Get more bang for your renovation buck in the bedroom

(ARA) - Kitchens and baths get all the buzz as the best rooms to renovate, whether you're selling your house or planning to stay in it. But don't overlook the power of a great master bedroom - after all, it's among the most frequently used rooms in your home.

Whether you're renovating to attract potential buyers, or to improve your enjoyment of your house, sprucing up the master bedroom has multiple benefits. Buyers will likely pass through your bedroom to reach the master bath, so a great master bedroom helps set the tone for your master bath. And since most of us spend about eight hours a day (or night) in the bedroom, refurbishing the room can help us get better rest and feel better about our home.

Investing just a few extra dollars to install luxury designer touches like good linens or an eye-catching wallpaper mural can ensure you get the most bang for your renovation buck in the bedroom. Whether you have a few hundred dollars or a few thousand to spend, you can make the most of your money by adding high-quality, high-impact touches like these:

Designer (or at least designer-look) linens

The bed should be a focal point for a well-designed bedroom. The easiest way to make yours look fresh and powerful, even if it's the same frame you've had for 10 years, is to dress it up with great linens. Go for the whole enchilada here - skirt, accent pillows, duvet and shams. Linen designers have made it very easy to create a pulled-together, luxury look by providing ensembles that work together.

Since you'll spend several hours a day in contact with your linens, it's probably worth spending a bit more for comfort as well as great looks. Look for all-cotton sheets that have a high thread count. Generally, the higher the thread count the softer and more comfortable they'll feel. Thanks to designers' partnerships with popular retail chains, it's possible to score a good-looking, good-quality ensemble for a couple hundred dollars. Throw in a few hundred more and you can buy name brand linens in a top-of-the-line department store.

Wallpaper murals

Designers have been using murals to make a major impact for centuries. You can achieve the power and appeal of a hand-painted mural for a lot less money and work when you opt for a wallpaper mural like those found online at www.muralsyourway.com. In a bedroom, a mural can be used as a subtle backdrop for grand or posh bed and furnishings, or as a focal point to make a dramatic statement. You can create a soothing effect with a pastoral or floral scene or rev up your design with a modern, edgy black and white graphic. Or, personalize your mural by submitting your favorite photo to muralsyourway.com; they'll turn it into a custom mural to fit your size specifications.

Vinyl wallpaper murals are easy to install - well within the abilities of most do-it-yourselfers. And now, you can really make a luxury touch by opting for a canvas wallpaper mural.

Hide the high-def

When that massive flat screen TV is in your living room, you want it out there for everyone to see and admire. In your bedroom, however, you might want it to look less intrusive. A TV has become a staple of bedroom furnishings, and more people are making the move to high-definition, flat-screen TVs. You could mount yours on the bedroom wall, but then it might draw attention away from other elements of the room that you want to emphasize.

Consider installing a cabinet that allows you to lower the TV inside it - and hide the high-def - when you're not using it. Cabinets are available that look like high-end pieces of furniture, or even fireplaces. Another option is to purchase a movable mirror or piece of art. These items are specially designed to hang in front of the TV when it's not in use and move easily out of the way when you want to view it.

Courtesy of ARAcontent