Creating the Perfect Master Bedroom

Recently I moved into a new house, so the master bedroom was the first room I took on. This is a very important room to get right, as we spend most of our time here! Here is my best advice:

First things first: the bed is the most important piece of furniture in the room! If you can, spend the money to find a bed that is beautiful and timeless. Unfortunately, older bed frames you will find at flea markets and estate sales are full size. I think most would agree this isn't comfortable for two people to sleep in! There are some places that specialize in converting these beautiful old beds into queen or even king size beds, but they are hard to find. Kansas City used to have one-Cheep Antiques in North Kansas City. Sadly they are no longer in business. If anyone knows of another place, let me know!

Another option is to create a headboard yourself. A big trend right now is to only have a head board-no rails or foot board needed! I did this in my guest bedroom. I purchased a piece of particle board from the local hardware store and had it cut to the size of a queen size bed. I put a 2 inch foam pad on one side, and then wrapped it in batting to make it super cushy. Lastly, using my trusty staple gun, I wrapped the headboard in some fun fabric. This is a great option for those of us who like to change things up often. I think I used 2 yards of fabric, so it could be pretty cheap to change it up if I want.

Now for bed placement. A huge pet peeve of mine: Unless you are in college, you should not have your bed against the wall! It just doesn't do anything for the space. Even if your room is small, pull it out! Find a small side table, add a lamp or a vase and a book or frame. Believe me, it will make the room instantly more inviting. Both sides of the bed should have a small table, chest, or even a stool. Have some fun here! You don't have to spend a ton of cash-find re-designed pieces, or try re-designing yourself! Stay away from being too matchy-matchy. Pick things that are functional, and a few things that are meaningful. All the furniture in my bedroom (except the bed) came from flea markets and garage sales. Add new hardware, new paint or new stain for a completely unique piece.

Here is my list of must haves for the Master:
1. Intriguing, dramatic bed-remember, you can do this cheap with a little elbow grease.
2. Cozy bed linens. Don't mess around when buying sheets! Check out places like Overstock.com for high quality at a discount. My favorite is 500+ thread count cotton sateen.
3. If you have wood floors, a plush rug. Nobody wants to crawl out of bed and have cold feet. What a drag!
4. Bed side tables or chests of drawers. Remember, they don't have to match!
5. Lamp Lighting-even if you have overhead light, lamp light is so much more romantic, and great for reading, one for each bedside.
6. A chair or ottoman for taking off shoes. This doesn't have to be big. A bench at the end of the bed would work to.
7. Accessorize! Books, frames and vases for the bedside. And don't forget the walls! I am in LOVE with star burst mirrors right now. I found an amazing one at Hobby Lobby of all places for under 100 bucks.

Designing my master was a ton of fun! I still have some things I want to do, but here is a little sneak peek to what I have done so far!