The Best Bedroom Renovation Tips To Pick Up From HGTV's Fixer To Fabulous Team
Jenny and Dave Marrs, the stars of HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous," are renowned for transforming tired and unloved spaces into ravishing rooms. They aim to do this using classic design techniques that reflect the personality and lifestyle of their clients, rather than subscribing to passing trends. Jenny tells The Tennessean, "We are not at all focused on trends because we want our homeowners to make their homes something they love. We try not to do something super trendy. We want it to be a timeless reflection of them."
The bedroom is arguably the sanctuary of any home, so how does the "Fixer to Fabulous" team create a soothing space that is individual to each homeowner? She tells Saatva, "My biggest recommendation would be to make sure your bedroom is a space you actually want to be in! Whether that be choosing cozy bedding, lamps you love, a calming room color, or keeping your favorite candles and scents nearby...Invest in making your bedroom a space you can't wait to retreat to every night." Here, we reveal the best bedroom renovation tips from Jenny and Dave Marrs and explore how you can utilize these golden nuggets of information in your own home.
Use several sources of light in a bedroom
Jenny Marrs believes that planning your lighting is crucial when renovating a bedroom. She tells Saatva, "I think lighting is a key aspect of any bedroom design and can impact sleep most. A bedroom should utilize a mixture of overhead lights, lamps on nightstands, and natural light. Use all of these tools to help you bring natural light in, dim the lights to set the mood for sleep, or block light out completely."
She also explained to Realtor, "We want to have more of a soft light in the bedroom and not have a bright fluorescence. So, for overhead lamps, I love to put them on a dimmer. I love to incorporate sconces when I can. They're really great options if you don't want to do a lamp."
Bright light can interfere with your circadian rhythm, wreaking havoc with your sleep pattern. Introducing a range of lighting options in the bedroom will mean you can adjust to light gradually after waking up or as you're going to sleep. To ensure ambient light, opt for low-wattage bulbs in your bedside lamps, and consider installing dimmer switches on your main bedroom lights. You could install wall sconces beside your bed in place of lamps for a soft, glow in the evenings, perfect for reading or watching TV.
Use chic hotel-style wall finishes for design inspiration
Jenny Marrs advocates drawing inspiration from sleek and chic hotel rooms for a luxurious bedroom. In her blog, Jenny shares the wall paneling trick she used in Season 4, Episode 9 of "Fixer to Fabulous" to make the bedroom feel like a luxury hotel. "I went with one of my tried-and-true solutions for cozying up a big bedroom. We installed wainscoting along the walls. This breaks up the room and adds character. Plus, it goes perfectly with the craftsman style. Above the woodwork, we applied a wallpaper with a light blue pattern to match the blue of the wainscoting...It's now cozy and calm like a luxury hotel room."
Adding architectural details to the walls can instantly transform a bedroom from a bland space to an upscale hotel-inspired room. If you're confident with a circular saw you could take on wall paneling a room as a DIY project. Or, for a more straightforward option, invest in a pre-cut wainscoting pack like this one from Walmart. Wainscoting can make a room feel custom and swanky, but for a less formal alternative try aged wood panels. Shiplap is also hailed as one of the best types of wood to use for wood paneling because it has a modern, chic look. Then, follow in Jenny's footsteps and paint your wall paneling to match the decor, or leave it in its natural finish.
Use clever storage to minimize clutter
Clutter in the bedroom can make it difficult to mentally switch off. Installing plenty of hidden storage in your bedroom will reduce the likelihood that clutter collects on your nightstand. Jenny explains to Saatva, "It's important to have things like smart nightstands, baskets, and boxes in your room to tuck away the clutter so you can keep your sleep space as harmonious and serene as possible to support a quality night's rest."
Storage solutions such as under-bed boxes can go a long way in reducing the amount of clutter in a bedroom. Identify the sore spots where clutter accumulates and address this directly when planning the layout of the room during renovations. Do you have make-up permanently strewn across your dressing table? Invest in a cosmetics case. Do you have books piling up on your nightstand? Install a bookshelf. If you need more substantial storage in the bedroom, built-ins can represent the perfect solution to keep items hidden or organized yet close at hand.
Bedrooms don't need to be big
Many of us dream of spacious master suites, but a big bedroom isn't necessarily a good thing. Jenny tells Realtor, "We live in an old farmhouse, so our bedroom is very small. But I found that I like a small space because otherwise it gets cluttered. We've had bedrooms before where we've had sitting spaces and it just ends up being a spot to throw laundry."
For most people, the bedroom simply needs to function as a place where you sleep and get dressed. To do this, all you need is a bed, a nightstand or a shelf with a wall sconce, and a closet. Anything beyond this can turn your bedroom into a dumping ground. If you're toying with the idea of combining two small rooms into one big bedroom, take a moment to consider how much this would improve the use of your space. In most cases, a larger space is unnecessary, and losing separate rooms could decrease the value of your property.
So, instead of demolishing walls to increase the square footage of your space, work smarter with the footprint you have. Consider small bedroom ideas that will maximize your space, like strategically placing mirrors to reflect light. Selecting furniture that works with the scale of your space is also key. Avoid oversized lamps and large beds, and opt for furniture that allows sightlines to be extended, such as nightstands with space beneath them, like this one from Wayfair.
Install a cozy window seat for style and storage
"One of the things I always love in a bedroom is a window seat...We don't have one in our room, but we were able to add one to our daughter's room because of the shape of her window. I just think that they're sweet, especially in a kid's bedroom. Plus, window seats can provide extra storage, which is always handy, especially when you can incorporate a bookshelf around the window and under the seat," Jenny tells Realtor. In Season 3, Episode 8 of "Fixer to Fabulous," Jenny installed one of her favorite features in the master bedroom, creating a window seat between two custom built-ins. This created additional seating space as well as extra storage.
Lacking storage in the bedroom? Don't automatically jump to more wardrobes and chest of drawers. A window seat can create hidden storage space at a low level. This means it doesn't impede on the visual space at eye level, ensuring the bedroom feels as spacious as possible while remaining functional. It also doubles up as extra seating or a cozy reading nook to enjoy a bedtime story with children. If your DIY skills don't extend to building window seats in the style of Dave Marrs you can cheat by purchasing a ready-made storage bench like this one from Wayfair. Place the bench in front of the bedroom window just like a built-in window seat.
Avoid bold colors and patterns
Bold patterns and bright colors are things you should never have in your bedroom. Jenny advocates steering clear of these styles, telling Saatva, "I really recommend avoiding loud paint colors and patterns in the bedroom because I want to promote a calming sensation the minute you walk into the room...For example, you shouldn't paint your bedroom red because the color is associated with energy — not the tone you want when you're trying to wind down at the end of the day. Additionally, I always avoid painting bedrooms with extremely dark colors because they make a space look and feel much smaller."
Avoiding intense patterns and colors in the bedroom doesn't mean your space has to lack personality. You can show off your love of bright wallpaper by installing it in lesser-used rooms of the home, such as a bathroom. In the bedroom, subtle patterns can work instead. In compact bedrooms, consider neutral wallpaper designs that will make small rooms look bigger. If space isn't an issue, you could add a touch of luxury to your bedroom by investing in crushed velvet wallpaper like this one from Lowes.
Consistent flooring makes the space feel larger
If you're lucky enough to have an en-suite attached to your bathroom, consider using the same flooring across both rooms to make the space feel more expansive. In Season 3, Episode 11 of "Fixer to Fabulous" (via HGTV), Jenny explains, "It just helps to have consistent flooring throughout. It'll make the space feel bigger." By using the same floor covering across adjoining rooms, the sightline doesn't get interrupted by abrupt color or material changes. It also helps to draw the eye to the furthest point away, which has the impact of visually making the space appear bigger.
Take inspiration from "Fixer to Fabulous" and use matching flooring to make your room feel bigger. Laminate is one of the best options for a bedroom because it is hardwearing and low-maintenance, and it is also water resistant so you can carry it through to the bathroom. If you want something softer underfoot, consider adding a rug. To choose the right rug for under your bed, consider the size, material, and placement. In a natural-themed bedroom, this jute rug from Rona would look stunning while adding a softer texture to the flooring.
Window treatments can alter the mood
You might not put much thought into window treatments beyond considering whether they match the rest of your decor. Jenny Marrs demonstrates how window treatments can add warmth to a room in many of her renovations. In her blog, Jenny discusses the renovation of a drab bedroom in Season 4, Episode 14 of "Fixer to Fabulous" which she transformed from dark and depressing to a bright and welcoming retreat. Referencing the jute blinds she chose, Jenny says, "The textured window treatments add warmth." And as she explained to Saatva, "I like to use layers of window treatments that you can adjust throughout the day such as blinds, shades, sheers, and drapes to meet your shifting needs and moods."
This bedroom renovation tip will allow you to customize the mood in your bedroom according to the time of day and how you want to use it. Layering window treatments can also make your bedroom multi-functional. When you want a bright and airy space, to read a book, for example, you can pull back your drapes but leave sheer panels closed for a soft, diffused light. If you want a brighter light for applying make-up, open all the curtains and blinds to let the sun's rays penetrate the space. Then, for pitch darkness at bedtime, pull all of the window treatments closed.
Blue paint works well for a serene sleeping space
Blue is a timeless paint color that the "Fixer to Fabulous" stars rely on frequently in their bedroom renovations. In Season 5, Episode 9, Jenny chooses Light Blue by Farrow & Ball for the bedroom wall paint. Via her blog, she explains, "For the bedroom portion, we kept it quite simple. New paint, new window treatments, and a new ceiling fan gave the space a nice refresh." Jenny listed her favorite paint shades on her Instagram account. In addition to Farrow & Ball's Light Blue, she loves the paint maker's De Nimes, a more intense denim-inspired shade. She also included Why the Blue by Benjamin Moore and Charcoal Blue by Sherwin-Williams in her go-to list.
Blue is often touted as the best bedroom color for a soothing vibe. According to color theory, blue helps people to relax, making it an ideal choice for a room where you want to wind down. Consider painting your bedroom in a soft shade of blue such as Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore, or installing a calming blue wallpaper such as this one from Wallpaper Direct.
A symmetrical layout balances a bedroom
Jenny Marrs touts the importance of your bedroom's interior design being symmetrical in its layout. She tells Realtor, "Your bedroom should be a sanctuary. It needs to be serene and peaceful, so it's important to have symmetry and harmony in the space. When you're thinking of furniture, bring in two nightstands, two lamps. I think symmetry really helps balance the space and balance your eye."
Your choices don't always have to be uniform, for example, you could mix and match bedside lamps, but as long as they are a similar size and are positioned in the same spot on either side of the bed, they will look balanced. Built-in units on either side of the bed should be of a similar size and shape, and wall shelves should be positioned at the same height as each other. This design tip can be used throughout the space to achieve a bedroom that feels visually balanced.