We spend one fourth to one third of our lives sleeping, and we all spend even more time in our bedroom than that. Your bedroom is thus arguably the most important room in your living space. But far too many of us live in cluttered, sparse rooms which feel like just a place to sleep in and not a room to live in.
You do not have to spend thousands of dollars buying fancy furniture or tearing down walls in order to improve your bedroom. Here are a few simple tips, at a reasonable price, which can make your bedroom so much better:
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Get A Better Mattress
Okay yes, upgrading your mattress can seem anything but simple and cheap. But if you spend much of your life in your bedroom, most of your life in your bedroom is spent on your mattress. It is important to get a mattress which truly fits you and ensures a good night’s sleep.
You should not spend less than $500 on a mattress, but do not assume that expensive means better. Expensive mattresses often just means that a retailer wants a higher markup. Going online with a mattress such as Saatva or Casper is a better option.
The final thing to note is that there are a wide range of mattresses to choose from, from memory foam to traditional springs to latex. Memory foam is probably your best bet, and Sleep Junkie has an excellent mattress guide on finding the best memory foam mattress for you. But do not hesitate to check out other mattress types as well.
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Get a Plant
Indoor air pollution can harm your sleep, with the American Thoracic Society reporting in January that “The ill effects of air pollution may literally be causing some people to lose sleep.” While more research needs to be done, our bedrooms are polluted with dust, chemicals, pollen, and even pets.
A good dusting can thus help, but a great solution for the medium to long-term is to get a plant. Plants can trap toxins and dust. And since plants release oxygen and trap carbon dioxide, that can also make breathing in your room easier.
Aloe Vera and spider plants are probably the most well-known bedroom plants, and there are good choices as they require little light and infrequent water. Other alternatives include a snake plant, peace lily, or even rosemary.
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Less is More
Nothing makes a room look messy and unlivable like clutter, and bedroom clutter can often make you feel like you are not in control of your own life. If that was not bad enough, bedroom clutter is a prime source of dust and pollutants.
There are plenty of online guides on how to fight clutter, but the biggest thing I would stress is that your clothes are probably your biggest source of clutter. This can happen through either having too many clothes, including clothes which you will wear once you finally get on that diet, as well as having dirty clothes lying about instead of in your laundry basket.
Take a look through your wardrobe and pick out any clothes you have not worn in the last three to six months. The odds are that you can afford to get rid of and donate most of those clothes. A cleaner closet is an important first step towards a decluttered, more livable bedroom.
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Make Your Own Art
A nice picture, one which truly appeals to you and is not being hung just because it is trendy, can make your bedroom feel like it belongs to you. But many of us do not have the money to buy and frame some famous paintings.
So why not make your own? The great thing about art is that it comes in so many different forms or styles. You can paint your own picture. You can knit a tapestry and hang that on the wall. You can write something inspirational and blow it up onto a poster. There is no limit on what form art can take.
But do recognize that less is more. You do not need a painting on every empty space in your room. A blank white space in the right spot can be more meaningful than the most fashionable expensive painting.
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Limit Cords and Cables
Take a look at one of those ideal bedrooms in Good Housekeeping or one of those magazines, and you will find few if any cables in those pictures. Long, tangled cords, which form knots with each other, look ugly and can even pose a potential safety hazard.
There are plenty of ways to hide cords. You can drill holes into the back of furniture so that cords run through a dress instead of on the floor. You can cover cables with toilet rolls, shoeboxes, or other smartly decorated items. A little bit of creativity can go a long way.
But the best way to limit cords and cables is to limit the number of devices you have. I am not going to tell you to give up your phone for a month or something crazy like that. But take a good look at all the electronics in your house. Ask yourself how often you use this or that device, and whether you really need it. Less devices mean less cords. Less cords mean less clutter. And less clutter means a much nicer bedroom.
How do you revive you bedroom on a budget? Let us know in the comments below!
