The modern bedroom is more than merely a place to sleep. The bedroom has become a place to exercise, to meditate, to read, to study, and to simply find peace and solace away from the hectic world.

Families who love television have also discovered that having a TV in the bedroom, in addition to others in the home, avoids arguments over who can watch what, and when.

Repainting a room with a new color scheme is the most inexpensive way to change the way a room feels. Interior designers recommend you use soft blues and greens, or earth tones like light brown and taupe, to create a calm and inviting effect. To achieve a brighter and lighter feeling, try a mellow shade of yellow. Combinations of green, brown, beige, and tan interspersed with floral prints or photographs of flowers lend a warm, tropical feeling. Color specialists say that blue makes a room feel more formal, violet makes a small room seem larger, and dark colors should be avoided because they tend to make a bedroom feel oppressive.

One of the most popular trends in bedroom decorating involves dressing up the bed. Try using quilts, top-of-the-line sheets, wool and silk throws, and different types of accent pillows to create a uniquely comfortable appearance for your bed.

You can also use more than one lighting scheme to achieve different moods at different times. Subdued lighting creates a quiet, peaceful effect, and an inexpensive indoor trickling water fountain provides a bedroom with the calming sound of peaceful water quietly flowing.