Four cool ways to freshen up the bedroom for winter

The Wichita Eagle (TNS)

If you haven’t updated your bedroom in a while, you may find that some key elements have changed while you’ve been sleeping.

You may have bedroom furniture that’s so old – because high quality furniture lasts a long time, and that’s a good thing – that it’s not being sold in sets anymore, at least not at Ethan Allen.

The look is more eclectic, says Katie Small, design center manager at the Wichita, Kan., store.

And no longer do people sleep under heavy down comforters. Most people kick the duvet off the bed, says Brenda Cody of Ferguson-Phillips.

Now is the ideal time to assess your bedroom and take steps to refresh it, which in turn should refresh you.

Redoing the bedroom according to current sensibilities will take into consideration not only decor, but health and perhaps even some elements of feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of harmonizing the elements of the environment.

Here are four key ways to re-feather your nest.

UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD

If your furniture is still serving you well but you want to “feel fresh and new, the best way you can do that is to change the headboard,” Small says. “You don’t have to match.”

The vast majority of headboards sold these days are upholstered rather than made in plain wood, Cody says. Either way, a headboard adds the first layer of color or texture to what you’re creating visually on the bed. Small says it also adds much-needed height.

Free-standing headboards with a bed skirt are no longer in fashion, Cody says. Instead, beds either have head and footboards, or a headboard with a platform rather than a footboard.

Beyond design, if you’re one of those people who don’t have a headboard, you might consider one for another reason.

“As Americans, we’re focused on the mattress and getting a good night’s sleep,” Cody says. “If you don’t have the structure, you don’t have as much support. I think it makes a big difference.”

Storage under the bed is considered bad feng shui, because it hinders the movement of energy around the body. But it doesn’t take feng shui to know that too much stuff around us does not make for a restful feeling.

COOL AND EASY-CARE FABRIC

Many people are discovering that sleeping cool is one of the ingredients for sleeping better. And even while the dictates of design call for dressing the bed in layers – sheets, a light blanket or coverlet, then a duvet or other throw at the bottom of the bed – Cody says that most people sleep under only the sheet and coverlet.

No matter what the weight of the coverings, Cody says, look for lots of texture in them, and in shams and throw pillows that add more icing on the cake. In addition to natural fibers, look for new fabrics that are easier to care for.

Because of allergy concerns, some people like to regularly wash bedding in hot water and dry it on a hot setting. Such people should stick with cotton, Cody says. As far as fabrics for sheets, high-end cottons are still the choice; microfiber is too hot.

WARMING IT UP

People may like to sleep cool, but they also like to turn down the thermostat to save on energy. That can leave the bedroom too cold for comfort.

One way to warm it up is with an electric fireplace. You can find them in modern lines or traditional looks, in free-standing hearths, hanging on walls and even recessed behind a wall of rock, tile or stone.

Most units will heat a 14-by-14-foot room. Recessed models can provide more heat. Smaller electric stoves also can be found at some home stores.

Another heating element is an electric blanket or mattress pad. If you wake up stiff in the morning from arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation recommends cranking up the blanket or mattress pad before you get up. The warmth will help you roll out of bed more limber.

PUTTING COLOR TO IT

Bedroom looks this year are romantic but also streamlined, Small says. A French provincial look at Ethan Allen, for example, has a Scandinavian sensibility that gives it cleaner, more modern lines. And while monochromatic looks have been big for a while, new ones are more elevated and gilded.

Caramel is a big bedroom color, Small says. Although, the more traditional blue and white never goes out of style. Gray is still big, a neutral that accentuates a pop of color such as a soft celadon.

And if you want a calming feel as well? Add some pink to your bedroom.

Mix patterns and pay attention to scale while building your layers.

And lest you feel like you can’t afford to always keep up with trends, they do transition cleanly from year to year so that you can build in new things, like a rug or bedding, without having to redo everything, Small says.