So Much For A Relaxing Retreat

After spending way too much time in bed today(horrible sick day), I've decided I really need to change things up in my bedroom. It's pretty functional, but is strongly lacking a 'wow' factor. It's just a bed, dresser and two bookcases full of our DVDs and books. Blah, blah, blah. So after waking up around noon, I'd had enough. I went out, grabbed my Little Black Book, and started leafing through trying to find something to inspire me. I guess subconsciously I can't stand bedrooms because I had a whopping 3 pictures out of about a hundred and fifty that featured them. That's all! Usually people have tons of pictures of bedrooms, right? My bedroom has always been the catch-all and is neglected no matter where we've lived. I'm hardly even in it during the day, and I think it's because I just don't feel at home. I need to change that around a.s.a.p.! I've got to add to my bedroom image collection. At least the few I have now can somewhat stand on their own.

This is the frou-frou girl in me. You know those 'turn and outfit into a room' magazine spreads? Yeah, kinda like that, but not really. This is all about my inner 6 year old.

I think this is one I could pass off on Andrew, no problem. Just enough brown combined with fun stripe patterns and I think he'd be good.

This is what I like to call my Ideal Bedroom. In both my online and Black Book collections of images I have my Ideals. The end all be all of a room that I would just love, love, loooove to have. The nice thing about this brown/pink/green/antique white combination is that it would actually go really well with the rest of my apartment. It would be an awesome project to take on. I've got the boring blah 'Before' and this could be my 'After'. What do you think?

Well these three are awesome and all, especially the last one, but I needed to add some more in, if for nothing else than the days where I need the extra push to clean and beautify this place. This is what I found....

I've become a definite fan of natural light, and being up on the third floor here is perfect. I love how this bedroom has a great mix of earth and air, or at least it does to me. The browns and blues with the cream in between just gives off an organic feel.

Because so many things end up in our room, I love seeing all of the extra storage in this room. Boxes under the bed, bags, and that awesome tall dresser would be very happy additions to our bedroom. We don't even have nightstands. Blah.

As much as I love things all cleaned up and contained, there is something so fresh about the idea of getting out of bed after reading a book, turning around, and snapping a quick picture. I've become very aware of the kinds of fabrics I like snuggling up with, and that white comforter topped with the silky smooth purple bit looks wonderful to me! Not so sure about those heels though. Ouchie.

That was my little collection of bedroom inspirations. What do you do to make your bedroom a fantastic place to be? What kind of inspirations did you use to get your bedroom together? Magazines? Advice from friends? Did you just grab a comforter at the store and kind of make it work? Seeing that brown/pink/green combo has me motivated!

{top 3-BHG magazines~bottom 3-House to Home-cream, white, purple}