At the end of a long day, we all need a place to land. Whether it’s to escape from the outside world or into a good book, it’s nice to know that we have our own safe haven waiting for us.
For many people, that refuge can be found in their bedroom. Serving as much more than merely a place for sleep, this room can represent all that we need it to be.
If you would like to decorate your bedroom to create your perfect senior living bedroom retreat, read on. You’ll find lots of tips and suggestions for your very own escape.
Define the space
One of the first steps to take before decorating your bedroom is to decide what you would like the space to be. It can serve more than one purpose but once you know what your primary goal is, you can begin planning for its transformation.
Here are a few possibilities:
- A place for a good night’s sleep
- Perfect getaway for a mid-day reprieve and rest
- A cozy and tranquil reading nook
- Accommodations for your personal belongings
Tips for decorating your bedroom
When it comes time to create your perfect space, start with the primary use of the room you decided upon above and make that your focal point. The following are a few of the typical categories that people will follow.
Consider these options:
1. Choose your colors
Check first with your community guidelines, but if allowed, arrange to have your room painted. Avoid bright bold colors and choose instead soothing shades. Depending on your preferences, blues, lavenders and greens represent calming colors which compliments creating a restful room.
If you want your favorite color and it happens to be bright orange, consider a toned-down version instead. And if you aren’t able to change the colors of your walls, that’s no problem. There are many opportunities to add color in a room that is less permanent.
2. Choose your layout
Remember, safety first. Even though you’re trying to create the perfect sanctuary, having to squeeze by furniture or walk around obstacles to cross the room isn’t safe. Keeping the layout simple is best.
The necessities? A bed, bedside table, dresser and chair. Try not to add anything else. Keep the clutter out of your retreat. If you have a large closet that can house your dresser, that opens up even more floor space.
One decorating tip is to make sure your furniture fits the room it will be in. If you’re moving into your independent living community, request a copy of the floorplan with dimensions. Cut paper to scale to represent your furniture. It’s so much easier on your back to move the paper pieces around to find the perfect fit.
3. Storage areas are your friend
You’ll likely feel calmer and even lighter if you don’t walk into a room full of objects. Anything that you can stow away helps. A good tip to achieve this look is to choose a bedside table with drawers or doors so you can store your books, glasses and lotions.
Look for closet organizers if you’re searching for a better way to see what clothing choices you have or how best to store your shoes. Your goal should be to create a place for everything.
Finding furniture that can serve more than one purpose is a real spacesaver:
A storage bench at the foot of the bed can hide away extra sheets or blankets.
Consider a headboard that includes built-in shelving.
Shallow storage boxes that you won’t need to access daily can be stowed under the bed.
4. Create your reading nook
Your bedroom is a great choice if you don’t live alone to ensure you can have a quiet space by closing the door. Find a corner that is out of the way and place your favorite reading chair there.
Include a beautiful throw for those cool days and nights. If there’s room for a shelf or small side table, you can keep your treasured books there. If there’s room by a window, reading by natural light is easy on the eyes. But if not, make sure you have a table lamp or other adequate lighting for reading.
5. Create the bed of your dreams
This is your chance to outfit your bed to not only help you drift off to slumber but to look forward to bedtime every night. A soft and inviting bed is a welcome sight at the end of the day. Make yours so cozy you’ll find it a little hard to get up every day. But just a little.
One recommendation is for your sheets to be 100% cotton or linen with 350 or higher thread counts. Splurge when it comes to selecting your pillows and comforters. Not only can you choose the right style and material, this is a great place to introduce your favorite colors or patterns.
Ingleside’s Westminster at Lake Ridge Independent Living
Creating a sanctuary bedroom is like coming home to a favorite friend waiting for you at the end of a hard day – or even one that was filled with laughter and friendship.
At Ingleside’s Westminster at Lake Ridge Independent Living, we encourage our residents to customize and personalize their homes and we hope you appreciate these tips for decorating your bedroom to become your favorite room.
If you haven’t considered the easy yet fulfilling life made possible at an independent living community, we invite you to discover the advantages we offer. Our activities, amenities, services and programs are all purposefully designed to help our residents to age well and live an enriched life.
Take a look at what our vibrant community has to offer:
- Your choice of cottage or apartment home
- Open one or two-bedroom floor plans that you can personalize to make your own
- Chef-prepared meals in our elegant dining room or casual café
- Fully equipped fitness center
- Heated indoor swimming pool
- Woodworking shop
- Two fishing ponds
- Indoor greenhouse
- Maintenance-free lifestyle
- Beautiful walking trails through our 62 wooded acres
Please visit our website for more information or call (703) 420-7105 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a personalized tour today.