Robyn Repya, Contributing Writer

Bedrooms are a unique room in the home because they are one of the most private places in which occupants can find refuge from the outside world.

Many interior designers refer to the bedroom as a haven, and for many people, bedrooms have an altered purpose because of this.

A bedroom not only functions merely as sleeping quarters, but also as a lounge of sorts. Many people now have televisions in their rooms and desks from which they work. In addition to all the newer uses for bedrooms, they are also a place in the home place where people can express their personal taste through decorating.

There are many new trends in decorating for the most private room in your house. These new trends vary in style depending on whether your taste is traditional and romantic or contemporary and modern.

According to many interior designers, it is not necessary to have a lot of money or space to do some effective decorating, while still keeping up with the latest trends and styles.

Headboards

A major trend in bedroom decorating deals with bed headboards. Many people are opting to have just a headboard and not a footboard to minimize the space taken up by the bed itself.

People are also moving away from traditional headboards in an effort to achieve a romantic style to their room.

"People have been using unexpected materials to make a head board," said Jill Krieger, owner of Paris Flea Market in Minneapolis.

Krieger's store is French inspired and what she describes as somewhat "over the top," with luxurious accessories like beaded and feathered lampshades and pillows, chandeliers and antique vanities crowding the cozy store.

The feminine and romantic style of her store has led to interesting headboard creations. Krieger said one of her clients used two large iron garden trellises, painted an antique-style white as a headboard to give the room a French garden feel.

She said that many people have also been making use of vintage fabrics to make their bedrooms more luxurious, maybe by draping fabric over the headboard, or using them on the top of a loosely fitted canopy bed. Krieger said fabric could also be used as a decorating tool simply by draping fabric loosely across the top of a window one creates an elegant and simple look.

The romantic look can be achieved also with the use of antique headboards or those bought at a used store.

Carmen Bell has been an interior designer for 19 years and runs her company, Inside Story Interior Design, from her home in St. Paul, Minn. She said many people are being creative with headboards to achieve an antique look on a low budget.

To acquire the antique style for the bedroom, Bell said some of the best places to look are the Salvation Army or estate and garage sales. She said by buying a used headboard you can get an antique piece that can add a dramatic feature to the room, while doing so at a lower cost.

Also, Bell said the process of finding the right antique piece is fun, allowing people to scrounge for just the right piece.

While the antique style is popular because of it's cozy feel, Bell said people shouldn't shy away from contemporary styles.

"I think that people who think that contemporary can't be warm and inviting are wrong, wrong, wrong," she said.

Platform Beds

One trend in bedroom décor along the contemporary style is the platform bed.

The platform bed has been a European trend for some time, said Lena LoPesio, owner of the ultra-contemporary Vogue Furniture store in St. Louis Park, Minn. Considering most of the buildings in Europe are older and tend to have smaller bedrooms, she said the style bed is extremely popular because it takes up less space.

Platform beds are unique, because there is no footboard and the box spring is built in, making the bed lower. LoPesio said the upholstered platform-style bed has been especially popular among her clients, such as Minnesota music legend Prince.

The upholstered look for beds is a definite diversion from the traditional style of bedding with sheets and covers, but LoPesio said that's what's great about contemporary style. "Contemporary kind of means doing whatever you want -- it's very artistic and expressive," she said.

Reworking Furniture Materials

Among other trends in the contemporary style, LoPesio said that the reworking of furniture materials, specifically wood, metal and fabric are really popular right now.

For bedrooms, she said the use of bent metal and stained wood for a headboards, dressers and amours are very popular modern styles she's seen a lot of recently, keeping with the contemporary style of less-is-more.

The reworking of fabric has had a lot of emphasis on texture. LoPesio said the use of velvet adds a very warm feeling, while also adding lots of texture. The use of rugs, even on carpet, will also add texture to the room, she said.

Bedding Trends

Kim Salmela, owner of the European-inspired Belle Époque store in Minneapolis, said she has noticed a recent demand for new and interesting bedding.

Her store features a variety of styles of bedding materials, with a mix of old and new. Some pieces in the store have a lavish European quality and others have a Far Eastern feel to them. Salmela said that because of the demand for the bedding is so great, she is planning to go into manufacturing herself.

More On Bedrooms:

• Make The Most Of Your Space
• Decorating On A Small Budget