Bored with your decor?

Are you bored with your existing decor? Want a new look but don't know what to do? Here are some great ideas to liven up your space.

1. Make your bedside beautiful

Add photos, a grouping of books, flowers (a floating single gardenia bloom will stay fragrant for five days), and a lamp with personality. Stow moisturizers, lozenges and other personal stuff in the night-table drawer; keep magazines hidden but handy in a basket beneath.

2. Add a mirror

A reflective surface makes a small entry feel bigger and airier. Choose a long mirror so as you head out the door you can check out more than just your lipstick. (Note: Oval or round mirrors won't call attention to crooked ceilings or asymmetrical walls.)

3. Maximize storage

A table with a drawer keeps necessities like gloves and dog leashes nearby but out of sight. A trunk tucked underneath will hold shoes and boots and also double as a convenient seat.

4. Light it up

Opt for a lamp with a small footprint, like a candlestick base, so it doesn't take up too much space on a table. Or skip a table lamp entirely and add drama with a hanging crystal chandelier or a sleek modern one. And paint the ceiling a warm shade (even if it's white) so it reflects a more flattering light.

5. Go for a strong statement

This is a great area for bold design choices that could overwhelm a larger room. Try a deep or bright paint color (warms like red or orange are kinder to skin tones than green and blue) or a patterned or vertical-striped wallpaper that can compensate for too few art pieces or furniture. And a graphic rug, like the zebra print here, ideally in a cleanable wool for this high-traffic area, will add impact underfoot.

6. Display the basics

Store quantities of oft-used items (soap, cotton swabs, cotton balls) in clear Pyrex canisters. Everyday practical items can be beautifully simple.

7. Pick one bloom

A single color and type of flower gives you more bang for your buck. An arrangement of peonies, lilies or tulips in one colour hue alone packs a visual punch that a varied-flower bouquet doesn't.

8. Contain yourself

Display an open tray or basket to drop essentials. It will neatly hold keys, sunglasses, Ipods and more. If they always land here, they're less likely to be misplaced. Choose a shallow tray -- not too big and no deeper than 3 inches -- or you'll be tempted to fill it with too much stuff.

9. Refine your color palette

Neutral colors such as cream or chocolate brown are best big-ticket items like upholstery, walls and curtains. One strong accent color -- tomato red, bright yellow or aqua -- in pillows, vases or an ottoman are your splashes of colour. Limiting the accents to one hue makes a room instantly more cohesive. And if you tire of them, these smaller accessories won't break the bank to swap out.

10. Frame the bed

Put a twist on the traditional headboard with a statement-making screen -- the room gets another great piece of furniture without sacrificing any space. Look at new and antique options, particularly ones with interesting all-over patterns or motifs (for more stability, they can be wall-mounted too). For a smaller bedroom, non essential furniture can take up space that could be better used, so paint the wall above the bed a deeper colour in lieu of a headboard - you still get the drama without sacrificing the space.