The bed is always the focal point in a contemporary-style bedroom so proper positioning is everything! While a minimalistic platform bed was once only available in a few styles, today you can find them in a wide variety of colors, some open underneath, others closed off. They typically do not have a headboard but if there is one, it’s usually quite basic.

So, with how simple these platform beds are, how do they demand so much attention? It’s all about the position in the room! A bed in a contemporary room can be placed in the room’s center but most people find they appreciate the security of a wall behind them. When placed against a wall, it should be a large solid one that can house a nice piece of art. It really should never be positioned under a window or in direct line with the door and you absolutely do not want to have a bed under a beam. It is suggested that the weight of a beam overhead can cause headaches and disrupt sleep patterns.

Draw More Attention

If you really want to zoom in on the bed, turn tall dressers or shelving so they are positioned kiddie corner, this allows them to be on an angle facing the bed. As a last tip, contemporary styling is minimalist but it is all about balance so if you have a lot of sharp lines including your bed, dresser, television, etc., consider adding a round nightstand, piece of art, rug or even a bean bag chair to bring an equal balance to the room.

The proper headboard in a bedroom is like a fireplace mantel in the living room, they both create a focal point. Any properly decorated room will provide a fabulous area for the eyes to come to rest. Choosing the right headboard for your room is suggested to draw positive energy inward to help with quality sleep. Not to mention, they just look great!

• Creativity – For a real attention-grabber, stay clear of traditional flat panel headboards. There are incredibly unique and artistic pieces available today in wave, oval or many other shapes to bring a little creativity to the space.

• Material – You will find that most headboards are made from wood or metal (two important Feng Shui elements) however, that doesn’t mean you have to over look wicker, bamboo, quilting or you can even make one with a large canvas covered with fabric.

• Surroundings – Traditionally, the decor of your room is going to dictate the headboard you choose. Just because you love that contemporary black, curved headboard does not mean it will compliment your Victorian or country cottage room. Theme and color must both be taken into consideration.

Headboards provide you with a more secure feeling while you sleep, according to Taoist beliefs. It is also suggested to not hang or drop clothes from them as they are essentially pieces of art. After all, you wouldn’t hang a towel over a canvas in your living room would you?

“BEDROOM- AN ALL IN ONE SPACE
Sometimes we want our bedroom to be more than just a place to sleep. If we are multi task oriented, we desire to complete all our daily tasks before leaving the bedroom, and hence we can even convert it into a multi- purpose room.”

Wallpapers have been getting a bad rap in the modern interior design world lately. Paint seems to be all the rage, while wallpapers are relegated to “older” styles. But that’s not necessarily the case.

Your bedroom could benefit from a fresh layer of wallpaper, if you’re looking for a way to bring some life to your walls.

The patterns of modern wallpaper simply can’t be matched by an understated, simple coat of paint.

For instance, the wallpaper in the image above features tasteful and delicate bare trees with birds interspersed throughout the branches. The rich brown background and gilded gold trees is simply stunning, and adds a lot of depth and detail to the walls, which would otherwise likely be a flat brown.

You can also use wallpaper in a more minimal sense. By using wallpaper on only one wall of your bedroom, you can incorporate a much bolder pattern and draw the focus of the eye towards the accent space. If you do choose a bold pattern, just be sure it isn’t completely overwhelming.

As your bed will likely be the centerpiece of your bedroom, you want to be sure that the wallpaper doesn’t detract from the bed or other furniture, but instead it should compliment the contents of the room.

Wallpaper will likely make a comeback in 2011, so if you want to get ahead of the curve, go ahead and experiment with some bright, bold and beautiful wallpaper today.

If you’re anything like us here in the Padstyle office, you fall into the “convenience trap” of using your smartphone to wake yourself up every morning. Now, we’re not saying that smartphones aren’t stylish, just that they maybe don’t belong at your bedside when you have other options.

We’ve gathered three stunning, modern alarm clocks that will hopefully serve as inspiration for a little bedside redecorating. Without further ado, three stylish alarm clocks that will replace your smartphone:

Sleek. Black. Sophisticated. This minimalist alarm clock is any modern bedroom’s dream. The Sonoro Cubo Elements alarm clock features lots of little extras in addition to its bold style, like an iPod recharging dock, great speakers, and internet radio capabilities. But aside from all that, we really just love its black lacquered, high gloss finish and brushed stainless steel accents.

Image credit: Mobile Whack

This Jacob Jensen alarm clock is compact and stylish. The extra large chrome buttons that flank the flat LCD screen really make the clock pop. It features a 24 hour clock and a sophisticated beep alarm.

Image credit: Studio Design Collection

If you’re looking for a little retro-mod for the bedroom, look no further, This cute clock is the perfect accent piece. It features a smart white front plate, birch construction, and a prominent starburst front-facing speaker. Mornings don’t get funkier than this!

Image credit: BedZine

It can be tough to strike a balance when it comes to your children’s rooms. On one hand, you want them to be happy – on the other, you’ve got to remember that they’ll outgrow their obsession with nailing posters into the wall but your walls might not so easily recover.

When redecorating your children’s rooms, you can maintain the overall modern look of your home while giving them the colors, vibrancy and fun they’re looking for.

Things to keep in mind:

• Safety. Whether your child is five or fifteen, you can’t have too many potentially breakable items in their room, or you might end up with more of a mess than a redecoration on your hands
• Storage. Kids have toys, books, CDs and loads of other things they tend to hoard in their room. While their closet is a good space for this, you might want to think about extra storage under the bed or by installing hooks in the wall.
• Comfort. Although your children might want black walls or a small but stylish desk, you’ve got to remember that they’ll be using the room to play with friends, study and sleep.
• Style. The big one for all of us interior aficionados. Any color scheme can be incorporated into your children’s rooms, but be sure that it is something they won’t grow out of within a year or two. And you can minimize costs while maintaining style if you renovate only the linens, bedspread, curtains and the like – keep the basics (the bed, the desk) as they are, and just dress them up!

If you can balance your desire for a modern home with some (but not all!) of the requests your children make of you, you’ll have a versatile, pleasing child’s bedroom that they will hopefully love for years to come – saving you on having to do another redecoration a year down the road!

Your bedroom is your safe place, your private abode – and it’s all about the details when it comes to decorating this sacred space. Although guests won’t be visiting your bedroom often, you can dress it up to be a modern testament to style by paying attention to the accents.

How about trying out a few throw pillows to add a splash of color? Decorative pillows can dress up a bedroom bench, your bed itself, and they can even look stunning placed nonchalantly in the corner.

You can also introduce color into your bedroom in a more subtle way. Sateen sheets come in a variety of muted colors, like eggshell blue and goldenrod yellow. When your bed is made up with the corner pulled down, this delicate touch of color will warm up its surroundings.

Wall decals are another option for a bedroom accent. Available in white, black and a variety of colors, these can add a tasteful but flirty and fun element to your room.

Patterned curtains can also brighten up a bedroom. You can get dragonflies buzzing around a sheer backdrop, or flowers weaving in and out of your window. If you do decide to get patterned curtains, try matching the main colors with your bedspread or accent pillows.

And finally, a flower vase can go a long way in dressing up a bedroom. You can incorporate a bright blue vase with pink flowers for a lovely splash of fresh scent and color.

What do you use to brighten up your bedroom?

When decorating a modern bedroom, most people start with the bedroom set. A 5- or 7-piece ensemble that is perfectly matched in espresso wood or white veneer. And there is nothing wrong with this approach. However, if you’re looking for a way to create your bedroom from scratch – without relying on a pre-fab bedroom set – we’ve got some great tips.

A mix-n-match bedroom can look simply stunning, and it will always be unique. The first rule of thumb, as with any interior decorating you do, is to let your senses guide you. Style guides, trends, and advice are all well and good, but it is your home, so you should have final say.

When choosing individual bed frames, dressers, mirrors, nightstands, benches, tables, curtains and other accessories for your bedroom, you want to keep color, texture and materials in mind.

For instance, if you’re going for the shabby chic look like the image above, you’ll probably want some rubbed bronze, worn or exposed wood, distressed finishes and otherwise antique-looking textures. Or, if you want to do the ethnic eclectic look, you might want to choose texturized and colorful fabrics and natural finish woods.

It can help if you have an interesting base from which to sprout your unique bedroom set ideas as well. Exposed brick, like the image above, inspires all sorts of creativity, as does an oddly shaped room or an eye-catching floor.

Designing your bedroom without the help of a bedroom set can be daunting, but you’ll feel like a true champion designer when you’ve pulled together a jumble of furniture and created a harmonious room from scratch.

Smooth, cool and modern. This Italian-inspired nightstand combines rich, brown chocolate leather with the icy cool of a glass top to give you a sophisticated accent piece that will be right at home next to your modern platform bed. Featuring two drawers, chrome accent handles and white stitching, everything about the Crono Leather Nightstand is ultra modern while maintaining a long-lasting classic look. Any decor that is contemporary, modern, or minimalist in inspiration would welcome this classy piece of furniture with open arms. You’ll find the Crono Leather Nightstand by Doimo at eRoomService.com for $849.00.

Subtle style makes a dramatic difference. The simple style that the Mod Midcentury Inlay Cabinet displays is all about the details. The all-bamboo cabinet is constructed from environmentally-friendly materials, certified “green”, so you know you’re helping the environment while you add a touch of style to your home. The inlay bamboo in the corner is a modern twist on a traditional design. You can choose from four configurations – a nightstand, sideboard, long dresser or tall dresser – that are all made of amber bamboo and feature an intriguing inlay. Help your style and help the environment with the calm presence of these cabinets. You can purchase the Mod Midcentury Inlay Cabinet from PlushPod.com for $1900.00 – $4500.00.

Discreet storage, unabashed style. There is a charm to this Modern Wenge Bedroom set that goes beyond modern style. It is a timeless piece that can be built upon to make your master bedroom the central area of your entire home. Wenge finish makes it an ideal canvass upon which to paint your interior decorating dreams, and the chunky lines are perfect for experimentation with modern accents. The bed swings open at the head to reveal ample storage space for extra blankets, pillows and other items which might otherwise clutter your new stylish bedroom. You can purchase the Modern Wenge Finish Bedroom Set with Storage at ModernFurnitureWarehouse.com starting at $2,299.00.

Clean and sustainable production; clean and modern seating. The Conde House – Akimbo Armchair is a modern chair on two fronts: its design and its manufacturing process. The clean and simple lines are given life through your choice of nearly 20 house leather colors for the cushions and 10 oak or walnut stains for the frame. The wood used for the frame is grown by Conde House in a sustainable crop, and the manufacturing process for this chair uses no toxins or other harmful chemicals. You really can have it all with the Akimbo Armchair. The Conde House – Akimbo Armchair can be found at 2Modern.com for $1,813.00 – $1,863.00.