I’ve lived on my own (or with various roommates) off and on for more than ten years. I’ve moved a few times and rearranged my bedroom a few times more than that. I think I’ve finally figured out how to create a bedroom that is truly ideal for a single woman.

Here are the five key features of a great bedroom for a single gal:

1. It feels safe. I think it’s really important for single women to feel safe in their beds (especially if they live alone!) Safety could mean lots of pillows to cuddle up with or windows that lock or lights that are easy to reach from the bed. It means different things to different women but I think it’s always important.
2. It’s pretty. I like having a bedroom that’s pretty. My definition of pretty has changed over the years and grown up a bit over time (or at least I’d like to think so) but I’ve always tried to pretty up my bedroom in some way.
3. It’s also comfortable. Pretty and safe are important features but mostly the room has to be comfortable. It has to have good energy. The bed has to be comfy. It’s the place where you spend at least eight hours of each day if not more so it should be a place where every seat feels totally comfortable.
4. It serves multiple functions. Almost all of my bedrooms have served multiple functions (especially when living with roommates). Most often, it’s been a bedroom as well as a library and office. It’s also usually had a sofa in it that people could sleep on if they stayed over.
5. It’s up to date. I don’t mean that my bedroom has to have trendy furniture and modern art. Instead, I mean that it needs to be up to date with me. My bedrooms always reflect my current passions, moods and beliefs. I think that this is important.

What do you think are the most important features of a bedroom for a woman who lives alone?

Tags: bedroom, decorating, houzz, Interior Design, kathryn vercillo, rooms, single, women

I was just compiling pictures of canopy beds for a design article over at Houzz.com. I’ve never had a canopy bed but I used to really want one when I was younger. I can think of a few reasons that I’d still like to get a canopy bed.

Canopy beds seem great because:

• They’re playful. They just look like a lot of fun. Entering a room that has one feels exciting!
• They create a safe place. If you have to spend the night alone then it’s nice to get all tucked in. A canopy bed enhances that.
• They’re romantic. If you’re not spending the night alone then the flirty enclosure of a canopy bed could help set the mood.
• They’re private. If you have to share a room with others then a canopy bed could be a great way to shut them out when you’re ready to sleep.

Although I don’t have one, I can see some great reasons to get a canopy bed. Do you agree?

Tags: bedroom, bedroom design, beds, canopy beds, decor, design, houzz, Interior Design

I don’t have children of my own but I spent several years working as a foster parent, taking kids into my home. One of the things that I always tried to do was to make sure that the bedrooms that I offered to them were nice. Not fancy nice or filled with nice things – just pleasant places to be, places where they could feel safe and comfortable and maybe even happy.

There were a lot of ways that I did this including trying to personalize their rooms with photos and making sure that the beds were comfortable. But one of the easiest ways that I did this was with paint. I love painting rooms different colors and believe that a kid’s room should be painted to express his or her personality.

For one foster child, we did the room in blue and red because he was a big fan of the University of Arizona Wildcats and that was his favorite color. I also had a smaller bedroom where kids who weren’t going to be with me long stayed. That room was very small but I tried to make it seem bigger and brighter by painting the walls a sunny yellow and doing cloud-like blue-and-white paint on the ceiling.

I think that decorating any kids’ room should be fun. And it should be something that kids get to help with. And it should be something that you do again and again. Check out my recent article on The Best Colors for Decorating a Kids’ Room to get some more inspiration!

Tags: bedroom, children, decor, decorating, design, kids