Giving bedrooms an identity

Decor

Designing homes is a very interesting task. While some decide to go with a singular theme across their entire home, others decide to characterise every nook. One of the rooms that get the maximum attention in such cases is the bedroom.

Themes for the bedroom can run into plenty. If you want something cozy, you can give it a Tudor look with wooden furniture, lace curtains and heavy quilts.

Should you want something light, airy and bright, you could think of think of having a beach theme. Here are the principles on how you can work on a beach theme. Each of them can be applied to the theme you have selected.  

Designing a beach themed bedroom is not only about throwing in a few pictures of the sea shore. Every person’s interpretation of the sea is different. For some, its all about the water, for others its about marine life, for others its sunsets and sunrises… take stock of your room and decide what your interpretation of the sea is.

Do you want to introduce a Hawaiian look with billowing palms and wreaths of flowers? Or would you prefer the more tropical look of sun, sand and sea. Would you like to wake up to the sight of the seaside, with flowing sand, seashells and sandcastles?

Once you figure all this out, you would have pretty much reached the idea of what your bedroom will look like. This aspect is very important as it will ensure that you do not invest in too many unnecessary accessories.

Always work outside in –  this means begin with your bedroom walls and work inwards. Once you have elements of your theme thought of, settle on a colour palette and make sure that you stick to those colours for the entire room.

Again this does not mean that you dedicate an entire wall to the colour blue. Mix and match colours such as yellow, blue, red, orange and green. These are all the shades that you will see on a beach.  

For a romantic look

For a more romantic look, you could also think of replicating the interiors of a beach facing honeymoon suite that you may have been in or have seen in a magazine. This will involve more neutral shades of pink or beige or both. This set of colours is also very soothing to the tired body and you can actually relax in your bedroom.

Don’t stick with staid painting but rather use a variety of textures on your wall to make them really stand out.  With this done, the next aspect that will need your attention is the windows. For one, keep them as clutter-free as possible.

A beach theme can be heightened by tying up the curtains during the day with hemp cords or those that have shells around them. At night, let the sheer curtains down and watch them as they gently blow in the air. This will give you a sense of expansiveness.  

Next, you will have to work on the furniture in your bedroom. Beach themes require minimalism - that means sticking to bare necessaries. A Tudor bedroom would mean bulkier furniture.  Modernistic bedrooms would work more with metal based furniture. For your beach bedroom, get in some wicker furniture. 

Light wood options

Or else you could opt for light wood options. If you can get tableside lamp accessories in driftwood, that would help heighten the effect. Bring in furniture that is primarily of wood finish such as wicker seats or driftwood based lighting accessories.

Bamboo footstools and night tables are a good idea too. If you have place for some seating arrangements, a lazy chair in bamboo would be nice.  And then, accessorising your bedroom is the final step.

Choose everything that is related to the theme, in this case, the beach.  Look for seaside paintings, make-up and dressing table accessories with shells. If you have place for a small water body, introduce one of those electronic water elements.

If you have a really big bedroom, think of using a surf board as a prop in the room. Small bonsai plants or mini palm fronds work well with this theme. And finally, don’t think that every accessory for your theme has to be bought at one go.

Take your time and work your way around. You will be surprised at how much stuff you will find at a variety of stores and during each shopping spree.