We Ask 5 Designers How & When To Redecorate Your Room

How often should I redecorate my home?’ is a question that crosses many home owners’ minds.

There is a lot that can go into decorating a room; whether that is repainting, choosing new wallpaper, new furniture and maybe a new bed. So what is the recommended time you should leave before making these changes?

Dreams recommend replacing your mattress every eight years as it will not be providing you with the comfort and support as it once did after this time. This is why all our mattresses now come with a ‘delivered on’ date, so you know when it’s time for a new one.

Related: What happens to your mattress over time

We wanted to know if there was a similar time frame for when you should redecorate your rooms, so, we spoke to five interior designers who gave us their advice.

Timing

Do you think there’s a similar time frame for when you should design and decorate your bedroom?

Andrea Morgan

The interior designers all agreed that you should think about decorating bedrooms every three to four years as trends are always changing and your room will look outdated.

Certified Rightmove blog contributor, Andrea Morgan, said: ‘Most people tend to decorate at least twice within eight years. Even if we do not completely renovate a room, we will change our bedding and colour scheme. A bedroom is a place of relaxation and solace away from our busy lives, so we want it to be a room that draws us in with its colours, textures and lighting.

Celia Sawyer

‘Eight years is a long time, and our lives could have completely changed, therefore, your bedroom may need to function in an entirely different way. Take my son, for example, he is five, and the room he has now will not work for him when he is thirteen years old; his room needs to change and adapt as he grows.’

Updating is important

Interior Design expert on Channel 4’s Four Rooms and host of BBC 1’s Your Home in Their Hands, Celia Sawyer, said: ‘As an interior designer, I believe updating your home through the years is important, especially your bedroom as it’s a principle room. A bedroom should be a haven of relaxation allowing you to switch off and get a great night’s sleep.

Pippa Jameson

‘Consequently I would recommend staying on top of the décor in your bedroom. The key things are to re-paint your walls every 12-24 months. You would be surprised what a couple of new coats of paint can do to refresh and revitalise any room! Every few years I reassess my bedroom and work out which additional pieces it may need for a revamp. This could include investing in a great mirror, which acts as your ‘star’ piece, or organising some more storage due to what you have collected over the last few years.

‘There are no set rules when it comes to designing and time frames, but I would advise changing your accessories every few years, as you can introduce an accent colour this way.’

Liza Evans

Related: How to Design Your Bedroom Colour Scheme for a More Relaxing Atmosphere

You don’t have to change it all

ITV1 TV Designer and London-based Interior Stylist, Pippa Jameson, said: ‘Eight years is a long time to live with a design. My advice would be to keep your furniture and flooring neutral, then redecorating your bedroom shouldn’t cost the earth.

Interior Designer, acknowledged as one of the “20 Best Interior Designers in Britain” by The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Liza Evans, said: ‘People like to redecorate their bedrooms every three to four years as their tastes change and evolve. So a good mattress and bed can see you through one or two decorating cycles.’

Carolyn Parker

Interior Designer, Carolyn Parker said: ‘When replacing your bed, it is a very good reason to redecorate as all the soft furnishings will probably be looking a bit tired.’

Change can be tough

We go through so much with our mattress over eight years that there can be a sense of emotional fatigue with it. Do you think that the same fatigues exist for a design in a bedroom?

Our five interior designers believe that the same emotional fatigue you have with a mattress, you can also have with a bedroom.

Andrea Morgan: ‘Yes, there is no doubt that decoration throughout a period of time can look tired and outdated. Having a room that looks fatigued can also change how we feel about it. Instead of your bedroom feeling like a haven, it turns into a place where you simply go to sleep’.

Celia Sawyer: ‘It’s easy to become attached to items and equally to the layout and design of your home. If you have children, your home and bedroom, in particular, can become worn and tired looking. Therefore, I think once a year you should spend a weekend clearing out your bedroom; from the wardrobe to drawers, shelving and bed linen. It’s therapeutic throwing out things you no longer need. If you’re unsure, leave it for a few more months and if you haven’t needed it in that time, it is time for it to go.

‘We all become nostalgic to items, your mattress included, so perhaps bear the eight-year cycle in mind and make the decision to go and try some other mattresses around this time. You might find one that surpasses your expectations! Make a note to at least visit a bed store to stay up to date with the right mattress for you.

‘At the end of the day if you’re relaxed, comfy and sleeping well through the night, I feel confident you’re doing something right already.’

De-stress with a new environment

Pippa Jameson: ‘Absolutely, the bedroom should be a place of rest and comfort and not a vision of frustration. If, when lying in bed, you have to look at tired and dated decor you will automatically feel stressed. That said, I believe comfort should come before design. I cannot stress enough the importance of investing in a decent mattress.’

Carolyn Parker: ‘I think people do get tired with a design scheme and it’s always nice to update a bedroom scheme even if it is just with lovely crisp new bedding.’

Are there any design tricks you have to prevent a bed ageing more quickly?

Andrea Morgan: ‘Change your bedding design to blend with the season; you don’t have to buy new but just rotate. You can choose designs that work with your colour scheme, but in the summer you want a white, clean, fresh looking set whilst in the winter you can change to warm, rich and bold tones.

‘Use a mattress protector; not only will this protect your mattress but it’s also a wonderful base for your fitted sheet and will prevent the design of your mattress showing through.’

Celia Sawyer: ‘Key things here are to invest in a great bed, mattress and bed linen in the very beginning. Often I find if you buy cheap you really do end up buying twice! Therefore if you get these crucial elements right from the offset, you are already prolonging the life-span of your bed.

‘Having somewhere to sit in your bedroom prevents excessive wear and tear to your bed. Invest in a lovely chaise longue or stylish corner chair. Choose a fabric which complements the other colours in your room – or select something bold and make this item a focus point. By doing this you’re not only adding some style to your bedroom but a useful, practical item too.

‘I appreciate a well-thought-out bedroom so to help keep the overall feel and agelessness purchase some luxury bed linen. Such a simple thing can prevent any damage to the rest of your bed, whilst looking extremely glamorous too!’

Quality is key

Pippa Jameson: ‘I would recommend turning your mattress regularly to prevent potential dips forming. Also, contrary to belief, I would NOT make your bed in the morning and instead keep the duvet pulled back in order to aerate the mattress, this has hygiene benefits and helps with the prevention of dust mites (obviously this isn’t suitable when you have guests).’

Liza Evans: ‘I regularly recommend vacuuming your mattress to keep it dust free, keep your mattress clean and fresh by using a mattress protector and remember to wash it once a month. I also believe you should change your bed linen once a week – there is nothing nicer than slipping into a freshly laundered bed after a long day at work.’

Carolyn Parker: ‘I always like an end of bed stool to sit on or to put on the duvet that is too hot or extra blankets for the night ahead. I think any clutter is very bad for the soul anywhere in the bedroom, not just under the bed. Vacuum pack storage is ideal for under bed storage.’

How often do you leave it before you redecorate? Let us know in the comments.