If you were to ask me what my favorite room in our home, I would easily and quickly say — our bedroom! It’s light, bright and is truly my own personal safe haven. When we moved into our house back in May of 2016, I had high hopes for this little place of ours. The very first piece of furniture we moved in was our bed, and I remember laying there during our first night in our new house thinking that we were finally home! What a feeling that was, and today it still doesn’t feel any different as I lay in bed each morning and night — continually thankful for this place where we create memories, kiss our kitties and close our eyes each night. With all that said, though, our bedroom has come along way from those first few days and weeks in #TheApplebyHome, so I wanted to share five tips for making your bedroom comfy and cozy — especially during these winter months when many of us retreat into our homes to beat the cold!

FIVE TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR BEDROOM COMFY + COZY

1. Invest in your bedding! This is my #1 tip for a reason — upgrading our bedding has made a huge change in our space and I couldn’t love our current set-up more! Our linen duvet was a bit of an investment, but was SO worth the price! Our sheets were a gift, but they’re bright, soft and affordable (from Costco)! Our pillows are from West Elm and Sezane — both of which were investment pieces, but similar styles can be found at Home Goods and Target!

2. Surround yourself with sentimental pieces! While it’s important to us to not have our bedroom feel cluttered, it’s also important to have our space be filled with sentimental pieces. Photos of loved ones, treasures from past travels, trinkets and photo strips from our dating days. It’s really those sentimental pieces that make a space feel cozy and just your own.

3. Bright and white is never a bad way to go! I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again — don’t be afraid of white bedding! It may get dirty, but you can always wash it! I’m also a big fan of white paint in bedrooms — it really helps to make a room feel bigger and full of light!

4. A tidy space leaves room to dream! Our bedroom is the first space in our home that I’ll clean, because waking up to a messy bedroom leaves me feeling all out of whack! Let me know if you’re the same!

5. Don’t forget to make it your own! At the end of the day, your bedroom is a space for you! You won’t often have guests coming to and fro, so make it a place that you enjoy and dreaming of coming home to. If bright and white isn’t your thing, make it dark and moody! If you’re in need of a spa like retreat, add in a few features that make you feel like you’re sleeping at a resort. Be true to you and every day you’ll find yourself leaving your bedroom happier than when you entered.

Does anyone else treat their bedroom like their personal safe haven? Our kitties, Peter, Boots and Shadow, are also big fans of our cozy and comfy space. You’ll often find Peter here, curled up next to a pillow with his brother, Boots, cozied up at the end of the bed. Shadow, on the other hand, is a fan of our vintage rug that sits on the floor next to Scott’s side of the bed! Anyways, I would love to hear your tips for making your bedroom your favorite space! Oh, and which side of the bed you sleep on! I always want to sleep closest to the wall, so my side sometimes rotates when we we travel, but the left side of the bed is all mine!

-Chelsea xo