Our bedroom has been on my decorating list for quite some time. It isn’t terrible or in desperate need of a complete renovation, but there are several things I would like to change to make it feel warmer, cozier and a little more finished.
The biggest future project is the flooring. We have been talking about removing the carpet for a couple of years now—not because it is unbearable or disgusting, but because it is beginning to show its age. It is approximately 14 years old, which is probably a reasonable lifespan for builder-grade carpet, especially in a room that gets as much use as ours does.
Our bedroom does more than provide a place to sleep. It is also where I keep my computer and spend a considerable amount of time working on my blog. Since I am retired and home quite a bit, I walk across this carpet several times throughout the day.
I sometimes wonder whether I should have turned another room into my office, but there really wasn’t an ideal alternative. We have an open-concept rancher-style home, which I love, but that also means there aren’t many rooms where I can tuck a desk away. Our den is already a little cramped with the television, and although there is plenty of room in the basement, the windows and natural light aren’t nearly as good.
The bedroom may feel slightly cramped at times, but it works. Honestly, I would rather have my computer tucked away in here than sitting in one of the main living areas where everyone can see it when we are entertaining or someone stops by for a visit. Our home gets an incredible amount of natural light, and thankfully, that is also true in the bedroom.
The Builder-Grade Carpet Has Done Its Job
Like several of the original finishes in our home, the carpet was a builder-grade choice. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t the most expensive option available, but I also understand why builders make those decisions.
My late husband and I previously built homes, so I know how quickly the cost of every faucet, light fixture, countertop and flooring choice adds up. When a developer is building an entire townhouse complex, the more economical option is often the practical one. I understand it—but it still means that some of those finishes eventually need to be replaced.
I have always preferred hardwood, so that is what we are planning to install in our bedroom and probably the television room as well. I would still add an area rug to the bedroom because it provides softness and warmth underfoot while also helping define the room. Rugs are practical, but they can also completely change how a space looks and feels.
That project will have to wait a little longer. We want to finish our projects at the ranch and enjoy our Greek Islands cruise before turning our attention to new flooring. For now, I’m going to ignore the carpet and concentrate on the parts of the bedroom that I can improve more easily.
The Purchases That Didn’t Quite Work
Earlier this year, I purchased new curtains and a comforter. Unfortunately, neither turned out to be quite right. The curtains were too long, and the comforter was much warmer than I expected.
I have been busy with ranch projects and summer activities, so replacing them was pushed to the back burner. I’ll do some serious shopping soon, but for now, I would rather enjoy the end of summer and everything that comes with it.
I’m certainly not complaining about fall arriving. I love putting on a comfortable lounge set and slippers, making a delicious casserole and being warm inside while the weather turns cold outside. It is such a cozy time of year—and it always makes me notice what I want to change inside our home.
Along with finding the right comforter and curtains, I would like to add a better mirror, rearrange the artwork and replace our bedside lamps. I’m also considering wall sconces, although the location of the electrical outlets may complicate that plan.
The outlet on my side is behind the bed, which forces me to use an extension cord to charge my phone and watch. It works, but it certainly isn’t pretty. One properly positioned outlet on either side of the bed would have made much more sense.
Then there is the dresser. I keep thinking about painting it, but I haven’t committed to that decision yet. Perhaps that will become a future DIY project—and another story entirely.
Keeping the Bed We Still Love
Our bed is one part of the room that doesn’t need changing.
We purchased it approximately ten years ago, and it is still incredibly comfortable. I’ve heard all the recommendations about replacing a mattress after a certain number of years, but ours is still serving us perfectly well. I see no reason to replace something simply because the calendar says it may be time.
The bed has a lovely light grey upholstered headboard that still works beautifully in the room. Apparently, I must have a thing for grey. Not only did I choose grey walls throughout most of our home, but I also bought a grey headboard to sit against them.
Thankfully, I still love the headboard. The walls have been a slightly more complicated relationship, which I wrote about in I Thought Grey Walls Were the Perfect Choice… Until Winter Arrived.
For my next purchase, I’m leaning toward a tan, cream or warm oatmeal-coloured duvet. It would still feel light and neutral, but it would add more warmth and contrast against the grey headboard. I want the bed to feel soft and layered without adding so many decorative pillows that making it every morning becomes its own event.
The goal isn’t to replace everything. It is to work with the pieces I still love and slowly warm up the room around them.
When the Nightstands No Longer Feel Quite Right
Our bedside tables are wood with metal legs. We purchased them before buying the current bed, and although there is nothing technically wrong with them, they now feel a little too short beside it.
This is one of those details that I didn’t think much about at the time. A nightstand can look perfectly fine on its own, but its height and scale need to work with the bed beside it. Once we added the taller upholstered headboard and mattress, the proportions changed.
I haven’t decided whether we will replace the tables, alter them somehow or continue working with them for a while longer. Taller lamps may help balance their height, although I’m also considering wall sconces.
The awkwardly positioned outlet on my side of the bed complicates things. It sits behind the bed instead of beside it, so I currently use an extension cord to charge my phone and watch.
Practical?
Yes.
Pretty?
Not even slightly.
Rechargeable lamps or cordless sconces could solve part of the problem without requiring electrical work. Before buying anything, though, I want to measure properly and make sure the new lighting is large enough for the bed and headboard. I’ve already learned that lesson with furniture.
Should I Paint the Dresser?
The dresser is still a good, solid piece of furniture. The only issue is the colour. Its darker finish feels a little heavy now that my style has moved toward warmer, lighter neutrals.
I’ve been thinking about using a paint or glaze technique similar to the one I used on our dining table. That table was also dark and no longer suited the direction I wanted for our home, but it was far too good to replace. Refinishing it gave it an entirely different look—and even had Jason’s daughter asking whether we had purchased a new table.
You can read that story by clicking the link above if you want.
The dresser might be another piece worth saving rather than replacing. Lightening it could soften that side of the bedroom and help it coordinate better with a tan or cream duvet.
I’m not completely committed yet. Sometimes I need to think about a project for an unnecessarily long time before actually doing it.
Perhaps that is procrastination.
Or perhaps it is careful design planning.
I’m going with the second one.
If I do decide to paint it, the project could become a future DIY article—with all the successes, mistakes and moments of wondering why I started included.
The Chair That Found the Right Room
The bedroom also has an armless cream upholstered chair that was originally intended for our living room. Unfortunately, it looked too low once I placed it beside the other furniture.
It wasn’t a bad chair. It was simply the wrong chair for that particular spot.
Thankfully, it fits beautifully in the bedroom beside the dresser. The colour works with the headboard and bedding, and it gives me somewhere to sit when I need it.
Of course, if I’m being honest, it is usually used for something else entirely.
It is the chair where clothes land when I’m too lazy to hang them up or put them in the dresser sitting directly beside it. Surely I’m not the only person with a bedroom chair that has quietly accepted this role.
I occasionally clear it off and admire how pretty it looks.
Then another sweater appears.
Shopping My Home Before Buying New Artwork
Our bedroom artwork is minimal and could use some attention, but I don’t want to rush out and buy several generic prints simply to fill the walls.
My first plan is to shop around my own home. I’ll look at pieces hanging in other rooms and then venture into the basement—the place where everything eventually ends up.
I’m fairly certain one of my uncle’s paintings is down there waiting to make another appearance. With a new frame and fresh glass, it could become the piece that steals the show in the bedroom.
That would mean far more to me than ordering artwork simply because the colours coordinate with the duvet.
I just need to go downstairs, find it and make a decision instead of procrastinating.
As usual, deciding may take longer than the actual project.
A Bedroom Doesn’t Have to Be Finished to Feel Like Home
Our bedroom isn’t finished, and it probably won’t be for quite some time.
Eventually, the carpet will be replaced with hardwood, and I’ll add an area rug for warmth and softness. The dresser may receive a lighter finish, the bedside tables may be replaced, and I still need to find the right curtains, bedding and lighting.
But none of those decisions needs to happen all at once.
For now, the bed is comfortable, the room gets beautiful natural light, my computer has a practical place to live, and the chair is doing an excellent job holding the clothes I haven’t put away.
That sounds like a perfectly functional bedroom to me.
I think it is easy to look around our homes and see everything that still needs changing. I do it all the time. But creating a room we love doesn’t always require starting over. Sometimes it means keeping what still works, moving pieces from another room, bringing meaningful artwork out of storage and making a few thoughtful changes when the time—and budget—feel right.
Our bedroom will continue to evolve. For now, I’m going to start with a lighter duvet, better curtains and possibly new bedside lighting.
And perhaps I’ll finally go into the basement and find my uncle’s painting.
Which change would you make first—and do you also have a bedroom chair that holds more clothes than people?
Shop My Cozy Neutral Bedroom Finds
As I slowly update our bedroom, I’ve been looking for pieces that will add warmth without making the room feel crowded or overly decorated.
I’m concentrating on a lighter cream or tan duvet, properly sized curtains, better bedside lighting and a few practical finishing touches. I’ve gathered some of the pieces I already use, along with similar items I’m considering, in one small Amazon collection.
I’ll continue updating the collection as I make decisions and find pieces that genuinely suit the room. I would rather share a short list of things I would actually consider purchasing than fill it with dozens of products simply because they match the colour palette.
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You Might Also Like to Read
- How to Buy Home Decor Online That Actually Looks Good in Real Life — The lessons I’ve learned from comforters that sleep too hot, furniture that arrives smaller than expected and product photos that don’t tell the entire story.
- Cordless Lighting Ideas That Instantly Elevate Your Home—No Outlet Required — Simple lighting solutions for awkward spaces where the outlets aren’t located where you actually need them.
- Coastal Neutral Decor Ideas That Make Any Room Feel Like a Vacation — Ideas for combining warm neutrals, natural textures and lighter finishes to create a relaxed, collected home.
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