Your private retreat:

Your bedroom is the one room in the house which is yours (and whoever you share it with), so make sure it looks the way you want it to.

What mood do you want to create? Do you want it light and breezy? Calm and serene? Bright colours and bold patterns? Or neutral colours? Do you want it to look like a luxurious 5 star hotel room? Do you want bling?

Most Australian households tend to stick with walls that are some variation of ‘white’ or another very neutral colour. This can be very practical throughout the house, and it’s certainly good if you plan to re-sell sooner rather than later, but your bedroom is also somewhere where you can be more adventurous.

The good reason for this is if you use the same colour you’ve used elsewhere in the house, your bedroom won’t feel like your own private space. But if you really like neutrals – and some of them are lovely – think about using a deeper shade. It’s also important in a bedroom to avoid strong yellows and greens, because you need a colour that looks good with skin tones!

Main bedrooms are generally only used at night so create it so it looks its best at night time. If it’s naturally dark, don’t try to make it light by painting the walls white because you don’t need it to be light.

Suggestions for making the main bedroom the room you want it to be include:

• Install dimmers on the main light(s) whether they’re downlights or a beautiful pendant. Lighting helps create the mood
• Use lamps and candles for even more ‘pools of light’
• A darker colour on your walls works really well. You can soften this by painting the skirting boards, architraves and other woodwork in a white or off white
• To further soften the look, hang curtains in a beautiful fabric. Complement these with gorgeous linen and a doona cover or bedspread that feels fabulous to the touch. Don’t forget scatter cushions to tie it all together
• A rug to wriggle your toes may be unnecessary if your floor is carpeted but you can afford to indulge your senses in your own private retreat
• Metallics and other shiney finishes add a luxe look and feel to the room. Mirrors, candlesticks, jewelery boxes, glass vessels, whatever appeals to you to add a bit of ‘bling’.