I love to travel for a number of reasons … in particular, staying in hotels. I love the beds!! And how dark the room can get … and how quiet it can be …
Are ya feelin’ me?
You can actually recreate the hotel experience (for the most part … remember, you do have kids at home!) in just a few easy steps. And in most cases, if you shop smart, you can do it for less than you might think.
Step One: Get yourself some heavy drapes. These will keep your room nice and dark and reduce noise from outside the house. But they also have an unexpected benefitâ€â€reducing your energy bill.
Heavy drapes are often two layers … and the heaviest of all are often of the energy conservation variety. You can find these everywhere from Target to Home Depot.
Step Two: Invest in a good mattress topper. This is, by far, the largest expense to your bedroom makeover. Good mattress toppers aren’t cheap … and it’s important not to purchase a cheap one either.
Remember, you’re sleeping on this thing every single night. If it breaks down quickly, you’ll be tossing and turning all night long. Feather beds will give you the feeling of sleeping on a pillow, while a memory foam topper is more structured and conforms to your body.
Step Three: Paint the room a soothing color. We’ve been staring at paint samples on our bedroom walls for nearly a year now … from purples to blue hues, we’re looking for something we can agree on and something that will be soothing at the end of a long day. Cool tones to choose are blues and grays … going for warm? Try oranges and reds.
Step Four: Consider the lighting. After you choose a paint color, then pick some new lighting. This will be the least expensive change you make. Two-way lamps or a dimmer switch on a traditional light are great next to the bed; you can use the brighter light to read with at night but you can use a dim light to wake up in the morning.
Step Five: Covers, covers, covers. Layer on the covers! This serves two purposes … if you keep the room cool at night, you can snuggle in. If the room gets too warm, simply peel back a few layers and snooze comfortably.
So, where to shop for all this stuff? Do it over time … that way it’s less of a sticker shock. Try discount retailers like Home Goods, Target, and even Walmart. Actually, now that I think about it, hit up JcPenney too … with their new pricing structure, you’re likely to find good deals there as well. And if you live near an IKEA? Well, there’s no question that you should be there first.
Need ideas? Check out sites like Pinterest, IKEA Share Space, and HGTV for some inspiration!
photo credit: Beachbrights/IKEA share space
