Cathy’s Cheerfully Sunny Bedroom

My room is the best because it packs a lot of punch for such a small space. It is my bedroom, office, entertainment centre, ‘crafts’ room and coffee/snack bar. What I love most about my room is the colour. The walls are all painted yellow, so when the sun shines through my window, the light bounces around the room and amplifies, making my room feel bigger and, more importantly, very sunny-bright and cheerful.

colorful bedroom

colorful bedroom ideas

colorful bedroom designs

colorful bedroom decorating

ideas on creating a colorful bedroom

Highlights of Cathy’s Room…

Cathy not only has an outstanding bedroom, but she did such a fabulous job on highlighting her own room that I’ll let her explain everything to you in her own words…
I accessorize with fun colors: the window valance, sill, door frame, and a shelving unit are bright pink, and the furniture is green, red, and yellow. Artwork sits on all four walls. The purpose of this color scheme was to use color as a mood enhancer. What happier color can there be than the color of sunshine? What can be more fun than a room splattered with bright colors and flowers?

While I love everything about my room, I am particularly proud of my office and my near-the-ceiling bookshelf.
Office
When I envisioned my workspace, I had two main ideas: practical and pretty. As a freelance writer working at home, “practical” meant well-organized, in reach, and a desk that somehow discouraged the collecting of clutter.

The smallness of the desk means that it holds what I need and nothing more, while the two corkboards, three dry-erase boards, mini-computer (7-inch screen), and a telephone that hangs from the wall just to the right of the desk help me stay organized. Just to the right of that, using the left-most corner of my green drawers, I have a couple of baskets to hold stationary supplies (pens, paper clips, etc.)

“Pretty” meant clean lines and pleasing color-coordination. The desk is a triangle shelf built into the wall so there are no space-stealing table legs. Above the desk is a smaller, matching triangle shelf that does double-duty. It holds a colorful bouquet of flowers on top, and a small light is attached on the underside to shine down onto the workspace. (My friend built the desk and shelf for me from a piece of old furniture that was being thrown out.)

The dry-erase boards and corkboards are set up to mirror each other for a visually pleasing and simplified decor. This corner is all about straight lines and repetition. The boards on the left are used for keeping track of work. The boards on the right are for fun stuff, like photos of friends and family. The shelves and the corkboard frames are painted in matching light and dark purple.

The dry erase boards came in purple and blue, and the colorful foam desktop decoration (a dollar-store find) not only protects the finish on the shelf, it also brings a sense of fun to the area, as does the pink lava lamp. The clock beside the lamp projects the time onto the opposite wall so in the night, when I’m in my loft bed and the lights are out, I can look at the wall to see what time it is.
Near-Ceiling Bookshelf
With too many books and not enough space, I came up with the idea to build a shelf in an area that would otherwise be wasted: above the bedroom and closet doors. The resulting bookshelf, built by my friend from reclaimed wood and gyprock, is now a permanent addition to the wall and stretches the full width of the room. It’s amazing just how many books it holds; had I used the traditional furniture for this, I’d completely fill up at least one 3-shelf bookshelf and use up valuable floorspace.
Loft Bed and Sitting Room
I use a loft bed to free up floor space, allowing me to create a sitting room underneath which is directly across from my TV and VCR. This setup makes me much more comfortable about having friends over, since I can now offer them a place to sit. (It’s like having a miniature living room.)

The metal bar of the loft bed, against the wall, allows me a place to put the paintings I’m working on so they can dry undisturbed. The lightweight table between the seats can be moved around so I can use it when doing my various crafts. This means my sitting room can be turned quickly into a painting studio or sewing room. An area for the cats is set up under the table: a box where they can sleep, and a couple of food dishes.

In addition, the wire mesh of the loft bed, which holds up the mattress, is perfect for hanging laundry to dry. For reading in bed, I have a booklight clipped to the rail and a small wire basket, just big enough to hold a paperback book, hanging on the outside. (Both are available at dollar stores or office/stationary stores; best time to find them is during school sales in August/September.)
Storage
I have a lot of storage area in my room. Two sets of drawers, two filing cabinets, and two vertically high shelving units hold a lot of stuff. The two shelving units are next to the bedroom door so when the door is open, they are somewhat hidden behind it.

Because of the lack of floor space, I concentrated on building up, not out. These shelving units are crammed full of art supplies, craft supplies, a sewing machine, fabric, art and craft books, etc. and also act as a space to hold more stuff on top. When exposed, it looks chaotic and busy. However, a couple of pieces of fabric hung on front turns this space into a visually calming and quiet place.

The pink and cream fabric matches the pink accessories around the room and the cream color of the drapes on the window. Throughout the room, there is stuff stored under and between pieces of furniture, making use of all the little nooks and crannies that would otherwise be wasted.
Cat Refuge
In addition to a little area under the sitting room table for the cats, there is another cat carrier set up on top of the shelving unit behind the door. One of the cats spends a lot of her time there, quite happy to have a high place to call her own where she can sleep or sit and watch everything that goes on.
Entertainment Area
A TV and VCR sit on top of two filing cabinets. Just to the right, hidden on the shelves, is a radio/CD player. Everything is remote controlled.
Coffee Bar
On top of the red drawers is a coffee and snack area. I can drink coffee or make toast without having to leave my room and wake up my roommates: invaluable for when I work odd hours.
Closet
The important thing about the closet is that the doors are painted the same color as the walls so when they are closed, they ‘disappear’ and make the room look bigger.
Note: Wow! Thank you so much for sending in your wonderfully creative bedroom, Cathy. I absolutely love it, and I appreciate you taking the time out to share the marvelous details of what makes it so fabulous. You did an outstanding job on both accounts, and you really cut my work load down (concerning having to highlight your room myself). Special thanks to you for being so kind, Cathy. Thank you so much!