12 Warm-Weather Makeover Ideas for the Bedroom

Are your linens and bedroom decor still playing the heavy? Shed some visual weight for spring and summer with these decorating ideas

Laura Gaskill April 15, 2014

Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers

Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More

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The longer, warmer days of spring and summer beg for a lighter touch in the bedroom and guest quarters. Pack up the thick duvets and woolen blankets and set out something fresher and prettier — think kantha quilts, airy curtains and painted furniture. These 12 ideas will get you started.

1. Paint bicolored walls. Carefully tape off the lower section of your bedroom walls. Paint below the line a soft sky blue, and the top section a crisp white for a summery seaside look.

2. Hang white curtains around the bed. You don’t need a canopy bed to get the feel of one. Simply hang white sheers from ceiling-mounted tracks around the bed.

Starr Sanford Design

3. Set up a cute sleeping porch. If you have an enclosed back porch, why not give this a go? You can easily arrange a few twin beds end to end with a glass lamp between them. Roll out inexpensive beach mats or natural fiber rugs, and layer on the striped bedding. Once you have a sleeping porch all set up, you may find yourself using it to nap, or even just to sit and read a book in the afternoon.

Jen Dalley //

4. Lighten up with airy wood pieces. A modern slatted wood bench at the foot of the bed and a bamboo pendant are visually light, making a room feel larger — always a good thing! Also try woven materials like wicker and airy woven baskets.

5. Paint something chartreuse. Paint a nightstand, the interior of your bookshelves or even a flowerpot. A bit of chartreuse brings a lively, spring-like vibe to any space.

Fannie Allen Design

6. Use lightweight kantha quilts. Kantha is a type of stitching used to piece together bits of old fabrics to create beautiful new blankets like the ones here. Made mostly in Bangladesh and India, kantha quilts can now be found in many large shops and on sites like Etsy. These lightweight quilts make ideal bedspreads in warm weather — layer one over a blanket on cool spring nights and use it alone in the dog days of summer.

Shannon Malone

7. Layer subtle, pretty patterns in a single hue. Lavender is a lovely choice for spring and summer bedding, and looks fresh and current against crisp white plank walls. Try mixing a large-scale floral or botanical print with a smaller geometric print and a solid, all in the same hue, for a polished look.

Shannon Malone

8. Paint a dark dresser white. Give a tired old wooden dresser a lift with several coats of white paint. You will likely find it makes the entire room feel lighter and bigger.

9. Add a mirror. Boost light by hanging a mirror in the bedroom where it can reflect the view outside. Vintage mirrors with a great shape can often be found for a song, especially if you don’t mind repainting the frame.

Emerick Architects

10. Ground floaty fabrics with black. Strike a balance between masculine and feminine by pairing light, gauzy blue and white textiles with stark black painted trim. Diaphanous curtains, delicate ticking stripes, and even vintage lace-edged sheets feel less frilly with a bit of contrast.

Ivy Lane Living

11. Lighten up a traditional piece. If you have an upholstered armchair or bench in the bedroom, try painting the frame white and re-covering the seat in a light, springy print. Armoires, chests and nightstands can also be completely transformed with paint and new knobs. For a bolder look, choose a color like mint, aqua, navy or pink, instead of white.

12. Sharpen up a guest room. Symmetry is key to making a guest room (or any room) look ultrasharp, no matter the budget. In the room shown here, matching bamboo headboards and blue striped bedding are equal parts chic and beachy. A silky curtain panel hung against the wall frames the central nightstand and breaks up the expanse of dark wall.

Tell us: Do you make changes to your bedroom based on the season? How are you planning to update your bedroom or guest quarters this spring and summer?