7 Bedroom Design Mistakes to Avoid

By Lorena Roberts on May 30, 2018

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

Designing a bedroom isn’t easy – especially when you’re on a limited budget. Sure, it would be nice to have all the fanciest things, but usually, college students end up “doing it themselves,” which is how D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) websites, blogs, and Pinterest boards became popular. Sometimes bedrooms even get put on the back-burner because we’re so tied up sprucing up our kitchens and guest bathrooms and living spaces. Bedrooms aren’t typically the first thing we show off to our guests, because where we’ll be entertaining them is much more important to us. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put a lot of thought into the design of your bedroom.

There are definitely some key things you should have in your bedroom – a bed, dresser, nightstand, and lamp. But more than that, your personal touches are what will make your bedroom your sanctuary. If you’re spearheading a bedroom design project, here are some design mistakes you must avoid: 

1. Dim/Limited Lighting

It’s very important that you have multiple ways to light your bedroom. During the day, you’ll want overhead lighting. But at night, it’s best to have soft lamps to help your body transition to nighttime. One of the worst design mistakes you can make is to only have one lighting option in your bedroom. Consider a bedside lamp on your nightstand, or a floor lamp by your desk. You’ll love having multiple ways to light up the room depending on the time of day and the activity you’re getting into.

via Pexels.com

2. Cord control

Chances are, you charge all of your electronics in your bedroom (at least while you’re sleeping). So if you don’t design your bedroom to have total cord control, you’re in for a messy design from the get-go. Make sure you have a place for all of your cords, including enough outlets in all the right places. Putting your desk on a wall without outlets will mean you don’t have a place to charge a laptop or phone.

(Cord clips might be a good option if you need to make your cords look more organized.)

3. Abide by the principles of feng shui

This is especially important when it comes to choosing the best placement for your bed. According to feng shui principles, your bed should be positioned so you can see where people enter the room, without being directly across from it. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure you don’t place your bed in a corner — there should be room on either side of the bed (a perfect place for bedside tables!).

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure there isn’t anything placed above your bed (like paintings or photos) that don’t encourage positive dreams and positive energy. The whole idea of feng shui is that the energy of life is easily flowable from one aspect of your life to another. Since you spend a considerable amount of time in bed, it should be a place where you feel calm and collected. Your utmost comfort should come from the bed in your bedroom.

via Pexels.com

4. Oversized furniture

Using furniture that’s too big for your bedroom will make it feel cramped. You’ll be completely unable to relax. Oversized furniture makes the room seem much smaller than it is, and on the off-chance that you have a guest in your bedroom, they won’t feel comfortable or welcome.

Before you purchase bedroom furniture, make sure you have accurate measurements. Envision what the room will look like when you’re finished. If you’re thinking the furniture is borderline large, it’s probably too big.

5. Not enough storage options

We all have stuff. We live in a world where we collect stuff. We’re materialistic, and we aren’t afraid to admit it. So when it comes to designing your bedroom, regardless of your stage in life, it’s important that you have several options for storage. Consider tubs under the bed, organizing the top of your closets, and using decorative things to camouflage the fact that you own way too many knick-knacks.

6. Exercise equipment/TV

Keeping exercise equipment and a television in your bedroom is not only against the principles of feng shui, but also creates multiple uses for your bedroom. No longer will you use it to relax in, but instead, you’ll end up working out and lounging around in the same place. Your bedroom should be your sanctuary for sleeping and relaxing. Stay away from overloading your sanctuary with other activities. It should be the one place you can go to really collect yourself.

7. Style > comfort

What’s considered “in style” might not always be the most comfortable (kind of like high-heeled shoes!). So when it comes to designing your bedroom, opt for what’s comfortable for you instead of the latest trend. This is also your best option when it comes to sticking to a budget. What’s in style now, probably won’t be in style in six months. Save your dollars.

Designing a bedroom isn’t easy. In fact, it’s a pretty big chore. Make sure you have a game plan when you start this adventure. Otherwise, you’ll end up committing all kinds of bedroom design crimes.

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