Decorate The Perfect Y2K Inspired Bedroom
After everything that's happened in the nation within the past few years due the pandemic and political unrest, many people have looked to their pasts regarding their childhood and teen years for comfort and nostalgic reasons. People want to take a step back from our technology-filled world to go back to a slower-paced time in life. Fashion and home design have taken a page out of the Y2K book of style, and certain motifs are coming back in full force, notes Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson to Business of Home. "We're seeing a return to all things retro, from '90s prints and patterns to the decor styles of the early 2000s, which remind us of simpler times."
While 1980s home design focused on an overabundance of neon colors, the 1990s featured subdued colors in neutral and dark tones. The later 1990s heading into the early 2000s featured fresh tones in iridescent blues, silvers, and purples. The Y2K era was influenced by futuristic space-age aesthetics and retro looks from the 1960s and 1970s. From metallic finishes to furry fabrics to inflatable furniture, the Y2K era was a wild west of funky designs that could be applied to bedroom design today.
Do with retro seating
During the Y2K era, people preferred unusually made furniture that acted as the focal point of their bedroom. Inflatable chairs and bean bag chairs made for awesome colors, textures, and designs. For those who don't want to spend thousands of dollars on new couches, purchasing an inflatable couch may be a perfect substitution, according to Inflatable Blast. Inflatable furniture could pose as additional bedding or seating for family members and guests. Be aware of pets that have long nails because they could jump on the inflatable furniture and puncture the surface. Match the inflatable chair's color to other furniture within the bedroom. A pink inflatable chair would match with pink bedsheets and a pink comforter.
Bean bag chairs are another piece of furniture that was popular during the Y2K era. Try to find inflatable bean-less chairs, which are more stable than inflatable chairs and don't need to be refilled with beans (via Inflatasofa). Due to their structural design, inflatable beanless chairs won't lose their shape and provide back support. Toss a patterned throw blanket on top of an inflatable beanless chair to add character. Regular bean bag chairs are a substitute for uncomfortable chairs (via Follow the Yellow Brick Home). Substitute an uncomfortable desk chair in the bedroom with a bean bag chair. Bean bag chairs work with most aesthetics ranging from industrial to modern to country farmhouse styles.
Ring in funky character phones
Though smartphones have taken over home phones, there's a sense of longing and nostalgia for old-school phones. Everyone could remember the first time they spoke with their crush on the family phone, or gabbed for hours with their friends on the phone until the wee hours of night. Old phones come in different makes, as noted by Wired. Clear see-through phones where colorful wires are wrapped around inside may be fitting to have on top of a shelved bed headboard amongst other nostalgic items such as compact discs. Be playful by incorporating a character phone in the bedroom. A phone that looks like a pair of shocking red lips on top of a cherry red desk amongst baby pink wallpaper would look fantastic and would fit the Y2K theme.
Think of how you'd like to decorate with a retro phone (via Décor Tips). Play with colors to see what works best. For example, a baby blue corded phone would match well if the rest of the bedroom's features are baby blue, but think outside of the box by establishing complimentary colors together. A baby blue corded phone could rest atop a soft yellow mini dresser decorated with poppy flower decals. Silver and purple were popular 2000s colors. Silver phones would mix well with furniture and bedding in dark violet shades. The silver tones down the purple to look more contemporary.
Work with hippie inspired beading
An interesting aspect of the Y2K era is that it pulled influence from the 1960s hippie era, such as using beaded curtains. Beaded curtains are commonly used to divide rooms and act as valances for windows, as stated by Deavita. When faux diamond curtains are used to cover a bedroom window, they intensify the sunlight rather than block it. Pretty shimmers of light will sparkle across bedroom walls. Beaded curtains have crystals of different shapes ranging from round to diamond to square beads. These beads are typically made from plastic, wood, or metal.
Diamond plastic beaded curtains could act as a replacement for a bedroom door, or replace the door of a bedroom bathroom. The look is elegant and chic without trying too hard and produces an elevated Y2K look. Go neutral with brass-made furniture with this kind of beading, or incorporate soft Y2K colors like cornflower blue, lime green, or lilac purple into the bedroom. Green and purple bedding with blue dressers and bookshelves work nicely. To go for a bohemian chic Y2K bedroom aesthetic, wooden curtain beads in warm colors like yellow, orange, and red embellish light and liveliness in a shadier bedroom.
Don't forget velvet textures
Velvet was popular in the 2000s due to its soft texture and luxurious look. For those who don't want an overabundance of velvet in their bedroom, having a velvet headboard in a cool shade of teal is noteworthy and subtle, according to Z Design At Home. Want to make bedroom space more suitable for guests? Purchase a velvet armchair in rose or mauve. The dusty pink shades will enrich the bedroom with warmth, especially when paired with wooden furniture bookshelves, bedside tables, and dressers. Keep things cozy by placing fleece blankets and throws on top of velvet chairs or velvet ottomans.
People like velvet for its durability and sustainability (via Hue + Wit). For those chilly winter nights, velvet bedsheets may be the answer for the bedroom. Black velvet sheets with black velvet-covered pillowcases and a fluffy down-filled comforter would feel like a treat. Go big by painting the walls a silvery shade of blue to create an essence of calm in the bedroom. Silvery shades of blue were popular during the 2000s due to the technology boom along with the space age-inspired homeware and fashion. For those who don't want to commit to velvet in a huge way, purchase a velvet pillow or two as bed décor. Mix and match pillows by texture by having satin, flannel, or cotton pillows on the bed.
Have fun with ferocious, yet fuzzy animal prints
A major staple of Y2K style is animal print. Leopard, cheetah, and zebra were popular prints to wear on clothes as well as to use for home and bedroom décor. According to The Zoe Report, animal print could be incorporated into any space. When it comes to decorating the bedroom to feature a Y2K aesthetic, try not to be too "matchy." Having leopard-printed bedsheets, wallpaper, and furniture is too much of the same print being utilized. Go the simple route by keeping the bedroom in neutral tones with a cheetah print room rug on the bedroom floor and a leopard print armchair against one of the bedroom walls.
Use earthy tones in shades of brown, green, and tan to work with animal print (via Revolution Performance Fabrics). Furniture and bedding in brown or cream shades would work with bursts of zebra print within the bedroom. A zebra print ottoman or bean bag would be an awesome feature in an otherwise understated bedroom. Choose a bold color to work amongst animal print. Become entrenched in the Y2K aesthetic by painting the bedroom walls hot pink, and have zebra print lamps and zebra print window curtains inside of the bedroom as well. Hot pink breaks the monotony of black and white within the print, and calls attention in a sassy way. When done right, this design idea is feminine without seeming tacky. With animal print, less is more.
Embellish with butterfly motifs
Butterflies were popular during the Y2K era due to their mystique as lovely, living creatures, and their pretty details when recreated into designs. For those who don't want to commit to having too many butterfly prints in their bedroom, they could construct a DIY butterfly shadowbox, as demonstrated by Design Improvised. Purchase an empty shadowbox case from a craft or home store that specializes in frames. Tape a piece of colored cardstock to the back of the mat in the frame. Don't forget to purchase peel-and-stick butterflies to scatter all over the cardstock. Once everything is settled, hang the shadowbox frame on a wall in the bedroom.
Another DIY project to turn into bedroom Y2K décor is the butterfly light lantern (via The Happy Housie). Take a butterfly stenciled paper punch and make a handful of paper butterflies in assorted colors. Once the colorful butterflies are made, use a hot glue gun to glue them all over a round paper lantern. Purchase a cord kit from a hardware store so the lantern has a plug that could be used in an electrical outlet and operated with a switch. This DIY butterfly light lantern would look excellent in a dark corner of the bedroom, or attached to the middle of the bedroom's ceiling. Buy glow-in-the-dark stars to paste onto the ceiling around the butterfly light lantern. Glow-in-the-dark stars were popular during the 2000s as a kitsch bedroom accessory.
Incorporate metallic tones
Since silvers, blues, and grays were prominent during the Y2K era, metallic tones were also featured in home and room designs. Due to their shine and ability to bounce back light, metallics are known for their beautiful luster. They could be used to make a room look larger, as said by Interiors Revitalized. Metals such as silver and gold could be mixed within the bedroom. Having gold desk lamps on top of silver-painted desks is one way to pull off the mixed metal look. To be authentic to the Y2K period, work with rose golds, icy blues, and silvered lilacs. Place a rose gold jewelry box on top of a bookshelf for display. Copper-colored candle holders as décor on bedside tables on either side of the bed are fitting.
Think about what color metallics go with warm and cool colors (via 21 Oak). Dark greens and browns mix well with golds and bronzes. Why not decorate the bed with evergreen and gold bedding? Go for a more Y2K-inspired look by mixing lime green sheets with bronzed comforters and pillowcases. Cooler color palettes look good with silvers. Navy blue bedroom curtains, carpeting, and wallpaper would enrich silver tones in silver-painted furniture such as dressers or vanities. Since the Y2K era focused on smooth textures, look for smoothly textured metal pieces of home accessories from home stores. A wonderful piece of metallic art is sure to make a statement.
Be feminine with pink
The 2000s were all about girl power and femininity. From popstars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera to characters in television with stars like Hilary Duff as "Lizzie McGuire" and Raven Symone in "That's So Raven," girl power was a prevalent theme to highlight confident icons. What better way to show off a love of girly things than using pink in the bedroom? The key is to start small, as noted by At Home With Ashley. When it comes to couples living together, men may not want a fully pink bedroom, but having a few pink pillows and pink-spined books in the bedroom as subtle accent points could be a compromise.
Focus on what you'd like to make pink in certain zones of the bedroom. Purchase a desk and chair set in pale shades of baby pink. Be ultrafeminine by painting furniture with pink glitter paints. Choose paint with subtle hints of glitter. It'll look Y2K-inspired without seeming childish. For people who shy away from hot pinks and magentas, try instilling corals and blushes in the bedroom. A decorative coral rug or blush duvet amongst neutral carpeting and bedsheets draws attention to the pink shades without seeming too abundant. Go more modern with rose gold. Nothing says fancy like a couple of bedside tables with rose gold-plated shade lamps.
Revamp old technology
With the rise of technological advancements over the past 20 years, people can enjoy computers, cell phones, and music more readily. The Y2K era experienced a boom in technology due to the growth of the internet. While some high-tech products have become obsolete, some people may wonder what to do with these products. Recycling may be the option, but turning these products into room décor may be an even better choice, notes Make Use Of. Create bedroom décor like an analog clock by attaching an old computer hard drive as a stand to an old blank compact disc with screws. Parts of a clock kit may be required to get it to fully work.
Make circuit board lamps that could be hung on the bedroom's ceiling. Take four circuit boards from an old computer and screw the pieces together side by side. Purchase lightbulbs and a light kit from a home store to set everything up. Make the bedroom feel more Y2K authentic by going retro. Check out this Magnavox MD6924 Portable Top Loading CD Boombox from Amazon. It's compact enough to fit on top of a dresser but noticeable enough to act as a centerpiece. Keep compact discs organized and on hand in this Snap-N-Store CD Storage Box from Amazon.
Highlight retro floral prints in the bedroom
The Y2K era saw a revival in hippie styles that were made popular in the 1960s and the 1970s. Oversized, poppy floral prints were featured on curtains, tablecloths, and furniture. Retro floral prints can look modern without seeming too much like grandma's doing the designing, per Wall Art Prints. Instead of working with flower prints in shades of blues and pinks, go for flower prints in marigolds. Purchase window curtains for the bedroom featuring orange and yellow flowers. The bright colors of the flowers will liven up the bedroom. A soft armchair in patterned wildflowers could act as a focal point in the middle of the bedroom.
Retro floral prints could be subtle or bold. Choosing a bedroom wall to place these Retro Flowers Wall Art Sticker Kit decals from Etsy is a start when accomplishing a sense of floral design. Since these decals could be removed at any time, there's no need for permanence. Spread the flower decals around the wall evenly so as not to be too congested in one area. Go bold by having all floral printed furniture, or have a fully floral bed set. You could also never go wrong with floral artwork to place on walls all over the bedroom.
Work with yin and yang
Due to the counterculture movement of grunge music and fashion during the mid to late 1990s, people were looking for ways to express themselves with New Age ideals. Yin and yang represent opposing forces of nature in home and room design, as stated by Review This Reviews. Yin is all about feminine softness. Playing calm music, having a soft color palette, and eliminating clutter in the bedroom are all ways to impart yin energy. When it comes to establishing yang energy, wind chimes, bold wall art, and tall plants promote an essence of masculinity and high energy. Think about how you would like the energy of your bedroom to feel. Go calm or loud with designs depending on personal preference.
For those who prefer a more Y2K-inspired aesthetic, look for yin yang wall art or rugs to place on the bedroom floor. Check out this Mandala Yin Yang Tapestry from Yin Yang Paradise. Hang it behind the bed to add flair to an otherwise basic bedroom. Since yin yang prints are typically black and white, add color around yin yang accessories, such as bookshelves and dressers in bold colors like burgundy and bronze. Establishing a Y2K bedroom aesthetic takes time and patience, but could be achieved with the proper prints, fabrics, and retro accessories.