23 Decorating Tricks for Your Bedroom

Pile on the pillows, and don’t shy away from mixing patterns. Combine large prints with small ones, florals with geometrics.

Hanging a graphic quilt is an easy solution to the “big blank wall” issue. Complementary bed linens pull the decor together.

A printed bedspread, like this distinctive botanical design, does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to décor.

But prints aren’t reserved for the bedcovers. They’re just as arresting when set on a modern-shaped lampshade.

Nightstands and adjustable lamps affixed to walls smartly save space in a small room.

Your bedroom should express your personality (not just design principles), so feel free to go a little off-center, as with the art here.

Note that the color and fanciful curves of the headboard are echoed by the wall decoration.

Top your bed with covers made for snuggling, like a down comforter. For total indulgence, choose ultra-soft eiderdown.

A beautiful piece of furniture becomes the focal point when angled into the room. This approach may be more efficient in your space, too.

Gauge the size of your bedside lamp by the scale of your bed: A four-poster would call for a big fixture; for a low bed, choose something smaller.

A wall lamp eliminates any need to juggle items on the nightstand. Equip it with a multi-watt bulb to fine-tune the light for reading or relaxing.

If you want color without an all-out commitment, inject hits of it with your art and accessories.

A cheery yellow rug is like a burst of sunshine in a low-key room. For most bedrooms a four-by-six-foot rug by the bed is ideal.

At the bold end of the scale, go for saturation with a favorite color. Use a variety of tones and textures to give your room a layered feel.

That idea works just as well with neutrals. Here, soft lighting overhead and a clip-on task lamp add to the sense of warm comfort.

Add character to a plain bed by draping a colorful quilt over its frame by day. At night, pull it on for extra warmth.

Tuck a chair into a corner seat for an instant resting spot. Lush silk draperies turn the room into a cocoon.

Mix in offbeat pieces for an eclectic look, like an old bench in an eye-catching salmon that acts as a nightstand.

You can rethink the purpose of most any type of furniture, such as the bookseller tables here, which double as bed stands and bookshelves.

Don’t be afraid to pair up unlike pieces, as with these bed tables. A short stack of books serves to even up the lamps.

Make your most personal space even more so with artwork of those you love, whether photographs…

…or framed cameos of your little ones.

Your bedroom should be your retreat, a sanctuary for peaceful reading, writing, studying, as much as a resting place. The slim modular desk here doubles as a nightstand.