'I asked 3 interior styling experts what was wrong with my bedroom. They all said the same thing.'

I am in my curated girl era. The unfortunate thing is that I have no talent experience in anything to do with design, styling or just making things look... good.

One thing that I know that has never looked good to me is my bedroom. 

I live in a small studio loft so my bedroom is up a few stairs in an open space that looks down upon the rest of my house. Because there are no doors, whenever I have people over, unfortunately for them, they can see straight into my bedroom. And I just know that they're thinking, "What happened here?". 

My bedroom has always just been the place where I sleep. I don't spend my time there and I've never put in any effort in the way it looks and feels. I have a double bed, one bedside table, a TV unit that I use as a dresser (don't ask), a bookshelf and a big mirror wardrobe. I have a few prints and photos lazily placed and taped around the room but that is literally the extent of my personalisation effort. 

Image: Supplied.

Wanting to get my life together, I thought the best way to start would be by fixing up my bedroom. 

As mentioned before, I'm not well informed in the design area which is exactly why I asked three extremely professional interior experts to help me out — Brad Smith from Omni Home Ideas, design psychologist Kylie Sandland and interior stylist Martha Behan. 

Although they said that there was nothing wrong with my room, they definitely had some suggestions to make the space better, which will hopefully help you, too! 

Here's what they told me: 

1. My bed needs... work.

Image: Supplied.

I've had my trusty double bed for around five years now. The main reason for buying it is for its storage drawers and shelving bedhead (it's tough being a studio apartment city girl). I can't remember where I got my sheets from but I thought no one can go wrong with white right? Wrong. 

The experts suggested that I soften the look of my bed since my display cushions are pink and red. 

Brad advised using softer colours and textures.

"Your bedding choice is crisp and inviting, but layering different textures and softer tones could add a luxury feel," he said. "Think of plush throws and a variety of cushion sizes with subtle patterns to complement your chosen accent colour."

Martha suggested I swap out my shelving bedhead with something softer like this one from Etsy. 

The experts suggested I add more textures for a luxury feel. Image: Etsy via Martha Behan. 

2. I need to put away my things. 

If it wasn't clear in the images, I have a lot of things... everywhere. And to be super honest, I put away and cleaned quite a lot before I snapped these pics. 

Kylie suggested I declutter my beauty products by keeping them stored in a trolly which I can move around to do my skincare while still having them contained in one spot. Like this one: 

IKEA Vesken Trolley, $10.

Image: IKEA

"Clutter increases the stress hormone, cortisol, in our body and studies have shown that this is particularly the case for women," Kylie told me. 

"Continuously high levels of cortisol can make us feel anxious, depressed and physically sick. Visual clutter also increases the amount of information your brain needs to process. Those not-so-innocent piles of washing or papers or makeup in your bedroom might be sending your brain into overdrive, making it difficult for you to unwind and fall asleep."

Brad also suggested "choosing essential items and storage solutions that hide away personal items, leaving only a few curated decorative pieces on display."

Martha suggested that bedside pockets like the ones below could be the key to keep away clutter from my bedside table. 

Bedside Storage Pocket, $22.60. 

Image: Amazon.

"I love these bedside pockets to keep your bedside table free from clutter and just have your glass of water. You can even wire a charger through easily and charge your phone, Apple Watch or kindle there while keep the charger hidden and them," Martha said. 

3. My bookshelf is not... good?

Image: Supplied.

Look, I'll be the first to admit that my bookshelf is a bit of an eyesore. I honestly just needed something to put all my stuff. Don't worry though, the experts gave me some great advice. 

Martha suggested I swap out my bookshelf for another bedside table with more storage. She also suggested that if I wanted to keep my bookshelf, I could style it differently. 

"Gather books of similar sizes together and group in different orientations - on their side and front size down to create different zones and platforms. You can also turn your books backwards to create a more cohesive look," she suggested. 

Brad added, "Consider swapping out the bookshelf for a built-in shelf or wall-mounted shelves to free up floor space."

Image: Pinterest via Martha Behan.

4. I need to re-work my bedside table.

Image: Supplied

My bedside table was the first thing I bought and also one of the cheapest options that I saw in IKEA at the time. I wanted something small and easy and simple because I didn't really know what the vibe would be with my bedroom. After speaking to the experts, I now have a much better idea of what to do with it.

"Try to stick with bedside tables that are a little chunkier, have curves, brutalist in style or have some kind of bobbin detailing. Don’t pick pieces with fine ornate detailing on them as they more than likely won't work with modern-looking handles," Martha said. 

Brad added: "Consider a floating nightstand which maintains a clean look and saves floor space."

5. I desperately need a rug.

Lastly, they all suggested that I should get my rug game on. 

 "The floor space could benefit from a soft rug in a light neutral colour to define the sleeping area and add warmth underfoot," Brad suggested. 

Kylie said: "Add a rug that picks up your lovely deep red/pink accent colours. This will help bring the design elements of your room together as well as upping the cosy factor (especially as we’re coming into cooler temperatures)."

Martha added: "If you want to up the maximum cosiness, you could include a large rug in the room. There’s an awesome Australian company called Double Online and they sell washable rugs with a huge amount of choice." 

She recommended this one: 

Play Orange Chenille Rug, from $170.

Image: Double Online.

If you want more lifestyle opinions and recommendations from Emily Vernem, you can follow her on Instagram @emilyvernem.

Feature Image: Supplied.

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