6 ways to create the bedroom of your dreams

Bedrooms are one of the most special rooms in your home. They are the first thing you open your eyes to in the morning and the last thing you see before you go to sleep, making it a room that deserves extra love and attention. Do you know the difference between a show-stopping bedroom interior design and an average one? Detail. Every single element in your design must synthesise with the rest of the design concept and harmonise to create its own magnificent symphony. 

At Alexander James Interiors, we are experts in creating luxurious bedrooms for our clients that have the ultimate wow factor. We would love to help you elevate your bedroom to new heights; therefore in honour of our 25^th anniversary this year, we’re sharing a few of our design and styling tips to show you how to create the dream bedroom. 

Stunning Headboards and Padded Walls

Headboards make magnificent statement features in your bedroom interior design. We use high headboards in smaller rooms to create the illusion of height and upholstered in light coloured fabrics to open up space. We recommend opting for simple fabrics if you like to change the style of your bedroom frequently; Instead, change other smaller components such as wallpaper and accessories to give your bedroom its makeover. 

Fully padded walls, upholstered in sumptuous fabrics create an extremely luxurious and glamorous look!  This is something our clients love at Alexander James and they are always amazed at the luxurious look and feel it achieves. We design our padded walls bespoke for each of our clients, using varied detailing and panel widths in varied fabrics to create the desired look. Crushed velvet and faux metallic leather is always a popular finish with our clients. We have used geometric style panelling to create a contemporary look, as well as vertical panels for a classic refined aesthetic. 

We then added a silky bed throw, cushions and accessories to harmonise and complete this elegant look. The overall effect is both warm and relaxing, which is just perfect for a bedroom.

The Magic of Mirrors
One of the most important features of bedroom interior design is mirrors. Mirrors are both functional and decorative furniture pieces and can be used to enhance the stunning interior of our bedroom. Mirrors can make a room feel larger by adding an illusion of depth, which you may want to do if you feel your bedroom is on the smaller side. 

Full height mirrors take utmost advantage of the available natural light, creating a lighter and brighter bedroom in your home. Placing mirrors next to or opposite a window increases the amount of natural light cast into a room, harnessing any daylight that is outside. 

At Alexander James, we like using full height mirrored panels either side of the headboard, opposite beautiful large windows.  The strategically placed mirrors catch all the available light that streams through the windows, creating fabulous gleaming reflections.  This is a tip that works every time.

Mirrors can also act as a statement feature in your bedroom, mirrors come in the most beautiful shapes and sizes to add interest to your design, however, it is important that the shape of the mirror is cohesive to the rest of your bedroom scheme. Mirrors can even be grouped together on a wall to create a unique decorative wall piece and can make a plain wall look far more interesting.

Beautiful Bedside Tables
A key feature in your bedroom interior design; bedside tables must, of course, match and be in keeping with the rest of the bedroom interiors. Don’t fall in love with shabby chic bedside tables and cross your fingers hoping that they’ll blend with your otherwise modern, minimalist design – it won’t work. 

Make sure that your bedside tables coordinate with the rest of your bedroom furniture, in both style and colour in order to achieve a balanced scheme.

We often opt for bedside tables with enough storage so that you can declutter the surface. Bedside tables are often a strong focal point in a bedroom’s design and don’t go unnoticed, so it is important that the right ones are selected for your room.  

Stylish Bedside Lighting
There is such a large range of bedside lamp and pendant styles to choose from, so pick the one that will help you achieve the right look for the room. Desk style, anglepoise lamps are extremely versatile, working in a variety of bedroom styles and are easily adjustable.  However, if you prefer a little drama, try pendant lights.  Lights create an atmosphere in a bedroom, so it is important that you select the right lighting for the ambience you want to achieve.

At Alexander James Interiors, our designers are always the first to know about new lighting collections and new styles, so we will always be able to provide you with the very best of lighting design. We love multiple light pendants which hang symmetrically either side of the bed, above each bedside table. They create an elegant look and are very understated, gently highlighting the colours and textures in surrounding fabrics. 

We see bedside lights as pieces of art in the room, so we love interesting lamp bases which add a sophisticated look to the room. We coordinate the colours of bedside lighting with the rest of the scheme, in order to complement the bedroom furniture and selected soft furnishings. 

Alluring Accessories for the Bedside

Dress your bedside table with carefully considered accessories, candles/diffusers and flowers. We recommend arranging accessories into sets of 3, and in varying heights, so as to formulate a triangular grouping. Triangular compositions create a sense of stability, balance and serenity. Achieve this by using a high lamp and 2 accompanying accessories lower in height, such as a photo frame and candle or diffuser. 

Aromatic Candles & Divine Diffusers

Style your bedroom with quality scented candles and diffusers, adding that touch of indulgence to your bedroom interior design. We love fragrances from The White Company, Jo Malone and Culti, and recommend using lavender scents to invoke a glorious sense of relaxation.  Candles and diffusers come in many different shapes and sizes and add a luxurious hotel look to your bedroom design. Always remember, interior design is not just about visual impact but also other sensory influences; our sense of smell has a powerful effect on how we relate to a certain environment, and can also help us have a deeper, more restful night’s sleep. 

Radiant Florals 

The use of flowers in your bedroom interior design can add a pop of colour to what may otherwise be a neutral interior scheme. Florals add texture and allow you to change the style of your room easily. We recommend faux flowers and faux plants which require little maintenance and will always look beautiful within your bedroom design regardless of how much love you give them. 

At Alexander James, we often incorporate floral arrangements in our bedside designs, adding an elegant, feminine touch to the bedroom scheme. We select flowers that complement other colours in the design, ensuring that they coordinate perfectly with any surrounding fabrics in the bed linen and cushions. 

Prints with personality

Style your bedroom with a gallery of prints, above and around the headboard, or on adjacent walls. Groups of 3 small prints are often effective, or a set of 2 larger prints can have a striking impact. 

We recommend placing artwork symmetrically in your bedroom, either placing your pieces of art above each bedside or central to the bed itself. This creates a balanced and calming bedroom interior. 

At Alexander James, we co-ordinate the colour palette and style of the artwork with the rest of the rooms design scheme. Often when designing a room from scratch, we are inspired by a piece of artwork which will then dictate the design of the rest of the room, highlighting the power and importance of artwork in interior design.

In more contemporary bedrooms, we opt for bolder, brighter artwork, often abstract in style and loud in colour. These achieve a clean crisp design for those looking for a more eclectic interior. In more classic, elegant design schemes, we opt for more muted artwork pieces that complement but don’t overpower the rest of the bedroom.

Indulgent Bedding – Cushions, Bedspreads & Throws 

When designing bedrooms at Alexander James Interiors, we always opt for premium quality bedding as it will ensure a heavenly night’s sleep – an essential element in any bedroom design. We recommend The White Company for the luxurious look and quality of their bed linen. We often select neutral, plain bedding and then style your bedroom with accessories such as bedspreads, cushions and throws to add colour accents. If you are looking for more a more distinctive bedding option, Designers Guild offers a wide range of patterned bedding to bring colour and life to the design.

We suggest layering your bedding to add that feeling of luxury; use a bedspread as well as a throw for a beautiful, quality look of comfort and style.  Here at AJI, we love the faux fur throws that are available both from high street shops and high-end designer boutiques. They add a sumptuous feel to any bedroom, achieving that heavenly feel. 

Cushions can really define your design scheme and set the tone of your bedroom interior. A combination of plain and patterned cushions in varying sizes add depth and an air of indulgence to the bed area. If you want to give your bedroom a quick and easy revamp, changing the selection of cushions on your bed can do just that. If the rest of the room features a neutral pallet, this will allow you to incorporate a totally new colour scheme or style to your bedroom with ease. Cushions have a far bigger impact on an overall room design than you may think.

Wallpaper with ‘Wow’

You can instantly transform the whole look of your bedroom by introducing wallpapers into your bedroom design. You can cover each wall of the room for a contemporary look, or you can use wallpaper on one wall for a feature wall effect. When doing this we recommend placing wallpaper behind the bed, which is the key focal point of the room. Bold colours or textures can have a powerful impact and revitalise your bedroom interior design, plus they don’t require huge investment and can be very simple to change.

In bedrooms, we recommend delicate damasks and gentle floral patterns in muted, pastel tones for a romantic feel. These intricate details add depth and distinction to a room design, and can even make bedrooms look larger in size. If you are looking for a more contemporary style bedroom, we would recommend abstract style wallpaper designs, incorporating smooth lines for a clean finish.