7 Tricks All Designers Use to Make Your Bedroom Look Expensive

If you’re only making one tweak to upgrade your bedroom, it should be the way you style your pillows. According to Andrew Suvalsky, the chief interior designer at ASD, the bed in question is often topped with a handful of precisely layered accent pillows. Practical pillows, those you sleep in the night, should be put propped up against the head of the bed, covered with decorative pillows in the order of height. “I like the color of the pillows to be the cherry on top of the sundae, so to speak,[so] pull the accent color out of the overall color scheme of the space to create] the focal point of your room,” he says.

Looking for an inexpensive way to give a fresh look to the current decor? Suvalsky says removing lampshades is an easy way to give your bedroom a luxury look for less. “Chances are the ready-made lamp you choose comes with a basic, uninspired shade,” he says, so improvements can have a major effect. “The shade will make or break the lamp. Therefore, opt for a choice of color or cool fabric,” and choose a shade that is more than expected.”

Keeping a bedroom mess-free can feel like an insurmountable mission, so it’s fortunate that the design trend of the moment is “organized clutter,” says Portland-based interior designer Max Humphrey. The trick is to know how to differentiate between good and bad clutter.

“Good clutter is the stacks of books and magazines, the art of resting against the wall, or the table-top trays filled with objects,” he says. “The bad clumps are dirty clothes on the floor, uncovered mail and paperwork, and unmanaged electrical wires.”

Deal with good messes by styling main areas like a bookcase or a nightstand (more to come on later) and tackling unwanted messes by making the most of secret storage. “If you’re pressed for space, don’t look at the bed frame that’s higher up the floor so you can use the space underneath to store bins,” he says. Disguise the area with a bed skirt that Humphreys says can accommodate any room in textured fabrics, such as chambray or linen.

The artwork is designed to be seen, so it is understandable that we always hang our favorite items in the social areas of the house, including the living room. If your bedroom is lacking in decor, Humphreys says it lets space down. “Don’t forget to hang any of your favorite artwork in your bedroom! “He says so. “Just because it’s a private space doesn’t mean you just need to show the best pieces in the living room where the guests will see it.” Instead, redistribute the artworks in the house and play with a single statement piece placed above the bedside for optimum effect.

Accessorizing a bedroom is a talent, and one for which Manhattan-based interior designer Marlaina Teich adopts the mantra “less is more.” A common mistake she sees is overloading nightstands with unnecessary objects. “This area can be overdone easily. Too many accessories can be cluttered in a moment,” she warns.

Suvalsky agrees but says that a few key things that link to the color scheme will instantly uplift space. “The nightstands don’t need a lot, but if you want a clock, a dish to throw your jewelry in, or some other personal items that you need to have on your bed, then pick those that are beautiful and worth spending the night with,” he says. “The function should be dressed in style—always.”

“Ready-made window draperies hung on expandable rods instantly lower the look of a bedroom,” Suvalsky says. The solution, huh? “With a little research and not a lot of expense, you can find drapery rods coming in variable sizes that fit your windows perfectly,” he says.

When it comes to drapes, he finds that the most luxurious rooms have a roller black-out shade that can be changed so that you never touch the sheets. “If you install them across your window frame, it will look more finished, like ‘waterfall’ – which means the reverse reel so you will see shadow rather than a window,” he says. “Then you can also stationary and style the drapery panels all the time.”

Yeah, the main feature of a bedroom is to be a sleeping sanctuary, but Suvalsky says the best rooms are multipurpose. An easy low-cost way to change your space is by rearranging furniture and adding decoration from other rooms in the building. “It’s the one piece that many people forget about,” he says, adding a chair in some matching fabric dressed with a fun throw pillow. “A small, cozy chair adds a sense of spaciousness and escaping to the room, even if your spaciousness is not great.”

If your living room has a statement chair that is rarely used, consider moving it to your bedroom with a discreet side table to create a reading area. And according to Suvalsky, it’s all right to mix and match the décor. The accent chair “can be antique, new, or intermediate. Think of it as a piece of art in your room.”

Luxurious hotel rooms all have one thing: a fully-fitted bed. “The majority of people are more inclined to underline the importance of dressing up their beds and relying on the same rumpled clothing that they sleep with at night [that is] scarcely drawn up during the day.” To make a bed in Ritz-Carlton-grade that will upgrade your room instantly, pick two sheets and fold the edge of the top one to the duvet for a polished look.

Humphrey advises you to look past the classical white sets if you want to go a step further and invest in new sheets. “There should no longer be all bedrooms and bedding white, it is all about the mix,” he says. “Gray and taupe shadings can be just as sleek as all whites, and maintaining them is much easier.” Besides, some embroidery patterns on sheets can turn simple bedding sheets into something stunning, extraordinary, and chic.