Neila Deen, Houzz Contributor
Looking to give your bedroom a luxe look? Before investing in a pricey designer dresser, think strategically — and a bit more critically — because spending a fortune on furniture doesn’t necessarily guarantee a sophisticated look. What actually makes a bedroom look like a million dollars are its thoughtful details. These eight ideas from luxurious bedrooms can help make yours look expensive and feel more plush and inviting.
1. Dress your walls in elegance. Unless you’re going for an ultra minimalist look, bare white walls in a bedroom can feel more stark than luxurious. Embrace a little paint or wallpaper to give your bedroom a warmer, more designed look.
In this photo, a rich gray paint stylishly contrasts with the paler elements of the room, including the bed, rug and window treatments. If the walls were a shade of white, these simple decorative pieces wouldn’t have the same impact.
Wall paint: Amherst Gray HC-167, Benjamin Moore
2. Choose a standout headboard. Adding a luxe-looking headboard is a surefire way to increase the glam factor in your bedroom. A beautiful one need not be expensive, but it should have a notable feature such as a bold color, unique shape, impressive height or elegant fabric such as linen or velvet.
3. Feature glamorous lighting. Whether it’s a ceiling fixture, table lamps or pendants, statement lighting amps up the luxury factor. You might choose a fixture or lamp with a shiny finish — perhaps gold, glass or crystals. Selecting one with a large or unusual shape can also help the room look more upscale.
4. Add stylish seating. If you have unused space near a window nook, beside a nightstand or in front of your bed, consider adding an accent chair or bench. From a practical standpoint, it will give you a place to sit and read or to temporarily place some clothing. And from an aesthetics perspective, this styling trick — often seen in boutique hotels — offers an opportunity to bring a notable design element to your room.
5. Frame your bed with mirrors. One trick designers use to add a little glamour to a room is to place a mirror on the wall above each nightstand, behind any lamp or pendant light. This adds glitzy style to the bed wall and creates greater depth in the room, making it perfect for small spaces.
Try selecting a mirror with a unique detail, such as a gilded finish or unusual shape. The extra design element will go a long way toward adding high style to even the most ordinary bedroom.
6. Choose nightstands with bling. Night tables are pretty essential pieces of bedroom furniture. But many tend to be a bit utilitarian in terms of style, and they can get cluttered with our necessities.
To give your bedroom the royal treatment, first declutter your nightstand. Remove excess paperwork and possessions, leaving only lighting, a book and perhaps a small vase of flowers.
Next, swap out your current nightstand for one with a luxury finish — mirror or shagreen is a great option. A subtler route is to choose a piece with reflective hardware, such as crystal or brass.
7. Pile on the pillows. We’ve all seen images of the drool-worthy bedrooms with an almost embarrassing amount of throw pillows on the bed. This decadent look can be achieved with a combination of larger Euro-sized pillows (typically 26 inches by 26 inches), standard sleeping pillows and two to three smaller throw pillows. To avoid an overstuffed look, the rule of thumb is that all these pillows shouldn’t take up more than a quarter of the bed length.
For ultra luxurious style, select throw pillows in high-end fabrics such as silk, velvet and faux fur.
8. Throw on a plush blanket. Many luxurious bedrooms feature a soft throw blanket. Investing in a material that looks expensive can jazz up even the plainest bed.
Related: Duvet, Quilt, Coverlet or Comforter - Which One Do You Really Want?
