essentials. Most people require little more than a bed frame, a couple of matching nightstands and a dresser or chest of drawers. Anything more can quickly become clutter.
  • Unnecessary Electronics — From more sleep to better family relationships, there are numerous benefits of having a technology-free bedroom. Reserve your master bedroom for rest and relaxation, and keep electronics out.

Make over your master bedroom into a serene space you look forward to at the end of a long day. These tips can help you get started.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: “Europa-House-2-Bed-Master-bedroom-10” by Living Rooms London © 2013 (CC BY 2.0)

Design Tips for Displaying a Prized Collection

Are you a collector? Whether you have a passion for art, photographs, action figures or something else entirely, here are some options for displaying your memorabilia.

Mount It on a Wall
Family photos and art pieces are commonplace, even among those who don’t consider themselves collectors. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of creative ways to display wall art.

The trick is to focus on the frames. For instance, one method is to use frames of the same color but of varying sizes and designs. This creates visual interest and unites the collection. Figurines and other small items with depth can be housed similarly using shadowboxes or a divided case.

Hang artwork at eye level for optimal visual appeal. For museum-quality results, keep the center point of your display or collection between 57 and 63 inches from the floor.

Record Collection

Photo Credit: “Awesome Record Collection” by Phil Dolby © 2015 (CC BY 2.0)

Showcase It on Shelves
Curio cabinets and other types of shelving work well for arranging collections and giving individual pieces a chance to stand out. Whether you’re into vintage dishes or figurines, consider grouping your collection according to color or pattern.

If you have glass or crystal items, sunny windows are ideal spots for your display. And avoid overloading shelves; open space can help make a visual impact.

Arrange It on Furniture
When it comes to displaying eclectic items or combining collections, look to the top of your favorite furniture pieces. On the surface of a credenza or console table, mix tall and short items as well as various shapes and textures along a horizontal line, similar to a cityscape.

How do you like to display your favorite collection items? Let us know in the comments!

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Featured Image Photo Credit: “Vintage Fossil Watch Cases” by Tom Mascardo © 2009 (CC BY-ND 2.0)