6 Design Tricks I’ve Learned From Watching TikTok Creators Do Bedroom Makeovers | Architectural Digest

With more than 10 million likes on TikTok, the DIY pro and home decor YouTuber knows a thing or two about designing an enviably cozy bedroom. As Scott demonstrates, mixing up the bedding textures and materials is key to creating a cozy haven. Salazar agrees, adding that “layering in different textures adds visual interest and depth.”

And if you must choose just one place to treat yourself, consider the bed. “There are places to splurge and places to save,” Brown says. “If you can, splurging on bedding is a worthwhile investment. A great night’s sleep is priceless.”

Experiment with wall textures

The walls are yet another blank canvas for adding texture and character. Accents like wainscoting and moldings wholly transform the vibe of a bedroom—and can be much less labor-intensive than they seem.

Erika Vér, a Cleveland-based DIY and home decor creator who goes by @peonyandhoney, is partial to peel-and-stick moldings, which she added to her walls in this inspiring room transformation. “I wanted to add some character and to add a cozy feel to our bedroom,” she explains in an email. “[The moldings] give the illusion of taller ceilings and thus, a larger room.”

Vér opted for Luxe Architectural, which can be purchased already primed. “All you have to do is peel the backing off and stick them to the wall,” she adds. Most importantly, Vér recommends using tools like Omnicalculator.com to take all of your measurements before buying in order to “calculate your spacing for any wainscoting or wall moldings.”

Another bonus of the peel-and-stick variety? Their potential to make a lasting impact. Vér says, “They can be renter-friendly if you just [apply them as they are]. But since we own our home, I opted to caulk around all of the edges for a more permanent, finished application.”

Be strategic about storage

Although open storage might look very stylish, the requisite minimalism can render it impractical for most people’s bedrooms. As Annika Hinds, a DIY and design creator known as @blondesigns, shows in a stunning makeover of her mom’s bedroom that transitioning to closed storage can make a huge difference by vastly reducing the visual noise.

There’s also no hard-and-fast rule for open versus closed storage. “Overall, it depends on the space and the style you are going for,” Hinds explains. “In that specific bedroom transformation, [my mom] wanted a more calming environment. The open closet happened to be the first thing you saw when you walked in, making it a focal point of the room, so we covered it to make it feel less cluttered.”

Regular pruning and reorganizing will also help keep your open closet system manageable and your bedroom a calm, soothing space.

Create a jumping-off point

Finally, if you’re at a loss for where to begin, Anthony Immediato, a San Diego–based interior designer, recommends creating a jumping-off point. As he says in one of his videos, “Start with an area rug or a throw rug that you really like, and make your design and decor and furniture choices based on that rug, that way everything looks cohesive and tied together in the end.”

“You don’t necessarily have to start from the bottom,” Immediato explains in an email. “But if you have no idea where to start, try to pick one piece, be it a rug or a bed, that you love and build off of that. For example, say the piece that I already have at home is a beautiful vintage midcentury-modern dresser that I’m putting in my guest bedroom. Then one day while I’m out shopping I fall in love with a pair of gorgeous boho nightstands. I can now reference back to the piece I already have and ask myself if these nightstands will look right living in the same room as my vintage dresser. In this case, the answer is no, and now I’ve saved myself from an impulse buy and ensured that my guest bedroom will end up being visually pleasing and aesthetically correct.”

He also advises against matching sets, which can make the bedroom feel “stale and cold.” Let a single piece that you love be your starting point, and then mix and match with intentionality.