The 3 bedroom renovations our home editors deeply regretted – and what they wish they’d done instead

There's no denying that renovating any part of your home is stressful. But your bedroom is a key place for much-needed rest, which only makes it even more important to get the project spot-on.

Beyond prioritizing a beautiful makeover, other aspects such as light, warmth, storage, and furniture placement are key factors to consider when planning a reno.

Here, our experienced Homes & Gardens home editors share their home renovation regrets – to guide you on what to avoid in your own space.

Bedroom renovations our editors regretted

1. Opting for an open wardrobe

When considering different small closet ideas for her space, our kitchen editor Lydia Hayman landed on an open wardrobe system. These can look really great, but she soon discovered the visual clutter of open storage and all the other difficulties that come with it.

'I think it looks really nice and feels accessible,' she begins. 'But, it gathers so much dust and causes me to sneeze all night long, so I never get a good night's sleep.'

Even when taking the time to remove dust thoroughly and properly, with a microfiber cloth, handheld vacuum or damp duster, open storage, particularly when used for storing clothes and other soft items, makes it extremely difficult to prevent dust in a bedroom.

'I'm having to sell it to get a proper closet instead,' adds Lydia, which is why this renovation regret is a bedroom storage mistake she won't be making again in a hurry.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

2. Skimping on shutters

Among all the different window treatment ideas you can use in a bedroom, shutters are among the most expensive. But, as Head of Solved Punteha van Terheyden soon learned, they're a worthy investment.

'I skimped on adding shutters in our primary bedroom because it's at the back of our home and, honestly, it's a big regret,' she admits. 'I hate our pull-down blinds as they do not keep the heat out of our south-facing bedroom,' making it more difficult to keep the bedroom cool and thwarting efforts to cool down a bedroom fast.

'Plus the front of our house looks so much nicer with the shutters,' adds Punteha. 'It was a cost consideration for us but in hindsight, it would have been worth the spend.'

This is something that our ecommerce content director, Lindsey Davis, has also struggled with, who describes her biggest regret as 'having two huge south-facing windows that make my loft bedroom overheat.'

So, keeping in mind the cost of bringing your shutter ideas to life, while considering the best summer window treatment ideas at the same time, make sure you take into account every weather eventuality when undertaking a bedroom renovation, to ensure your space is ready for restful sleep all year round.

Sometimes, as Punteha came to realize, trying to save money on home renovations can leave you feeling regretful when the work is done, which is why it's crucial to know how much you should (and can) spend on home renovations before any work starts.

3. Neglecting to consider bed placement

Getting into bed after a long and tiring day is one of life's simple pleasures. But, for our style and trends editor, Charlotte Olby, bad bedroom Feng Shui was getting in the way of a restful night's sleep.

'I'm in the middle of a big home renovation, which meant for the first few months of living in the house we essentially camped in our bedroom,' she explains. 'While this felt draining at the time, it afforded me the luxury of being able to live in the room and see how the space really felt before making any major decisions,' embracing all the benefits of slow renovating.

That being said, Charlotte's main renovation regret? 'Picking the placement of my bed so early. The electrician had already put the wiring in for bedside sockets and sconces along the longest wall, which felt sensible at the time,' she says. 'The original placement of my bed, however, was along the same wall as the door which, according to the bed placement Feng Shui rule, leaves you feeling vulnerable, disrupting your sleep – things I now know to be true, for me anyway.'

Since this realization, Charlotte has had the wiring changed over, allowing her to rejig her bedroom to a Feng Shui bedroom layout that welcomes sleep.

'Now we have our heads along an empty wall and it feels so much better. In turn, it has totally improved our view from the bed, which now faces the fireplace and gorgeous artwork I spent months thrifting,' she says.

If you've currently got a renovation in the works, our guide to designing a bedroom using Feng Shui should help you balance your space and avoid any Feng Shui bedroom mistakes.

FAQs

What is the hardest room to renovate?

Your bedroom isn't the hardest room in your home to renovate. In fact, the most difficult rooms to renovate are kitchens (also the most expensive), and bathrooms.

But, keep in mind our kitchen renovation rules and the things construction pros always notice about terrible bathroom remodels, and you can't go too far wrong.

If you're renovating your first home, our first time renovators guide shares expertise to help you every step of the way.