Designing around a theme is a universal decorating practice. It helps you create a cohesive look, while still allowing you to express your tastes and preferences. Don't be too rigid with your theme ideas, though. Otherwise, you may end up with a cheesy or overly cutesy room. Be open to weaving varying styles into your overall theme. For example, don't assume you must stick to blue and white stripes for a beach theme. Your color scheme can include greens, neutral tones, white, corals, yellows, grays, and even red accents. Your lamps need not be made out of anchors or seashells. Instead, add to the look with color, tone, and texture.

If you have lots of space to work with, congratulations. Lucky you! Make the most of it. But many of you are working in limited areas. Your bedroom design ideas should incorporate space-saving elements. Here are some tricks to try: When decorating a small bedroom, look for ways to open up your space and eliminate clutter. Use lighting, colors, and multi-purpose options.

When decorating, remember the primary purpose of your bedroom is rest and relaxation. Skip the live-work space ideas for this room. Neutral, muted hues are typically more calming than bold, bright choices. If you love color, use it. But opt for the softer shades of your favorite tones. Don't ignore the importance of your lighting choices for creating a mood. Choose three-way lamps or install dimmers. Add candles for relaxing ambiance. Imitate a spa feeling with aromatic plants, flowers, or an essential oil diffuser.

Clutter is a decorator's nightmare. Incorporate form and function in your bedroom with clever storage ideas. You'll find an insane amount of products designed for this purpose. Take advantage of them if you have the budget and the inclination. Keep your decor elements in mind when you make your purchases. For the enterprising decorator, storage tips and hacks are plentiful, too. Here is a tiny sampling: With a little research and your own ingenuity, you can come up with other solutions to meet your personal bedroom storage needs.

Your bedroom walls are a blank canvas for your decorating fancies, whims, and desires. Use paint, wallpaper, murals, wall art, and lighting to design the look you want. Add board and batten or create your own art gallery. Customizable wall art, murals, and hanging rugs give you free, expressive reign.

Your bed is the star of the show. Your bed frame, headboard, and bedding choices should have tremendous impact on the entire theme and style of the room. Four-posters, canopies, lush quilted headboards, and simple platform beds all make their own decor statement. Add carefully-selected sheets, quilts, blankets, comforters, and pillows. Now you have a theme. Run with it.

Don't ignore your bedroom closet just because it's behind a door. Give that space some love. Start with a vigorous clean out and reorganization. Then dress it up with a few fun decorating touches. Add color and light with paint or wallpaper. Install lighting or stick-up lights, depending upon your budget. Give it appeal from the outside, too, by painting your closet doors. If you have sliding doors, replace them with decorative curtains and a stunning curtain rod.

Lighting sets a mood, and the proper illumination can be helpful for relaxation and rejuvenation. Lamps, sconces, candles, and rope lights are a few of the many choices you have for adding decorative accents through lighting. Create an atmosphere — drama, romance, sensuality, charm, or glamour. Consider practical applications, as well, like reading lamps and task lighting.

Complement your theme, add some drama, or simply elevate your bedroom decor with an area rug. Rugs are also a simple and decorative way to cover up worn or damaged flooring. Examine how differing styles, patterns, colors, materials, and weaves will look, last, and wear. Size and placement are important aspects, too. Go as big as you can to pull a look together. But, consider proportions. Use your bed as a foundation for placement and size.

Boost the aesthetic of boring, bland, or neutral bedroom decor with texture. The simplest way to introduce new textures is with plants, pillows, weaved baskets, and bedding. Take it up a notch with fiber art and shag rugs. Or go all out with an upholstered bed. If you're more adventurous, consider some uncommon ideas: Be inventive, original, and simply have fun with it.