How important is your interior space?
 

Lately I haven't been satisfied with my bedroom, I am planning to do some work on repainting and purchasing new furniture along with a few other small details to get the room into the shape I would like. I can afford to spend the money but I don't want too.

It is a conflict between finances and comfortable living. The money I would spend, somewhere around 500-1000 depending what I buy, would come out of my cash reserves instead of my monthly expenses.

I find that I am just not at ease when I know that I could easily fix up the space and turn it into something I enjoy. How important is it to make your space comfortable? Have you spent the time and money to move past function and into something better designed and more comfortable for your daily living?

For years my husband and I got by with just the necessities...a couch, a bed and dresser in the bedroom, and we put our TV on a chair because hey...it worked. However, I'm now finding myself putting a lot more money into decorating than I used to because I got tired of seeing nothing but blank walls and a TV sitting on a chair. I do it because it brings me joy, not only in the aspect of planning the decorating, but also when I look around my apartment and see touches of "me" instead of just a bare canvas. I suppose if it would bring you happiness to do it, then do it. It just makes my apartment feel more like a home instead of place to put my stuff.

I would love to decorate my apartment, but I have no money.

Right now the best I can do is hang up free posters that come in my surf mags.

I decorate my room with free posters and pictures. One of the best ways to really make a room yours is to repaint it. A friend from home did that and it really made a difference, it doesn't look anything like a normal room anymore. I can't really do that here since I live in an apartment and I would have to repaint before I move out.

Personally I find it very important to make my space comfortable. I do live and spend quite a bit of time in my room, so I want to at least enjoy it.

Martel and I have decided to spend another year in our apartment, which is cool cause it's a great place. I've been slowly trying to make it more like a home and less like a temporary place to live over the past six months, and to me it's VERY important for the place I live to be comfortable. I say, invest some of the money you're thinking about, like, say, 250 or so- and, if you like the direction it's going, continue with it, and if you decide you can live without the extra stuff, then do so. Try and use that 250 to buy stuff that would update the room, but not put you in the middle of the dorm room to House Beautiful transition. Perhaps some curtians, some new art, a new bedspread and sheet set- makes it look new and comfy but doesn't require you do put anything together or rearrange furniture or anything like that. Good luck!

I've run into the same dilemma somewhat recently. Your options really depend on your age and whether you rent or own... I'd say if you're younger and just want to spice up a room, throw some posters up that are "you" and get a good floor standing lamp or two

The next step is framed pictures/artwork, an efficient layout of furniture, and well thought out lighting (lighting makes a *huge* difference!). Don't forget plants, some greenery can liven things up. Get fake if you don't think you can keep it alive, but otherwise real plants will clean the air. Good luck!

I used to think maybe it wasn't so important, but now I think it is. It really affects my mood. In the bedroom for example, I recently purchased a new duvet cover in some really luscious red fabric with burgundy embroidery, and it makes my bed so much more sensual. Blank walls put me off too. It really is in the details, curtains and ties, candles, flowers...it makes a difference to how happy I am in my house. I can't spend much but slowly I'm turning it into a little haven.

We've been gradually decorating our spaces, a little here, a little there since we moved in together. We've never made a conscious effort to decorate anything according to a theme, we just kinda add bits and pieces here and there, a little paint now and then, and the rooms gradually come together. There are three of us, and we're all pretty girly, so except for the room where I keep my comic books (which is decorated with superhero posters and statues), every room has just gradually developed a pretty feminine air. It's become a very comfortable, relaxing place to be, unlike the bare walls and basic furniture I had before Grace and my sister moved in.

Not that important to me atleast haha :cool:

It honestly doesn't take a lot to add personality to your living space. Something as simple as having a calendar with a picture you like, and some things hanging on the wally is a great start. Investing in some good lighting is a sound choice, whether you rent or own - it can make a world of difference for your general mood, as well as set ambience. The #1 key is to pick stuff YOU like and enjoy and feel comfortable with, NOT just want seems to be THE thing to get at the moment. You'll be happier with your decision down the road.

I like to rearrange the furniture. I'm always coming up with new ideas on how to change rooms around. Unfortunately, it's usually much more complex than changing the angle of a chair or moving a lamp to a different room. Also, I usually get into these moods late at night. The result is emotionally and psychologically stimulating, but the process of involving my husband in the labor is the painful part.

I plan to build myself a sleigh bed in similar construction to This one

I went and looked at new furniture and decided that I didn't want to spend a few thousand on a bedframe. I then shopped for used furniture and found a few frames I liked and a similar bed in solid pine to the one above for $400 but, I didn't like the natural finish. But, I figure for less then that I can buy the lumbar and put our woodshop to good use in the next month or two.

I am also going to construct some intresting side tables to match the bed and will also buy a couple of rugs and lamps for my room as well. I will shoot some before and after pictures but its going to take me the next month or so to build the bed on my days off but I will be back with an update.

I look forward to it. Thanks for the input everyone. You re-affirmed my decision and offered excellent advice.

I very much agree with this. A while back my bedroom was a horrible lime green colour. Re painted and its now much warmer, I'm not scared to have people in there anymore!

Also I think decorating comes down to time. If you have just moved somewhere (as long as you havnt been planning something for ages) you're more likely to live with what you have. It's pretty obvious but over time you will want to make your space your own.

this weekend I went to a discount shopping outlet and bought something on a whim with my SO...not the sort of thing we usually buy, because we don't need it, but I'm so glad we did! We bought an African wood carving of a hippo...only about 15 cm tall and 30 cm long, but he's sooo cute. Little things really make all the difference...I love having him in my living room ! :) Buying him was fun too...the guy selling them was willing to haggle...so in the end we got the sculpture at half price!

I spend too much time outside my house to care. I only see it when it's dark and I'm going to sleep.

I have also had a plan to modify my bedroom, it's been bugging me so much lately and find i have more stuff than i ever would need. As soon as i finish my degree then i'm going to rip up the floor and throw everything i don't need away, or sell it on ebay. Then start all over again. New wooden floor and cupboards (helps having a carpenter in the family) and have the minimal amount of clutter as is possible. I'll post some before and after pictures once its all done so watch this space....

I think, everyone needs a space to call their own. Could be an entire room, or part of a room. Your desk, favorite chair, bedroom, office.
If that space that is "your own" is kept up, nice, comfortable, and gives you respite from the world... the rest doesn't matter as much.