We all want somewhere to relax and fall asleep at the end of the day. So, having a luxury bedroom is often top of our home wish list. But that can sometimes seem out of reach when budgets are tight. So, you might be wondering whether there’s a way to get a luxury bedroom for less. Thankfully, the answer’s yes. Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing.
GET THE BUILT-IN WARDROBE LOOK
Super sleek and unbelievably useful, built-in wardrobes are much sought after. But they’re certainly not cheap. However, built-in wardrobes are a great way to keep a bedroom looking neat and sophisticated, with all of your clothes and accessories organised and out of sight.
The good news is that you can construct your own version of a built-in wardrobe using flatpack furniture. Affordable units from places such as Ikea and Argos can be modified to fit your space. And with a bit of clever boxing in, they’ll look as though they’re built in. You may need to bolt several flatpack units together to line your entire wall or fill up an alcove.
To give your wardrobes a built-in look, use skirting along the base so it joins seamlessly with the skirting along your walls. Then, fill any gaps at the top with wooden batons, decorative mouldings or MDF. You can upscale their look by using an on-trend, muted paint colour and new handles. If you want a completely seamless look, paint the wardrobes in the same colour as your walls.
If your skills aren’t quite up to the task, you can hire a carpenter or handyman to do the job for you. This will add to the cost, but it will still be more cost-effective than getting a company to custom-build your wardrobes from scratch. The cost of furniture assembly does vary, depending on who you get to do it. But a handyman is likely to cost around £150 a day.
GIVE YOUR BED A BIT MORE STYLE
The bed is no doubt the focal point of your bedroom. So, it’s important that it looks good, right? It needs to look and feel luxurious. Thankfully, there are several affordable ways to do this.
The first is to make an attractive headboard. You can do this by cutting a sheet of MDF to the size and shape you want. Then use spray adhesive to attach some headboard padding. This can then be covered with your choice of fabric. Staple it in place on the side that you’re attaching to the wall, and it’s ready to hang.
If you want to keep it simple, you could paint the wall above the bed to give the impression of a headboard or wall-mount a decorative screening panel instead.
How you dress your bed has a big impact on the way it looks. A carefully made bed oozes style and looks more high-end. Layering it up with different fabrics and a mix of plain covers and patterned ones creates a more sumptuous look. Peel back the top of the covers and pile up the pillows to add more depth and luxury.
BRING YOUR WINDOW INTO FOCUS
Another big feature of your bedroom is the window, or if you’re lucky, windows. So, this is another area to focus your efforts on. The better dressed your windows are, the more luxurious the room feels.
Again, you can layer them up with coordinating or contrasting sheers and curtains. You can also make them look bigger by hanging long curtains that trail to the floor. Alternatively, you might fancy investing in some shutters. But if that’s out of your budget, put up a Venetian blind instead. Choose one with wide slats and tape to cover the cord. This mimics the shuttered look for a fraction of the cost.
If you’re stuck with ugly-looking uPVC windows, don’t despair. These can have a luxury makeover too. Firstly, give both the frame and the glass a good clean. Then have a look at the handles. Most can be unscrewed and replaced with much more stylish handles. Just check which type of handle you have, such as espagnolette, and replace it with the same type. There’s a variety of handles you can get for uPVC windows. They come in colours like antique brass and polished copper and range from plain handles to ones with decorative and period designs.
