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What are the Different Types of Designs for a Bedroom?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

Some popular types of designs for a bedroom include Asian, traditional, modern, romantic and tropical. People with eclectic tastes often mix elements from several design types to create their favorite kind of space for sleeping and dreaming. Different types of designs for a bedroom could also include small space and budget-friendly ideas.

Budget-friendly bedroom designs are typically quite creative and unique as they often must incorporate different pieces of secondhand furniture. A main goal of designs for a bedroom on a budget is to make the room not look cheap or mismatched. Unification in the form of painting furniture the same color and/or using similar shapes or themes throughout the room can help achieve this goal.

Seashells can be used to decorate a tropical-styled bedroom.
Seashells can be used to decorate a tropical-styled bedroom.

Small bedrooms can be difficult to design, but the first place to start is with the bed. A bed in the best size for the room that is also attractive, such as one complete with throw pillows and a headboard, serves as a focal point in a small bedroom. A dresser, or chest of drawers, is often the next consideration, as all designs for a bedroom should include storage. Depending on the amount of space left for the dresser, it may be a tall narrow type rather than wide. Floor lamps and/or wall-attached bedside shelves may take the place of nightstands in designs for small bedrooms.

Throw pillows may be used to decorate a bedroom.
Throw pillows may be used to decorate a bedroom.

A tropical bedroom design may feature motifs such as palm leaves and/or seashells. Tropical designs for a bedroom should include natural, breezy looking furniture such as rattan or bamboo styles. Romantic bedroom designs often feature a four-poster bed. Flowers and soft, flowing fabrics are other typical design elements of romantic bedrooms. Some romantic bedroom looks include white lace or sheer window coverings over a tasteful blind.

Platform beds are often incorporated into modern bedrooms.
Platform beds are often incorporated into modern bedrooms.

Modern designs for bedrooms have clean-lined furniture styles as well as an overall clean look rather than one of detail or clutter. The color in modern rooms may be placed for impact rather than scattered around the bedroom. For instance, the wall behind the bed may be painted a bold color. Modern types of designs for a bedroom may include metal and glass furniture. Traditional bedroom furniture may include a brass bed or wooden dressers. Typically there is much more attention to detail in traditionally designed bedrooms than modern ones.

A bedroom with a modern design features very clean lines and no clutter.
A bedroom with a modern design features very clean lines and no clutter.

Asian-themed bedroom designs may involve the ancient Chinese design system of feng shui. Feng shui includes theories about furniture placement, materials and colors that will bring harmony to the home. In feng shui designs for bedrooms, calm neutral colors and varying degrees of light, including candlelight, are considered desirable, while having the bed in a direct line with the doorway should be avoided. Other types of Asian bedroom designs include beautiful textiles from India in a rich, elegant almost palatial style and Oriental styles that featured lacquered furniture as well as printed room divider screens.

Discussion Comments

clintflint

@Iluviaporos - I think my ideal bedroom would be based around an artist rather than an ethnic style. I'd like to say Mucha but that could be a little bit too fancy and require specific kinds of furniture. Someone like Monet could be reflected with pastel colors and rounded shapes and a floral theme, for example. Those are all things you could accomplish without making the room too expensive or specific.

Actually I think Van Gogh might be my first choice. A room designed with Starry Night in mind would be lovely without any kind of pretension (if it was done in the right way).

lluviaporos

@Mor - I like having my bedroom reflect my style, but I think that's because I live in a shared house and I don't have any other place where I can be totally myself when it comes to decorating decisions.

What I'd ideally like to do is have a patterned wallpaper, as I like having something interesting to look at while I'm going to sleep, but since I can't change the walls like that I settle for a lot of art prints and photos.

Mor

I prefer designs for a bedroom to be quite clean and simple, if I've got the rest of the house to make more of a mark. It's not really an aesthetic preference, it's got more to do with being practical. The more unnecessary things there are in a bedroom, the more difficult it is to clean it and I have a dust allergy so it's really important to me to be able to sleep without that being set off.

I also don't really like having lights or distractions around when I'm sleeping, so I wouldn't want a television or anything like that in my bedroom either.

Just the bed and maybe some storage for clothes (although a walk-in closet is ideal rather than more furniture).

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    • Seashells can be used to decorate a tropical-styled bedroom.
      By: Gordan Jankulov
      Seashells can be used to decorate a tropical-styled bedroom.
    • Throw pillows may be used to decorate a bedroom.
      By: phaendin
      Throw pillows may be used to decorate a bedroom.
    • Platform beds are often incorporated into modern bedrooms.
      By: sowanna
      Platform beds are often incorporated into modern bedrooms.
    • A bedroom with a modern design features very clean lines and no clutter.
      By: xy
      A bedroom with a modern design features very clean lines and no clutter.
    • Floor lamps can be used in place of nightstands in small bedrooms.
      By: venusangel
      Floor lamps can be used in place of nightstands in small bedrooms.