How to revamp your bedroom without renovating it

If you're currently renting and are therefore not allowed to renovate your home, or you simply don't want to endure the hassle and expense of a full-blown remodelling project, here are a couple of ways to revamp your bedroom with renovating it.

Repair or replace soft furnishings and upholstered items

One of the quickest ways to improve the appearance of your bedroom is by updating the upholstered furniture and soft furnishings. These types of items aren't purely functional; they can be used to inject personality and colour into a space and to establish a clear decorative theme.

A few scatter cushions, a rug, curtains, a throw and perhaps an elegant, upholstered bedroom chair can completely transform a room. However, it is important to think about the colour palette you want to use before investing in any new pieces; rather than simply picking up a random selection of cushions for example, just because you like the individual patterns on each of them, try to choose ones in complementary colours and textures, which will fit in nicely with the tonal palette you intend to have in your bedroom. For example, if you want to create a serene space with lots of cool-toned hues, then you may want to purchase some soft furnishings in lilac, dove grey and pale blue, all of which will work well together and create a cohesive overall look.

Think about textures too; this is especially important if you're going for an all-white theme, which can sometimes end up looking rather bland. Add some visual interest by using a faux-fur rug, a ruffled duvet cover or some chiffon curtains.

If you already like the style of the soft furnishings and upholstery in your room but feel that their tattered and worn appearance detracts from their stylishness, it may be worth having them repaired, rather than replacing them. Curtains and cushions with small tears or other forms of minor damage can usually be mended by a seamstress. However, for a damaged upholstered bed or chair, look for a company that specialises in upholstery repairs, as these items can be a little more complicated to fix.

Add art

Hanging a few carefully chosen pieces of art around your bedroom is another fantastic way to update its appearance. You can use art to create a decorative theme, or even to highlight the existing one. If for example, your current decor is quite retro and reminiscent of the style popular in the sixties and seventies, then you could invest in one or two Pop Art prints, which would blend in perfectly with this theme. Art can also be used to simply add some colour and contrast into an otherwise neutrally-decorated space. 

Whichever style of artwork you choose, make sure to pick the right size; it should fit in with the proportions of the room. An excessively large wall tapestry in a tiny bedroom, for example, would swamp the space and be a bit overpowering, whilst a very small print in a spacious room will end up going completely unnoticed.