The changing of the seasons might be a great excuse to spruce up your home. With the holidays behind us and the winter months ahead of us, we may use this time to build a haven where we can feel safe, warm, and comfortable all winter long.

We just moved into a new house, so we haven’t yet set up our bedroom other than to “get our things in!” I’m looking forward to giving this space some more attention in January. Even to daydream a little.

 

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

Even if you don’t have any room makeovers planned for this season, taking some time to relax and imagine is excellent for the soul!

In her upcoming book A Lovely Life, I discuss how to use the winter months as a time to rest and refresh oneself. In the winter, I definitely spend more time in my room. Of course, I enjoy sitting by the fire or warming up in the kitchen, but I especially enjoy retreating to my bedroom early in the winter to snuggle in and get comfy — so it must be a nice space for a lengthy nap:).

 

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

For the challenge, I decided to focus on my bedroom.

 

This year, our main money and priority time will be devoted to a kitchen remodel and addition, which I will also discuss on the blog. But, given the bedroom is my winter getaway, I’d like to give it a makeover to make it seem as warm and inviting as possible.

 

We’ll use the furniture we already have, which includes our dresser, which has served us well over the years (we’ve used it for clothes, relocated it to the living room, and even used it as a closet in the guest room!). We aim to keep our cane bed, the bookcase we painted at our previous home, a few lamps, a mirror or two, and two nightstands that came with the house, as well as an IKEA chair! We may alter any of these items in the future if we find pieces we like more or that better match the room’s size or organisational demands, but for now, we’re satisfied with what we have.

 

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

So, what are our plans for recharging our batteries?

We took down our garland this week, so we’ll be starting from scratch!

I’d like to improve the lighting in this room in order to make it feel as warm as possible. We recently purchased a beautiful brass floor light (shown above) that is ideal for reading in the chair. We’ll definitely keep the floral light on our bureau (seen below), because it’s so lovely! I’d like to begin looking for a ceiling light; the one that is already in place isn’t bad, so it’s not an urgency, but I usually enjoy changing out light fixtures in a new property to add style and flavour. I’m also going to get plug-in wall sconces for near the bed to free up space on our nightstands. I’ll need one more lamp or wall sconce to offer extra gentle light to the room, so I’ll seek for something inexpensive.

 

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

One of our must-dos was to hang up this mirror, which we had already done! The way it mirrors the vista out the windows is fantastic. Mirrors may make a room appear larger. We’ve had this mirror for years, but if you’re seeking for anything similar, I found two here and here.

While I still adore some of the quilts I’ve collected over the years (such as this blue and white one), I’m feeling motivated to change things up with my bedding this winter. I don’t have a “winter aesthetic” for this space, so that should be interesting. I’m looking forward to being able to mix and match pillows, duvets, and quilts, as well as getting something new for the season. Other than my rattan daybed in my new office, I don’t have any other rooms with beds right now, so this will be the one I get to enjoy working with in every season!

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

We considered redecorating our room this month, but opted against it. The paint colour (Bunny Gray by Benjamin Moore) is actually quite nice and complements the colours of the water and sky outside, making the space feel quite relaxing. We can change the hue once we’ve lived with it for a while, but for now, we can use our time and energy on other things. I’m going to have a lot of fun with the bedding and mixing in different colours and patterns, so I think the backdrop will be versatile!

I considered installing another chair in this spot, but it doesn’t seem essential right now. I can update the chair with a slipcover and keep it, or at the very least enjoy it, till I come up with a better idea!

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

For the end of our bed, we’ll need a bench. It’s how our dogs get up and down securely (yes, we let them up on the bed). It wasn’t my intention to let it, but it occurred, and there’s no turning back now that they’re eight and ten years old. They prefer to sleep on their own beds at night, but they enjoy snuggling with us in the mornings and napping here during the day. It’s reassuring to them, I believe. Regardless, it is what it is ha).

I’m not sure what I want to do with the art in here yet; we have a few pieces currently, but nothing has to be permanent, so I’ll keep an eye out! Art can give elegance and colour to a space while also changing with the seasons. By the way, we posted a tonne of wonderful art resources on our new The Inspired Room Style Instagram, which we’ve saved to the “Art” section of our profile!

I wasn’t sure if I’d install curtains in this area, but they’re perfect for a bedroom. Currently, some windows have paper shades and others do not. On the windows that don’t have anything on them yet, privacy isn’t an issue, but it would be good to be able to darken the space more while still adding softness. I’ll discuss my plans for putting curtain panels and possibly shutters to a window to provide seclusion to the lower portion.

 

PIC CREDIT: THE INSPIRED ROOM

Because there’s a lot of room for organisation in here and in our closet, I’ll be gathering ideas and working on organisational systems this winter!

My ultimate goal is to install hardwood flooring in this room as well as the rest of the house. We may wind up doing all of the floors at once because we are remodelling. Alternatively, I may begin with the upstairs. We’ll have to wait and see. As we proceed, I’ll show you where I get my ideas! Meanwhile, a throw rug or two at the outer doors or a chair could give a splash of colour or pattern.

I could happily spend years working on this place! I’d love to add wallpaper or a wood wall treatment, wood ceilings, crown moulding, a fireplace…the possibilities for this space are endless!

So, I think I’ve got a nice list to browse at this season! Making a long list does not imply that I will complete all of them. There’s no pressure on me to do anything because I’m not in a rush. Even if we decide to make further adjustments in the future, I will enjoy doing what inspires me and looking for things that I can do right now. My objective for January is to have improved lighting and a warm winter appearance for the bed by the end of the month.