One thing I enjoy is the look of a clean and stylish bedroom. You can tell a lot about a person by the look of their entire apartment, but how their bedroom is presented is particularly important.  The bedroom is a private place where you retreat to at the end of the day where you should feel as relaxed as possible. What is important to keep in mind is that simplicity is key: Yes, you have many interests and it’s fun to show them off, but at a certain point it all becomes useless, aggravating clutter. The transition from my bedroom at my mother’s house to the bedroom I have now in my very own apartment was very difficult but thankfully not expensive at all.

The bed is the obvious focal point of the bedroom in regards to furniture so it should look presentable. To get a more contemporary look to the room, I suggest a solid platform bed with a wooden slatted base (I find the metallic ones don’t have a personal vibe to them and they come off as a little cold). The low to the ground look is very much in vogue right now and if you have a small bedroom, it gives off the look of extra space. I also believe that a box spring isn’t necessary because I honestly find them a little tacky and well, boxy. I got my black-brown platform bed frame at Ikea in a Queen size a couple of years ago and it’s still going strong! It’s the Malm model and Ikea.ca lists it at $189.99, which is around a hundred dollars less than what I paid for it originally. But even at almost $300 it was an amazing deal!

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S39849855

I’m really plugging Ikea here but another great item that I have in my bedroom is the Hemnes 6-drawer chest in black-brown. What I like about it is that it’s tall and that is another great way to save space and give the room a more modern look at the same time. I have nothing against the longer ones that take up half the wall; they can look amazing if you have the room (unfortunately, I do not) and if you find a piece that compliments your living space instead of overwhelming it. It’s listed at $299 and comes it also comes in a cute blue color that I wish I had thought to buy but at the time I was so concerned with being “matchy-matchy” (my entire bedroom furniture is Ikea black-brown and it looks good but I should’ve shaken things up a bit)!

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70121249

As for shelving, I recommend wall shelves as opposed to having a giant book case. That enables you to keep only a few of your favorite books, CDs/records and knick-knacks in your bedroom. The living room is the place to keep the heavier objects but the bedroom should have a lighter, airier feel to it.

Layla Brown