Guest Contributor: Lee K. Crowder | Design Gallery and Model Home Branding Manager, Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes.
Your master bedroom is the place you go to curl up with a good book, get a restful night’s sleep, and wake up in the morning refreshed and ready to start your day. So it’s important to transform this space into an inviting, relaxing, and functional retreat. But if you’re not an interior designer, it can be tough to know where to start or how to pull it all together to create the room you’ve envisioned. Here are 8 tips to help you design a master suite that’s beautiful, comfortable, and affordable from our resident design expert, Lee Crowder.
Tip #1: Make a Design Plan Before You Start
Before paint colors are chosen or décor is purchased, it’s important to first take stock of what you want to achieve in your master bedroom. Are you looking to have a more relaxing location in your home or do you need to organize your bedroom to maximize storage? Start with your needs, then take stock into how your design can accomplish those needs.
Tip #2: Choose the Perfect Color for Your Master Retreat
When it comes to an owner’s suite, colors are pretty personal. And while every region has colors that fit the ambiance of the area—for instance, the rich tones you may use in a house in Denver will vary widely from the more tropical colors that may be fitting in homes in Naples, Florida—one thing is the same no matter where your new home resides: opt for more neutral colors rather than extremely bright, exuberant shades for a master suite you can relax and unwind in.
If you really love yellow, for instance, instead of painting the walls a bright yellow, try a mellow marigold in its place. Or, if vibrant orange excites you, use that color in the accent decorations while keeping the walls neutral—you’ll still be able to infuse the space with your personality, but you’ll have a calm and restful retreat.
Tip #3: Dress Your Windows Appropriately
Window coverings in the bedroom really need to do double duty: truly keep the light out so as not to disrupt sleep, but also be flexible enough to add light during the day.To accomplish both, blackout drapes, which can be opened or closed depending on the time of day, are a great choice. Roman shades are another good option that can showcase some color and pattern while also regulating the light. As for plantation shutters, while they are a popular and interesting design look, they don’t often let in as much light.
Tip #4: Decide Whether Your Room Will Be a TV-Free Zone
Most sleep experts would probably tell you a TV in your bedroom is a bad idea—but it’s your bedroom, so if watching a little TV before bed or snuggling up on a Saturday morning to catch your favorite show is how you relax, then by all means, install a TV in your room. On the other hand, you may want to refrain from including a TV in your master suite if you have trouble falling asleep. Another option to ensure your bedroom is a sanctuary dedicated to rest is to create a seating area where you can watch TV and then turn it off when you retreat to bed.
Tip #5: Invest in Quality Sheets
If you have to make a choice in where to spend your budget, the items that affect your sleep and comfort and those that touch your skin are the best places to make the spend. Invest in quality sheets—such as cotton or bamboo—with a high thread count, along with good pillows and a cozy duvet filler. Then, you can use more budget-friendly materials for the items that let your personality shine, like a decorative duvet cover or throw pillows.
Tip #6: Make Smart Purchases
Where you choose to shop can make a big difference in the cost of your bedroom design. For bedding, Garnet Hill, Frontgate, and Target are some affordable places with tasteful designs. If your budget has room for a splurge, Serena and Lily combines comfort and beauty in their bedding.
My current sheets are linen sheets from Frontgate, and they are the coziest sheets I have ever had. But my comforter cover is from Target. I get bored easily with patterns and like to change the decorative pillows and accents often…so I like to invest in great sheets and then add some fun with my decorative items.
Lee K. Crowder
Tip #7: Limit Your Accessories
The rise of the KonMari method has many people being more intentional about the items they include in their space. With that in mind, it’s best not to add too many accessories to your bedroom. Because it’s a room with a function, adding a lot of accessories reduces the functionality of the furniture and can create a cluttered feel.
A few accessories that make a bedroom beautiful and functional:
- Lamps that add needed light and personality
- Trays that you can use to hold daily jewelry pieces or for gentlemen to empty their pockets
- A gallery wall that adds accessorizing fun without adding another item on top of a nightstand or dresser
Speaking of nightstands, there are typically two types:
- The one holding the pile of books that you swear you’re going to read, lip balm, multiple chargers, a diffuser, and some nasal spray.
- The magazine-style nightstand perfectly decorated with a minimalist lamp, photo frame, and small potted plant
Do yourself a favor and keep it simple by not incorporating too many accessories that will make surfaces look cluttered.
I would love a beautifully-styled nightstand…but guess what? I am #1.
Lee K. Crowder
Tip #8: Update Your Owner’s Suite Every Few Years
If your suite is starting to feel uncomfortable or not allowing you to feel restful, it’s time to redecorate. Repainting every 4-5 years is just a great way to improve the overall feel of your bedroom, and replacing bedding every couple of years is more of a health factor than a decorating factor. When you think about it, you see your bedroom every day—so make it enjoyable to wake up to every morning! And if it’s time to redecorate, go back to Tip #1: Does a cozy sitting area make you happy? Or a yoga meditation space…or maybe a small table with chairs where you can drink coffee in the morning? Take stock in what you need from your bedroom and go from there.
A Bedroom Designed With You In Mind
Just like you always hear “location, location, location” when it comes to buying a property, great design starts with a great layout. Find your new home with a masterfully-designed, luxurious master suite in our incredible communities across the country. It won’t take long to see the Taylor Morrison difference…or why we’ve been voted America’s Most Trusted Home Builder four years in a row.
With these tips to guide you, as well as all the ways you can add your signature touch, the master bedroom will become more than just a place you lay your head at night—it will truly be a relaxing, private oasis right in the midst of your new home.
Additional Helpful Information
For more design tips on how to make your home as comfortable as it is beautiful, make sure you see the below articles featuring more from the Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes Design Gallery and Model Home Branding Manager, Lee Crowder.
