When dealing with Dutch weather, confusing interactions in Dutch, and a long commute, nothing says welcome home like a cosy bedroom after a long day of hard work.
Getting a good night’s rest is important for your well-being and mental health. If your Dutch bedroom is to be a true haven, there are a few things you can do to make your room a gezellig space and the perfect place to sleep.
1. Invest in a good bed
A lumpy matras (mattress) that gives you back aches and a crickety neck will make going to bed a nightmare. This is why a bed where you can get restful sleep for years is an investment everyone should make.
In the Netherlands, you should prepare to spend between €1,500 to €3,000 for a new good quality bed and mattress that sleeps two people. It may seem pricey, but your back will thank you!
Having a comfortable bed waiting for you will help you settle into your Dutch bedroom. It could even give you a reason to go to bed early enough to get those precious seven to eight hours of sleep.
2. Make your bed cosy with the correct sheets
When renting a room or home, choosing sheets and duvets that show your personality will make your bedroom feel like your room. Want a splash of colour? Go nuts. 🌈
However, you should also make sure that your choices are practical. Dutch weather can change drastically, from stifling heat during the summer to freezing temperatures in winter. 🥶
This is why you should opt for sheets and duvets that suit the different seasons. Check out some four-season duvets, for example. These two duvets can be buttoned together during the wintertime or taken apart for a lighter covering during the warmer summer months.
READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #47: complain about the weather nonstop
Want to go for a luxurious feel? Buy your duvet and duvet cover in a size larger than your bed. It’ll give you an instant magazine-worthy look in seconds — and save midnight blanket tugs-of-war. 😉
3. Get yourself some funky curtains
Another way to make your Dutch bedroom feel like home is to let your whacky side out and onto your curtains. Who needs boring old blinds? You want bright, loud curtains that will replace the sun on dark and dreary days.
More colour in your bedroom will help you survive the winter blues, and in summer, the curtains can block out the blazing sun so your room stays cooler.
Light pollution is a pesky problem in the Netherlands. That’s why blackout curtains or blinds would also be a good investment for a peaceful night’s sleep.
This can also help on those long summer nights when the sun stays up way past your bedtime and rises early in the morning.
4. Decorate your walls with photos and pictures
What better way to make your bedroom feel like yours than to add tons of pictures of loved ones or your favourite furry friend onto your wall?
Mix in some art you enjoy looking at, which makes you feel happy or relaxed, and you have a good way to lift your mood on rainy days. 🧘♀️
Now, you may worry about nailing items to your wall because you’re renting. Geen probleem, we suggest using poster tape or command strips instead.
This way, you don’t have to make your landlord boos (angry) — but you also don’t have to live in a room with blank walls.
5. Find yourself the perfect pillows
Whether you sleep on your side, back, or belly and prefer a brick or a pile of feathers to rest your head on, you need a pillow that will accommodate those sweet dreams of cycling through fields of tulips.
You don’t have to stop at functional pillows; you can also have a scatter of leuk decorative kussens (pillows) to add a pop of colour to your room.
You can find these in shops such as Xenos, HEMA, and even sometimes in your local supermarket!
6. Fill your room with plants
Some days, going outside into Dutch weather feels like the worst thing you could possibly do. Well, you can get your dose of nature without going outside by filling your room with greenery.
READ MORE | House plants in the Netherlands: tips to make your Dutch house bloom
Plants can also make your room feel like an oasis — a relaxing spot to drift off into sleep.
Dry days don’t happen too often in the Netherlands, but on the few occasions that there is one, plants can add moisture to the air for easy sleep.
Fun fact: Did you know that there are plant shelters in the Netherlands? Much like an animal shelter, you can mosey on up, drop a donation, and adopt a plant or two!
7. Learn from the Dutch and be economical with your space
If there’s one thing we should embrace from the Dutch way of life, it’s how they utilise their space. They manage to use every available spot in their narrow houses and still make it look spacious.
So how can you do the same? You can start by using little hidey-holes for storage. One example is under the bed — all of that space is just waiting to be filled with all your hoardings. Not much wall space? How about trying out some corner shelves?
Do you know what else the Dutch love? Loft beds! If you ever venture into student housing in the Netherlands, you’re very likely to see some gorgeous rooms in some very small spaces.
How do they achieve this? By putting the bed above their heads. If you find yourself in cramped conditions, this might be the best way to make your space into something more homely.
Catching a few z’s is not the only reason to make your bedroom cosy; it will also improve your mood and help you settle into your new home in the Netherlands.
The most important thing to remember is that the room should make you happy because you’re the one who’s going to be spending the most time there. Go forth and get cosy.
What is one thing you can’t do without in your bedroom? Tell us in the comments!
