I love making my bedroom a nicer place to spend time. In my opinion, it’s never a waste of money. I love making small changes like a fresh duvet set and scatter cushions can have a big impact, or you can replace furniture and paint walls for a complete transformation.
My favourite splurges are those that change our relationship with our bedrooms, be that adjustable lighting instead of on/off switches, replacing curtains with Venetian blinds to create a cleaner window space, or replacing multiple smaller pieces of art with a large work of art to create a showstopping centrepiece.
1. Ottoman bed
Ottoman beds use the whole underside of the bed for storage. Gas struts lift and hold the mattress up, and some models have a locking mechanism that requires a rocking motion to release the platform for additional safety.
If you don’t have an airing cupboard or lack space for seasonal clothes and shoes, ottomans give you all the storage space you need.
2. TV bed
Next up I have the TV bed – a terrific investment for those of you who love gaming and streaming in bed. The motorised footboard houses a TV mount suitable for 32″ to 55″ TVs, depending on the model, with all connections built in.
You can get TV beds with ottoman storage, drawers, speakers, soundbars, and USB charging ports all built in. Now that’s handy!
3. Sockets with USB ports
Replace your 3-pin sockets with USB sockets to charge your smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices without a power brick.
You can replace 3-pin sockets yourself after turning off the circuit and testing that no current is running through. Something to keep in mind though is that USB sockets are usually thicker than standard sockets, so the knockout box might need upgrading.
4. Dimmable lighting
Dimmable lights are the best splurge you can make to transform the look and feel of your bedroom. Dim lights are perfect for nighttime, and if you add ‘smart’ bulbs’, you can change the colour and temperature on your phone.
Changing standard switches to dimmer switches is a simple swap, but you’ll need to ensure the bulbs and fixtures you buy are dimmable.
5. Air purifier
Air purifiers have HEPA filters and activated carbon filters to purify the air of contaminants like dust, pollen, bacteria, and mould – perfect if your bedroom is damp or you live next to a road and all pollution drives you mad.
Phillips, Dyson, Shark, and Beko all make air purifiers with multi-stage filtration – just check the m2 coverage to match up with your bedroom.
6. Blackout curtains or blinds
Blackout curtains and blinds are the best way to eliminate bright streetlights and the morning sun. Standard curtains and blinds let up to 70% of light through compared with 10% for the best blackout models.
I recommend combining blinds with curtains for the best results – roller blinds have the best blackout performance.
7. Colourful wall art
Most bedrooms lack good wall art, but it’s easy enough to remedy – head over to King & McGaw and filter by art type to find pieces you love.
White bedrooms call for something super bright, like geometric wall art, while grey, dusky blue, and green bedrooms work well with landscapes and Van Gough pieces. The colour of the frame also plays a role in how good the art looks. I love wall art!
8. Wardrobe with drawers.
Wardrobes can be as tall as a ceiling providing, they are anchored to the wall, and since most ceilings are 2m to 2.4m, that’s a lot of storage space!
In-built wardrobe drawers are a fantastic investment because they can replace your chest of drawers and free up precious floor space, or you can keep the chest and just have more drawers – either way, you’ll have loads more practical storage. I love our wardrobes – the space at the top is great for storage, also.