Six Aesthetics To Help You Design Your Dream Bedroom
By: aracely gutierrez | @aracelyzgutierrrez
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the expression “your room is a reflection of your mind” plastered all over social media. The truth is that many of us don’t actually have the time to reflect on what is on our minds. Due to this, our rooms get trapped in a catastrophic cycle of hoarding, leading us to feel idle and anxious about having to completely restart from scratch. The good news is that you really don’t need to start from the beginning; you just have to add the right touches and take away any unnecessary clutter.
Generally speaking, a bedroom is more than just a place to sleep. It’s a safe space for us to hold all of our belongings, peacefully unwind, and wander into different hobbies. Most of our time is spent in our bedrooms, so personalizing and designing a room can be stressful for those who don’t know where to begin. However, the outcome is definitely worth the prolonged process. With plenty of different room aesthetics to help serve as inspiration, there’s no reason you shouldn't strive to create the bedroom you’ve been dreaming of.
Here are seven of my favorite room aesthetics and an easy guide to achieving each one them:
1. For The Chic Minimalist
If you’re someone who firmly believes less is more, a simply chic room is the perfect pick for you. The first two things to consider when creating this kind of room are the colors of the walls and furnishings. For the walls, it’s best to choose a neutral color in order to give you more freedom to add pops of color subtly throughout your room. Neutral toned furniture is also a great addition to a minimalist room; cream or light brown sandalwood bedside tables and drawers are great examples.
If you aren’t looking for any vast changes, you don’t have to remove your current wall color or furniture. Instead, you can make smaller additions- simple decorations, bedding sets, and diverting centerpieces- that will go a long way as well. Some of my favorite pieces would include a stack of books, bubble candles, and abstract ceramic or glass vases (filled with peonies of course). For bedding, adding a neutral-toned ruched comforter and some crocheted pillows to your bed will give it a very simple, but classy look. If you decide you want to take it just a bit further, a soft painting or a round mirror above your bed will truly bring your room to life.
2. For The Retro Enthusiast
The retro aesthetic has made an insane comeback these past two years and I’m all here for it. There is no better feeling than finding cool vintage decor you weren’t actually searching for at a thrift store. One of the best places to start when creating a retro room is simply searching for abnormal or one-of-a-kind furnishings and decor such as funky shaped wax candles, asymmetrical shelves and stained glass lamps. Wall art and posters are super essential to a retro room, and the more vintage it is, the better it will fit the vibe.
Some excellent options for wall art would be Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art collection and 70s brand and film advertisements. For bedding, burnt orange and mustard yellow quilts with embroidered patterns have a perfect retro look to them, extra brownie points if the pillows are colorful and abstract. Retro is more of an aesthetic than it is a style, so anyone can achieve it if they search in the right places.
3. For The Plant Mother
Nature is one of life’s greatest beauties, so filling your room with all sorts of it only makes sense. Personally, decorating with plants is one of my favorite ways to enhance my room, more specifically with peonies and devil’s ivy. However, being a plant mother does come with much responsibility. A plant mother’s room should get enough sun to light up the place, so keeping your windows visible or having the curtains drawn back is key.
Floating shelves are a wonderful addition to a plant-dominated room; beige or white shelves will look best as neutral colors tend to help direct more attention to earth tones. Mosaic vases and pots are timeless and are the perfect touch for plants that have a more simple look to them. For furnishings, pretty much any kind of wood can look heavenly in contrast with the plants, but I think distressed birch is best for this room. The look of the birch does pair really well with earth tones, but my favorite part about it is the rustic, but almost elegant, appeal which enhances the room. To wrap up the look, add an oatmeal-colored comforter to your bed and throw on a couple knitted blankets and some pillows on top.
4. For The Divine Feminine
What better way to appreciate our womanhood than decking out our bedrooms in the most gorgeous hyper feminine adornments? The divine feminine’s room perfectly captures the beautiful things about being a girl. Many prefer to call it “coquette” nowadays but I think divine feminine is much better. For this kind of room, white or pastel pink walls match better, but if you’re feeling creative, then I suggest adding ditsy floral wallpaper on half of the walls.
The greatest thing about having a divine feminine room is that the simplest decorations can make all the difference. You can start with buying a heart-shaped vanity mirror, frilly curtains and pink ribbons to tie around your room. If you have a dresser or vanity table, you can add vases full of gorgeous flowers and pretty candles with scents such as strawberry and vanilla to sweeten up the aura in your room. For bedding, I suggest using ruffled or silk bedding sets and uniquely shaped throw pillows such as strawberries, stars or hearts. To top it all off, add a canopy above your bed and hang fairy lights across the ceiling for the ultimate princess feel.
5. For The Rockstar Girlfriend
“Rockstar girlfriend” isn’t an aesthetic–it's really more of a lifestyle, so you either have it or you don’t. If you happen to have it, I’m gonna give you some tips on how to make your room look heavenly. The most obvious necessity to this room is the infamous guitar in the corner of the room- bonus points if the guitar is colored deep red or electric blue. If you don’t play guitar, it’s not exactly necessary but it’s way more impressive.
In my honest opinion, the walls of the room are the most important part of the process, that’s how you'll be able to showcase your gnarly music taste to newcomers. Cover your walls with all of your favorite band posters and album covers and your rockstar girlfriend room will be nearly complete. The coolest thing about having a rockstar girlfriend room is that it can be messy and still fit the whole vibe so you don’t need to put a lot of work into it. To finish off the look, add a clothes rack filled with all of your coolest jackets and dresses to remind everyone how stunning your closet is.
6. For The Enticing Siren
While sirens are typically perceived as only an ancient fairytale, there is no doubt that they are among the best mythical creatures to exist. If you're living in a seaside or coastal town, a siren-inspired room is exactly what you need. This type of room may require you to get in touch with your creative side, but the end results will leave you speechless. You can turn large seashells into candles by melting your favorite candle wax into the inside of the shell- giving your room a delicate and heavenly scent. You can also use smaller seashells to elevate a plain mirror by using them to create a frame around it.
The siren aesthetic is very glossed and enigmatic, and since pearls represent rare beauty and serenity, they make for the perfect accessory. Personalization is very important so treat your room as a canvas, lay out pearl necklaces on empty table tops along with any other of your favorite oceanic accessories such as sea glass or crystals. The best tones to use are cool colors, such as lavender, emerald green or royal blue. You can incorporate these colors using iridescent glass or vases filled with cool-toned flowers such as purple orchids or blue hydrangeas. Adding gold accents to the room will help enhance the intensity of the cool colors, whether it’s candle sticks or jewelry stands, just be sure to throw in some gold. For the cherry on top, get yourself a heavenly ruffled bedspread with dramatic matching pillows, the more that it looks like it belonged to an 18th century prestigious princess the better.
