Try something new in your bedroom
Valentine’s Day is a good excuse to start thinking about giving your bedroom an upgrade.
Typically, when people renovate their kitchen or bathroom they’re overwhelmed by their options, which range from back splashes to tiles, sinks, showers, kitchen counters, fixtures, appliances and cabinets. But when it comes to the bedroom, most people draw a blank. They usually just stick to paint and flooring, maybe some crown moulding.
Lately I’ve been seeing all kinds of different things you can do to a bedroom, like add an accent wall, custom lighting and automated features.
But there’s a right and wrong way of doing creative design work in a home. So if you are looking to spice things up in the bedroom, be sure to do it right.
ACCENT WALLS
There are a lot of options when it comes to accent walls, including paint, textured and paintable wallpaper, stone, cork or even a “living wall” or green wall — a wall covered in plants and greenery. An accent wall can even be built out to add features such as a recessed television or fireplace.
Some accent walls are more of a commitment than others, and what you think is a great feature might not be to a potential homebuyer. For example, paint colours can be changed easily. But adding a feature like a stone or living wall is more of a commitment because of the work and expense involved.
Know your level of commitment before making a major change. And if you’re thinking of selling, keep it simple. Some homebuyers might not like plants all over their walls as much as you do.
When installing different materials on a bedroom wall, like stone or cork, the rule always is to follow manufacturer’s instructions. Every product is different. Some interior stone can be installed with just an adhesive or glue. Sometimes the adhesive works only if you’re dealing with a painted wall (the glue might need to dissolve the paint for proper adhesion). If the wall is unpainted it might need to be primed.
Other interior stone comes in panels that are screwed to the wall, ideally into the framing. If it’s attached to only drywall the panels can come loose — especially if they’re heavy — which puts more pressure on all the stone panels below it. Eventually, they can separate from the wall completely and topple down.
Sometimes it’s tough (or impossible) to make sure every panel hits framing. One option is to remove the drywall, replace it with plywood and then install the stone panels over top.
Yes, it will cost more but you will know for sure the stone has
been secured properly.
LIGHTING
You can change lighting in your bedroom and make it warmer by switching to a lower wattage. You can also put your lights on a dimmer — LEDs too.
There are also LED candles. Some of them are so lightweight you can hang them on the wall with just the sticky stuff you use to hang pictures.
Stay away from recessed lighting if it means cutting into attic space; this can lead to major heat loss.
And because I know everyone’s thinking it?
MIRRORS ON THE CEILING
Don’t do it. That’s large, heavy glass over your head. If something happens and it comes loose, you’re in big trouble.
Plus, if you have a popcorn ceiling — and most homes do — you’ll need to sand it down. It’s a lot of work.
Some people might tell you installing a mirror on the ceiling can be done with just glue. I’d want something more secure, like a mirror with framing around it so you can screw it to the roof joists or rafters.
But I’d rather be safe than sorry. Keep the mirrors on the wall, not your ceiling.