HGTV's Emily Henderson Shares Her Must-Know Secrets For Styling Your Bedroom

Styling a home can be a long and tedious task for anyone. However, styling a bedroom can be a bit more complicated. There are so many furniture pieces such as beds and nightstands to include as well as small pieces like art and decor. In addition, all of these pieces must interact well with each other, or else they won't work.

As Crafts on Fire points out, you can't decorate every bedroom within the home the same as it will look plain and boring. Each one must be unique and have its own personal feel. Yet, they can't be too different, or else they'll look like they don't belong in the house. So, how exactly can one achieve that happy medium?

Fortunately, there are many design experts that can help you along the way. From decorating nightstands to setting the lighting, HGTV's Emily Henderson shares her must-know secrets for styling the bedroom.

Of course, you must start with the centerpiece of the room: the bed. As per Style by Emily Henderson, it's best to keep a neutral palette when decorating a bedroom. Since the bed is the main furniture piece, it's almost crucial to keep it in a neutral setting so things don't get out of control. However, plain bedding isn't going to get you anywhere. In order to spice things up a bit, Henderson suggests adding some patterns and textures. For example, if your comforter is a solid color, add a throw blanket or pillow that contains a design or unique feel.

It's also imperative to mix these designs with sizes as well. You don't want your large items such as pillows or comforters to be one design and then have small items like a throw blanket as another. This will look tacky and unnatural. However, blending them together will create visual tension and allow all the items to fit in naturally with one another. An array of pillow sizes can also be beneficial as this allows for some extra variety on your bedding. Just remember to include different patterns here as well.

Aside from the bed, the next furniture item of importance is the nightstand. According to Style by Emily Henderson, the nightstand within your bedroom should have a different visual effect than the bed itself. For example, if you have more of a large and chunky bed frame, then your nightstand needs to be toned down and simpler. In opposition, if your bed frame is thin and delicate, go for a heavier bedside table. It's also a good idea to consider the materials from which each of these furniture pieces is made. It's recommended to choose two different types that blend well together to give the room more variety.

Once deciding on the perfect nightstand, it's time to decorate it. The items and decor that you'll be placing on your bedside table need to vary in scale and size. This is so your eyes aren't wandering around to find a specific item as you'll be able to find them more easily. Mix up the shapes of these items as well. For example, lamps are more commonly round and can be paired with a square picture frame. This allows for a more electric and versatile look. Lastly, keep your nightstand in a simple state. Don't go overboard with patterns as these can be saved for the bedding and art pieces. Instead, keep it toned down and use it primarily for its functionality.

One of the most important aspects of any room is the lighting. As Hampshire Light points out, not only does lighting serve an aesthetic purpose, but it can also affect your overall health. Good lighting can help to improve your daily mood, decrease depression, balance out your body's circadian rhythm, and even contribute to a good night's rest. In addition, if the lighting within your room doesn't fit well with the rest of the furniture and decor, it can become unpleasant to look at. This is why setting the perfect lighting is another important aspect of styling your bedroom.

According to Style by Emily Henderson, your two main options when it comes to lighting are symmetrical or mixed design. Symmetrical pieces, such as two matching lamps on each side of the bed are basically mirrors of each other. Therefore, when choosing this option, it's best to keep these simple and small. On the other hand, mixed design items allow you to have some fun and play around with pieces. A bedside table and a floor lamp are the perfect combo to create this aesthetic. It allows for more variety within the room without completely taking over. However, these items need to feature something similar to one another, such as matching lampshades. This will allow them to blend together instead of looking dissonant.

Finally, the finishing touches of your room should include art pieces. As Philosophy Now points out, art decor is a personal aspect that represents who we are. It's a way to express our thoughts, feelings, opinions, and the things we love. There are many forms of art that can be displayed to show these attributes, such as canvas paintings, collage pieces, and photography. Style by Emily Henderson says the best type of art combos are when a few of these different types of mediums are displayed together. Just remember to keep the format in which you display them mixed up as well. Consider hanging pieces in multiple ways such as horizontally or vertically. You can even opt to hang a piece on a wall by itself.

However, if you are hanging up multiple art pieces, make sure they're in a variety of sizes. Much like decorating the bedside table, your eyes may wander around trying to find a specific piece to land on. The different sizes allow not only variety but creativity into the room. For framed art pieces, you can also switch up the frames they're displayed in. Changing a gold thin frame for a thick silver one may be all you need to enhance the room's appearance. When doing so, keep the other colors and themes you've previously decided on in mind. You don't want to mix an array of colors with bold pieces as it won't look as cohesive.