Dressing the Iron Bed

The designer iron beds are works of art that serve as the focal point of the bedroom. The way the iron bed is dressed will be a main factor in the appearance of the bedroom. The color scheme of the room will be a factor in selecting bedding for the room. What atmosphere do you want to create in the bedroom? Do you want the bedroom to be elegant, warm, intimate, and restful? A restful bedroom that shelters you from the worries of everyday life will emphasize an atmosphere of calm and peace. For example, a classic style creates a look of times gone by when life was less hurried. This atmosphere will be one of serene elegance. The color scheme will influence the atmosphere of the room since color affects our mood.

Warm colors used in a room can make it seem cozy and intimate, whereas cool colors may be more soothing and restful. Because people react differently to different colors, the choice of a color scheme is a personal one that should reflect the preferences of the occupant. The bedding can give you an opportunity to experiment with colors, patterns and textures to help create the atmosphere you choose and the bedding can be changed as your interior style changes. Sheets, pillows, bedspreads, and dust ruffles should coordinate with you color scheme and style to help to set the mood of the bedroom. With canopy beds, canopies can be added to increase drama and interest. Floral patterns can easily mix with solids and stripes to create interesting effects. Decorative pillows and shams can be added to mix color and texture. To visit home decorating websites that specialize in bedding, visit our Bedding Resources.

Design Your Walls and Ceilings
The bedroom is probably the only room in the house where you might actually spend some time looking at the ceiling. Consider adding a mural or decorative ceiling medallion to add interest to the ceiling. To browse through web sites that offer options for adding interest to your ceiling visit our Home Decorating Resources Page and search on ‘ceiling’.

The walls usually provide the background for your room design although they can be a made into a focal point of the room as well. Walls provide the largest surface area of the bedroom and they can be painted, papered, tiled, paneled, or covered with tapestries depending on your personal preferences.
For example, with a traditional wall design the wall is broken into 3 areas and each area is decorated differently: The lower part of the wall is paneled, a mid height chair rail is painted, and then the top of the wall is papered. A more contemporary wall design would be to paint or paper the entire wall area with a single muted color or design so that the wall serves as a backdrop for the other bedroom furnishings such as the iron bed which serves as the focal point of the room. Simple painting is the easiest, quickest, and most economical way to set the atmosphere of the bedroom. Interest can be added to a painted wall by using special effects to create textures such as sponging, ragging, and combing. Patterns can be added to a painted wall by using stenciling or stamping. Wall papering is an efficient method of applying a regular pattern to a wall. There are an almost unlimited number of styles, colors, patterns, and textures of wallpaper to aid you in creating the atmosphere of your bedroom. When selecting wallpaper, consider size of the room and proportion the pattern on the paper to the size of the room you’re decorating. A tiny pattern should be used in a small bedroom and a larger pattern can make a large bedroom look better proportioned. Before purchasing the wallpaper, try out a sample and tape it to the wall of your bedroom to see how it looks in the room. The paints and wallpaper should be coordinated with the other colors and fabrics in the room to reflect the character you are creating in the room. Other options besides painting and wallpapering include mirrors, paneling, tapestries, and murals. Mirrors can make a small room look larger. Paneling can be used to add a look of richness or a rustic look to the room. The wall can become a focal point of the room by adding a tile mural or tapestry to the wall. Marble can be added to walls and floors to create a formal setting in the bedroom. To get ideas for decorating your bedroom walls, consider visiting home decorating websites that specialize in wall coverings including wallpapering, wall murals, wall accents, painting, wall tiles, architectural wall finishes, and more. To view these sites, visit our Home Decorating Resources Page and search on ‘wall’.