There are tens of thousands online about how to make your bedroom look expensive, we know, we checked. And whilst we didn't read all of them, obviously, we're going to guess that many of them say the same thing: add a statement headboard, layer your bedding, use neutral tones. Groundbreaking stuff.

Here's our issue with that though, looking expensive and feeling luxurious are two completely different things. You can have the most beautifully styled bedroom in the world and still walk in and it feels cold and kinda empty. Aesthetics only doesn't make luxury in a bedroom, you have to put the things in place that make it feel luxury.

So let's forget everything we've all read before and change what makes all the difference.

Your Bed Is Everything

Every styling guide tells you to invest in your bedding. They're right, but most of them stop at "buy nice sheets" which is about as helpful as telling someone to "just be happy" without the rest of the information. Your bed is everything because it's the first thing you notice when you walk in the room and the last thing you touch before you sleep. If your bed doesn't look like you want to sink into it and then feel incredible when you do then nothing else in the room matters.

The layers matter more than the thread count. We're not saying buy cheap sheets, but a beautifully layered bed with mid-range sheets will always feel more luxurious than expensive sheets with nothing on top. Start with a fitted sheet that actually fits (sounds obvious but how many of us have sheets that come off overnight?). Add a duvet that's plush and feels like a cloud, then layer. A satin or velvet comforter, a throw in a contrasting texture, large cushions or a long circular cushion in front of the pillows.

The way you make it matters too. Tuck the duvet loosely or let it hang down at the side, not militarily. Karate chop the cushions and arrange them in a tidy row. It should look like someone beautiful lives here and has just gotten out of bed, not like a hotel that's been primped for a photo shoot.

The main rule: Everything on your bed should be something you'd actually want to snuggle into. Get rid of scratchy decorative cushions, thin throws that look cheap and do nothing, or polyester anything. If you wouldn't want to wrap yourself in it doesn't belong on your bed.

Lighting Is So Important (And You're Probably Doing It Wrong)

Most bedrooms have an overhead light that's too bright and a bedside lamp that's too dim. Neither of these creates a luxurious atmosphere.

Turn off the overhead light. In your bedroom, the overhead light should be a last resort, something you use to find your charger in a rush. Everything else should come from lower, warmer sources.

Invest in good bedside lamps. Not matching ones necessarily, but ones that give off a warm, soft glow. The color temperature matters - you want something around 2700K (warm white), not the cold blue-white that makes you feel like you're in an office. If your current lamps are too harsh, swap the bulbs before you swap the lamp.

Add a layer. A lamp on a dresser, a small floor lamp in the corner, or backlighting around media units or dressers. The goal is to create pools of soft light rather than one source illuminating the whole room. This is what luxury hotels do and it's why their rooms feel so different from ours.

Candles count. A lit candle in the bedroom isn't just about scent, it's about the soft flickering light that will warm the room. Even one travel candle on your nightstand will completely change the atmosphere of the room.

Scent Is The Most Overlooked Element

And on the subject of scent, we talk about scent in the bathroom, in the living room, even in the kitchen. But the bedroom? An untapped luxury element.

Give your bedroom a signature scent, one that signals that it's time to relax or sleep. If you want an alternative to lavender, rosemary is a calming and upgraded fragrance.

The best options:

  • A reed diffuser with a clean, calming scent (sandalwood, vanilla, white tea)
  • A candle you light in the evening before bed
  • Linen spray on your pillows before you sleep
  • Even your bedding detergent matters - a lavender or fresh linen scent on your sheets followed by a linen spray is like layering body oil and perfume and gives you fragrance with depth.

It should be subtle enough but not overpowering. If someone walks into your bedroom and the first thing they register is the smell, it's too much.

The Nightstand: Less Is More

The nightstand is where most bedrooms are the opposite of luxury. It becomes a dumping ground for charging cables, half-read books, skincare products, water bottles and your phone, which doesn't belong in the bedroom but that's another article.

A luxurious nightstand has a minimal number of items on it and all of them beautiful. A lamp unless you have it on the wall, a carafe of water, a small decorative tray with some hand cream or moisturiser. Everything else gets stored somewhere else. Chargers go behind the nightstand or inside a drawer, the majority of your skincare goes on your bathroom counter, extra books go somewhere else.

If your nightstand is not clear then your room simply can't be luxury. It's the easiest, cheapest change you can make.

The Details That Actually Matter

These are the small things that separate a bedroom that looks styled from one that feels luxurious:

A piece of art you love. Not Ikea art that everyone else has on the wall. Instead choose art that delights you when you look at it. It doesn't matter if its a photograph, an original painting or a print, just choose one that is meaningful to you.

Curtains that are long enough. They should skim the floor, not stop a 6 inches above it or pool on the floor. Curtains that are too short make any room look cheap, no matter how expensive everything else is and curtains that are too long look messy, and messy is never luxury.

A rug under the bed. Your feet hitting a soft rug first thing in the morning versus cold floor is a luxury experience. It doesn't have to be crazy expensive as most of it will be covered by the bed anyway.

What NOT To Do

Here's where we get opinionated. These are the things that waste money and don't actually make your bedroom feel any more luxurious:

Too many decorative cushions. Five is plenty. Fifteen is a furniture showroom, not a bedroom. And if you have to remove them all before you can get into bed, what's the point?

Matching everything. Your bedding, curtains, and rug do not need to be the same colour or the same brand. Matching everything looks corporate, not luxurious.

A gallery wall above the bed. Unless it's done incredibly well, it just looks cluttered and makes you nervous about what happens if a picture falls on you while you sleep.

Ignoring the ceiling. Most people style from the floor up and forget the ceiling entirely. If you have an ugly light fixture up there, change it. If you can paint the ceiling the same shade as the walls, do it.

A bedroom feels luxurious when it feels curated. When everything in the space is there because you chose it and worked on how it flows together. You don't need to spend a fortune, but edit ruthlessly and add items slowly. And make sure every single thing in that room makes you feel luxury when you look at it.

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