How to style my spare bedrooms: Tips from an interior designer

October 2022

Bedrooms are a place of relaxation, where we go to at the end of a busy day to try and get some quiet time, and we want to design to reflect that.

Moving into a newbuild home means moving into the ultimate blank canvas to design and decorate, but all too often the enormity of the task makes it difficult to know where to start. Our show homes aim to inspire – but sometimes it is better to get advice straight from the source!

 

Last week we sat down with Lifestyle, the interior designers behind the new five-bedroom show home at our development Beauchamp Park in Warwickshire, for their top tips for styling spare bedrooms – a tricky room to configure as often they need to service as multi-functional spaces.

When it comes to spare bedroom decorating ideas, you want to ensure the space is as comfortable and inviting as possible for your guests, as well as practical and helpful for your family when the house is guest-free.

Gemma Schofield, Managing Director at Lifestyle, talks us through her key pieces of advice and things to consider when designing a bedroom…

Where should you start?

“Use Pinterest! As designers, we absolutely love using Pinterest for inspiration. It’s such a great platform for collating ideas and putting together your own schemes. Start with a mood board to help envision the style you are going for. We would also advise having an initial source of inspiration. This might be your favourite artwork or a piece of furniture that you already own. You can then build your scheme from there, bringing in key colours and expanding the design to incorporate textures and other homewares.”

Are there any colours that work particularly well in bedrooms?

“For bedrooms, we tend to suggest calming colours such as blues and greens. Greens have made a big comeback recently due to their nod to nature and ability to bring the outdoors in, which is what people have craved over the last couple of years. To create the illusion of more space, choose a light colour scheme, or, if your room is north-facing and a little on the chilly side, you may want to use warm paint colours to make the space feel cosier. The aspect of your bedroom should play a key role in determining the colours.”

Any classic mistakes that people often make when designing their bedrooms, that we should avoid?

“Space, space, space! Measure up, and then do it again. Always work to the space you have and consider dimensions and furniture choices with this in mind. The type and size of the furniture you choose should not make the bedroom feel cluttered. Clever storage solutions can also help with this. If space is limited, consider underbed storage, which can be a neat way of storing things that you don’t need so often.

To make a bedroom feel bigger, try painting the ceiling – this bold design choice helps to draw the eyes up, making the space feel larger. Big mirrors and artworks can also help elongate.”

 

What sort of lighting should I use in a bedroom?

“Lighting in bedrooms is important as it helps create a calm relaxing space. A good bedside light helps set the ambience. We love wall lights as the light will bounce off the wall. Go for a warm bulb and maybe even a dimmer.”

 

How can you design a multi-functional space? For example, if I want my bedroom to be an office as well?

“Thinking of the bedroom as two different zones will help when designing a multifunctional space. There should be a focal point for each zone to distinguish it for work and relaxation. You can separate zones with paint colours or area rugs and lighting.”

 

Do you have any top tips for styling a child’s bedroom?

“There are so many possibilities with children’s bedrooms. If your child has a love for animals, for example, there are lots of themed wallpapers out there which you can pair with bed linen and soft toys. If you are looking for something that lasts more than a few years go with a neutral scheme and add character through bed linen and wall art.”

 

Any brands that you love for bedroom furniture or homeware? Where should we be shopping?

“At the top end of the budget, we love Liang & Eimil, but more and more high street brands are offering fantastic ranges of homewares that are really affordable. Dunelm has great collections, as does Cult Furniture and Made.com. Ikea is also great and there are lots of ways to update and personalise through clever hacks!”

 

Can you share anything about the inspiration for the bedroom interiors schemes at the five-bedroom show home at Beauchamp Park?

“The inspiration was a focus on luxury interiors with a family with two teenagers, but that’s all we can say for now! Keep an eye out for the new show home launch, which is coming soon!”