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Have you ever scrolled through Instagram or Pinterest and wished your bedroom could look like the ones on your feed? The perfectly styled beds, the gorgeous colour schemes, the tasteful decor. The good news is, you don’t need to be a professional interior designer to create a bedroom that exudes style, comfort, and a touch of luxury. With a few design ideas, you can create a beautiful space that also feels uniquely yours. From choosing the right colours to furniture arrangement and lighting, here are some top tips to transform your bedroom. 

1. Start by defining your style

Having a clear vision for your space can help guide your design decisions, creating a cohesive and well-curated look. Before you dive into making over your space, start by doing some research. Explore different interior design styles, including colour schemes and other design features. From the clean lines of modern design to the cosy appeal of farmhouse style, there are countless styles to draw inspiration from. Remember, your bedroom should be a reflection of you, so choose a design or elements from multiple designs that you love!

2. Focus on the centrepiece: the bed

The style, size, and functionality of your bed can impact the overall look and feel of your bedroom. Whether you prefer a sleek, modern bed frame or a classic, upholstered one, the choice can set the tone for your entire room. Decide what works for your space and style and make it the focal point of your room, drawing the eye as you enter. Remember, while your bed design is important, so is your bedding. Layer with sheets, quilts, and decorative pillows to create a bed that invites relaxation.

3. Play with textures to add depth and interest

Incorporating various textures is an essential aspect of interior design, which can transform your bedroom into a cosy and inviting sanctuary. Here are some ways you can use texture in your space: 

  • Soft fabrics: Add velvet cushions, silk curtains, or a plush throw blanket to your bed to create a luxurious touch and add a sense of comfort to the room.
  • Woven rugs: Whether it’s a soft shag rug or a natural jute rug, the tactile sensation underfoot can help add an extra layer of cosiness.
  • Mixing textures: A wooden bed paired with soft linen bedding, a glass vase on a dark nightstand, or a metal mirror frame against a textured wallpaper can create a beautiful contrast.
  • Consider the overall style: Make sure the textures you choose align with your overall style. If you’re going for a modern look, sleek and smooth textures are your best friend. If you prefer a rustic or bohemian vibe, more natural and rugged textures could be a better fit.

4. Embrace statement furniture 

Every bedroom needs a focal point – a piece that draws the eye, adds personality, and sets the tone for the rest of the room. Whether it’s an eye-catching headboard, a unique dresser, or an elegant accent chair, a statement piece can give it a designer touch.

Once you’ve chosen your statement piece, design the rest of the room around it. This doesn’t mean that everything else has to be understated, but the other elements in the room should complement, not compete with your statement piece. Pull colours from it for your bedding, curtains, or accessories to create a cohesive look.

5. Personalise your space with meaningful pieces

To make the space truly yours, it’s time to add some personal touches. Consider creating a gallery wall with a mix of family photos, cherished artwork, and sentimental objects. You may even want to display your collection of beloved books, or even ornaments from travels. Whatever you choose to display, don’t be afraid to mix different types of art and decor. A mix of photographs, paintings, prints, and three-dimensional objects can create a dynamic and interesting display.

6. Set the mood with lighting 

While we often think of our furniture and decorations, another design element is our lighting. The right lighting can help set the mood for relaxation, creating a cosy vibe.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind: 

  • Use dimmers: Dimmer switches allow you to adjust the brightness of your lights, giving you control over the mood of your room. Want to create a relaxing ambiance for unwinding before bed? Dim the lights. Need to find an outfit in the morning? Turn them up.
  • Consider fairy lights: Fairy lights aren’t just for the holidays or kids’ bedrooms. Draped over a headboard or around a window, they can add a magical feel to your bedroom.
  • Choose elegant fixtures: An elegant chandelier, a sleek modern floor lamp, or a vintage bedside lamp can serve as a design feature as well as a light source.

7. Add the final touches with greenery and scents 

With the major design elements covered, it’s time to focus on the finishing touches. 

Greenery can bring a breath of fresh air to your bedroom, both literally and figuratively. Indoor plants are a great way to add a touch of nature and a pop of colour to your space. Whether it’s a large, leafy monstera, a low-maintenance snake plant, or a collection of cute succulents on your windowsill, adding greenery can bring life and freshness to your bedroom.

Scents, on the other hand, can create a soothing and inviting ambiance. Consider incorporating scented candles or essential oil diffusers into your bedroom decor. Choose scents that you love and that promote relaxation, such as lavender, chamomile, or vanilla.

From defining your personal style to adding the final touches with greenery and delightful scents, each styling step brings you closer to achieving a bedroom that reflects your personality and meets your needs. Remember, the goal is to create a space where you feel comfortable, relaxed, and at home. Don’t be afraid to break the rules, mix styles, or incorporate elements that bring you joy. After all, the most important aspect of any bedroom design is that it feels like you.

Navigating the world of interior design can be a balancing act between the latest design trends and the practical needs of everyday life. However, a well-designed home isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about creating a space that works for you and the rhythms of your life. 

So, how do you get the right balance between visual appeal and practicality? From smart furniture solutions to making the most of your space, here are a few practical tips that will help transform your space.

Identify what’s important for your space

There are unique challenges that come with any space, with everyone using their spaces in different ways. The different needs of you and your family will dictate the type of elements you add to your space. Whether it’s durable flooring that will stand up against pets and children, or versatile furniture that transforms your space, there are plenty of things you’ll need to consider. 

For example, if you have young children, anything fragile will need to be out of reach or put away. You’ll also need to incorporate their essential things like high chairs and toys into your space. Then, there’s the baby-proofing to consider! If you’re a student, or work from home, then your needs will be different. If your space allows for it, then you might want a dedicated office space. If you don’t, then you’ll need to find room for a desk somewhere like your living room or bedroom. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind: 

  • How big is your space? Let’s say you’ve been dreaming of an oversized, rectangular dining table. If you only have a small nook, a round table may be more functional. 
  • What are your storage needs? Does your house come with built in storage, or do you need to consider smart storage solutions?
  • Are there features to your home that you need to consider? Older homes come with character such as high ceilings, fireplaces and rustic fittings. Even if you love modern or industrial design, it may not suit the existing bones of your house.

Are you renting? A lease may restrict the type of renovations you can do like painting your walls or installing permanent fixtures.

Embrace the space and your style 

Unless a full renovation is on the cards, then it’s likely you’ll need to work with what you have. Understand how you need your space to work for you by making a list of the must-haves. Do you need more storage? Or perhaps a dedicated guest bedroom? It’s important to keep those practical needs in mind as you begin to consider the design elements you want to incorporate.

Then, create a mood board to decide which colours, textures and styles you want to include. Remember that design trends can change quickly, so focus on colours and styles that you love. There’s no hard and fast rules when it comes to mixing colours and different styles, so feel free to showcase your unique style. You can also add personal touches with key decor items like artwork, a collection of books or albums or photos from a treasured vacation. 

Furniture that works double time

With your practical needs in mind and the style chosen, it’s time to focus on functional pieces that fit both criteria. Your home decor should go beyond aesthetics, it should also add an element of practical design to your space. 

Modular furniture is ideal for a range of spaces and needs because the components can be mixed and matched. This means you can move it around to suit the space you have. Another great couch option is fold-out sofas. Both stylish and comfortable, these couches can be a great solution for guests – especially if you don’t have a spare room. 

Another great idea is furnishings that are multi-purpose. Think coffee tables that have drawers for extra storage or ottomans that can be used as storage for blankets or toys. For the kitchen, there’s plenty of smart solutions like multi-functional kitchen islands, modular cabinets or tables that fold up and pull out into a larger size. 

Think about how it will age

Trends come and go and what is “in” today may be out of style tomorrow. Then there’s also your own needs. Over time, your lifestyle will change, with new demands being placed on your space. 

When it comes to your design elements, opt for furniture that has a classic appeal, steering away from trendy pieces that can lose their charm quickly. Neutral walls and warm flooring is always a great canvas. Then you can change out your decor items as your interests and style changes. 

As for your lifestyle, recognise that as it changes, so will the needs of your living space. By embracing flexible layouts and multifunctional furniture, you can effortlessly change and adapt your space to suit. 

Remember that your home should be as unique as you are. After all, everyone’s needs and tastes are different! By getting the balance right between practicality and design elements, you can create a space that will continue to age with you. 

It is the last call for entries for the A’ Design Award and Competition! The deadline for entries is fast approaching and now is the time to submit your best work. You can nominate your design here. With over 100 categories the A’ Design Award and Competition is the world’s largest design competition. But it is not just an award. It is an indicator of quality and perfection in design, recognized worldwide, your design front and centre before design companies and professionals.

From the Good Industrial Design Award to the Good Architecture Design Award. The Good Product Design Award to the Good Communication Design Award. The Good Service Design Award to the Good Fashion Design Award and soooo many more! (You can find all the design categories listed here.) Winning A’ Design Award & Competition, which is an independent and expert appraisal for design, contributes to corporate reputation and brand image. Taking part in the A’ Design Award & Competition provides valuable feedback and experience. With the competition highlighting, advertising & advocating good design, taking part will provide recognition, publicity and international peer review. Entries will be judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members. The benefits to the winners are really inspiring. The trophy, of course, an invitation to the gala night, a certificate of quality, inclusion in the prestigious A’ Design Award and Competition exhibition and the yearly ResultBook but even more importantly press, PR, introduction to industry professionals and companies and international exposure. The fame, the prestige, the recognition and so much more.

Are you inspired? Excited? Believe you’ve got what it takes to take on the best of the best design from around the world? You can register for the A’ Design Award and Competition 2023 – 2024 here. But you better be quick. The deadline for submission is on February 28. Results will be announced to the public on April 15 and you will find full coverage of the results here on Desire to Inspire. We can’t wait!

In the meantime here are some inspiring past winners from the A’ Furniture Design Award 2022 – 2023 Period Winners …

Eureka Lounge Chair by Beijing Yeak Tech Co. Ltd.

Mass Series Sumi Limited Furniture by Canuch Inc.

Stoniture Sofa by Abbas Sufi Nejad

Jaipur Furniture Collection by Sonal Tuli

Spark Sofa by Wang Jun

Liyue New Furniture by Haonan Zhang and Bo Xu

Moose Multifunctional Cabinet by Priyam Doshi

Cross Furniture Removable Coffee Table by Le Xu

Merete Lounge and Console Table Collection by Matthew Arquette

Water Ripples Chair by Kuo-Hsiang Kuo

Mua Lau Lounge Chair by Ching Cheng Chang and Xu Da Zzan

Sketch Shelf by Zhejiang Sci-Tech University

Sertao Side Table by Gabriela Campos

Kozo Bookshelf by Jihad Khairallah

Relax Chaise Lounge by Charlotte Abrahamsson Kwetczer

Lens Series Furniture by Eva Liu

Herringbone Dining Table by Alexandre Caldas

Lavvu Small Tables by Dorian Asscherick

Hotaru Stool by Misaki Kiyuna

Erhu Chair by Han Mei

Don’t forget to nominate your designs for award consideration here. We would love to showcase your work amongst the winners. The submission deadline is 28 February 2021.

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This post is brought to you in collaboration with A’ Design Award and Competition

It’s that time again! Have you entered the A’ Design Award and Competition yet? You can register your design here. The deadline for entries is fast approaching and now is the time to submit your best work. With over 100 categories the A’ Design Award and Competition is the worlds’ largest design competition. But it is not just an award. It is an indicator of quality and perfection in design, recognized worldwide, bringing your design front and centre before design companies and professionals.

From the Furniture, Homeware and Decor Items Design Award to the Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award. The Lighting Products and Projects Design Award to the Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award. The Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award to the Landscape Architecture, Planning and Garden Design Award and sooooo many more. You can find all the design categories here. With the competition highlighting, advertising & advocating good design, taking part will provide recognition, publicity and international peer review. Entries will be judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members and the benefits to the winners are inspiring. The trophy, of course, an invitation to the gala night, a certificate of quality, inclusion in the prestigious A’ Design Award and Competition exhibition and the yearly ResultBook but even more importantly press, PR, introduction to industry professionals and companies and international exposure. The fame, the prestige, the recognition and so much more.


Are you inspired to apply? Are you excited to be a part of this competition? Do you believe you’ve got what it takes to take on the best of the best design from around the world? You can register for the A’ Design Award and Competition 2023 –2024. But don’t delay! The deadline for submission is on February 28th. Results will be announced to the public on April 15th and you will find full coverage of the results here on Desire to Inspire. We can’t wait to share the winners with you! We could be sharing YOUR work 🙂

In the meantime here are some inspiring winners from last year in the Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design category …

Curved Residential by Przemyslaw Cepielik


Curvo Show Unit by Line2pixels Studio

The Call of Wildness Residential House by Robin Wang

Rattan and Crane Residential by Jiansheng Ke, Bing Wang and Xiaoke Huang

Light Art House Residential Space by Haochen Su

Royal Tulip Warsaw Apartments Aparthotel by Tremend

The Nude Flat Residential House by Maggie Mo and Jay Leung

Monmono Blue Restaurant and Gallery by Alvan Suen

Shanan Hotel by Eason Zhu

Qionghua Jiuzhang Mansion Model House by James Liu

Ridge Room Restaurant and Rooftop Lounge by Hans Kline

Corridor Restaurant by Ke-Hsuan Yang

YS Retreat Hotel by Song Zhengxiang

Stonesal Restaurant by Jeffrey Zee

The Cabin Symphonic Residential Interior by Zarysy Jan Sekula

La Pina Distillery Amusement Shop by Shinjiro Heshiki

Borromei Loft Residential by Barbara Fassoni Architects

Future Deja Vu Residential by Shih Chieh Kao

Luxury Mindset Residential by Kao Shih Chieh


Believe you’ve got what it takes to take on the best of the best design from around the world? You can register for the 2023 – 2024 A’ Design Award and Competition here but time is running out so get your entries in now.

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This post is in collaboration with A’ Design Award & Competition

World Design Rankings

Posted on Mon, 8 Jan 2024 by midcenturyjo

NEWS FLASH! The World Design Rankings have been announced for 2023. Who do you think topped the list? Where did your country come? What are World Design Rankings? WDR ranks all the countries based on the number of designers that have been granted an A’ Design Award. This year China beat the United States to the top spot among the 114 represented countries, followed by Japan, Italy, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Taiwan, Turkey, Germany and Portugal rounding out the top 10. (Australia made it in at 11 and Canada is at 18.) You can check out the complete list here and when you’re there you can even zoom into a country level, click on the country name in the rankings table and you will be able to see top designers from that country. The best designers in that country will be displayed first.

The ultimate aim of the World Design Rankings is to contribute to global design culture by advocating and highlighting good design. The rankings provide a snapshot of the state-of-the-art and design potentials of countries worldwide by highlighting their creative strengths, design weaknesses and available opportunities. The “Design Business Insights” section ranks countries based on their success in diverse design fields and creative categories. Using the “Design Business Insights” section, media members and design lovers could discover leading countries for specific design sectors and get answers to their questions such as “Which country is best in industrial design”, “Which country is best in interior design?”,  “Which country is the best in fashion design?” etc.

With the best of the best showcased in hundreds of design fields and categories the Design Classifications allow you to choose the top-ranking designers, artists and architects for your next project be it in architecture, interior design, furniture design, fashion design, graphics design and packaging design and more.

For several years Desire to Inspire has partnered with the A’ Design Award & Competition, the world’s largest annual juried design competition that honors the best designers, architects, and design-oriented companies worldwide to provide them publicity, fame and recognition. Such an exciting competition. Such a prestigious award. Here are some of my favourite winners from 2022-2023.

Longfor Origin Sales Center by Cindy Jin

Kunming Zhonghaihui Delhi Garden Sales Department by Du Wenbiao

Shenzhen Zhongshuge Bookstore by Xiang Li

Double Barn House by Katarzyna Starzyk

Poly City Gather Sales Center by Melody Lau

Amblem Home Furnishing Exhibition Hall by Wei Zhou

Leisurely Hauz Vacation Home by Lim Swee Chong and Fuka Team

Light Art House Residential Space by Haochen Su

Shanan Hotel by Eason Zhu

The Nude Flat Residential House by Maggie Mo and Jay Leung

Espaco Com Viver Residencial House by Studio Arquitetonico

Stodolove Residential Architecture by Anna Maria Sokolowska

Mountain Cabin Architectural Design by Lino Liao

Fontana Haus Residential House by Dom Tee Zwu Shyan

Believe you’ve got what it takes to take on the best of the best design from around the world? You can register for the 2023-2024 A’ Design Award and Competition here.

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This post is in collaboration with A’ Design Award & Competition