Grasscloth wallpaper envelops this den, creating a comfortable family space.

A tufted, grey flannel ottoman, cerused-oak daybed from the 1930s and stool clad in Mongolian lambskin add texture and feet-up comfort.

A daybed tucked in the turret offers a quiet reading spot.

Handmade Mexican bark paper applied in a grid adds depth and texture to this principal bedroom’s walls.

A pretty chandelier, built-in bookcase and mauve walls add richness.

A departure from more standard little girl colours and details, this bedroom is outfitted with a tailored canopy bed upholstered in a print sophisticated enough for a principal suite.

Cut down on furniture and rearrange your pieces to make any room appear bigger.

With every piece of furniture representing a different style, this living room seamlessly mixes feminine flourishes and minimalist modern lines. The absence of a rug keeps the look sparse and showcases the beautiful grey hardwood floors.

Find ways to showcase your personal interests through art.

Jewelry designer Maryam Keyhani’s dining room expresses her love of art and fashion, as strong lines anchor a stylish mix of surface treatments, like mirror, concrete and velvet. The hat pendants add a surreal, theatrical touch.

Bring furniture to life with simple vignettes.

Despite the absence of colour, jewelry designer Maryam Keyhani’s principal bedroom still radiates plenty of elegance and drama, thanks to the classic shapes of the bow-front dresser, paper chandelier and fashion motifs that give it a Parisian-apartment feel.

See more soft and feminine spaces in our photo gallery, plus browse more White Rooms.

A detailed mirror enlarges this space.

A complementary palette of soft creams and golds create a cosy ambience in designer Michelle Hanna’s principal bedroom.

Symmetrically placed sconces create a classic look.

In designer Michelle Hanna’s principal bath, no detail is left ignored — an intricate floor tile pattern and furniture-like vanity are just two of the unique features. Venetian glass mirrors and silver accessories give this bathroom polish.

Tour the rest of Michelle’s grand home in our Online TV segment. Plus, see more soft and feminine rooms in our photo gallery.

A plush rug adds warmth to this space.

Designer Anne Hepfer used a restrained hand in this principal bedroom, opting for soothing colours and predominantly solid fabrics. Details such as the trimmed bedskirt and basketweave rug make the room feel tailored and welcoming.

See more interiors by Anne Hepfer or browse our photo gallery of soft and feminine rooms.

A perfectly pretty room.

“The tradespeople were killing themselves laughing when I showed them this Ralph Lauren wallpaper,” says designer Kate Thornley-Hall. “‘That’s something my aunt had in her basement in the ’60s!’” Yet, she was absolutely certain it fit the provenance and look she was after in her daughters’ bedroom: quaintly vintage feminine.

See more of Kate Thornley-Hall’s Holiday Cabin in our photo gallery.

A fireplace takes bedroom glamour and comfort to a new level.

The subtle layering of pattern and texture keeps this principal bedroom’s lavender accents from feeling too feminine.

Romantic and feminine pieces create an inspiring writing area.

Artwork was cleverly affixed to a burlap-covered tackboard on the writing desk in the 2011 Princess Margaret Showhome’s upstairs guest suite.

An antique chandelier and chairs offer gravitas in a sweet space.

“How ethereal is this?!” asks design/fashion blogger Katharine Horsman. “Classic elements mixed with romance and pop art makes for a knockout room.”

A warm and inviting neutral with a vintage vibe.

Assistant style editor Reiko Caron’s pick — Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster (231) — is a more feminine alternative to beige, that’s not too sweet. Depending on the light, this pale hue can read as a muddy peach to a pinkish-beige. Try it in a bedroom or in a powder room, where its rosy undertone will cast a warm glow.

See more Editors’ Favourite Fall Paint Colours in our photo gallery, more lighting options in our Statement Lighting photo gallery, plus more tips on Decorating With Pink.

Soothing lilac walls and minimal, weathered furniture keep this room simple.

The bed’s aubergine and cream coverlet from France complements the room’s dainty chandelier.

Gold accents elevate the room.

In this formal living room, a white linen sofa is the ultimate in crisp luxury. Peony-pink drapes and chocolate accent pillows balance the room’s masculine and feminine aspects.

A calm and serene setting for a young family.

Floor-to-ceiling watery blue drapes hung on a brass rod add opulence to comfortable pieces, such as a caramel leather ottoman. The TV is hung over a limestone fireplace flanked by bookshelves. A miniature striped chair was designed for the homeowners’ four-year-old daughter.

See more interiors by designer Anne Hepfer in our photo gallery.

Delicate wallpaper adds rich detail.

The hallway is a study in neutrals with wall-to-wall seagrass and patterned wallpaper. Homeowner and designer Colette van den Thillart accessorized the foyer with gilded antlers, a unique art piece with a plaster frame and warm white furnishings, including an 18th-century Russian side chair. The console works to conceal a radiator underneath.

See more of Colette van den Thillart’s London Home in our photo gallery.

Also, find more Wallpapered Rooms in our photo gallery.

Give your guest room a quick makeover with a few small touches.

Take a headboard from tepid to toasty by tucking a soft blanket around the frame. Complement the makeover by placing a decorative runner down the center of bedside tables for added texture and pattern. Add a colourful tray to hold necessities, such as a water carafe and an alarm clock. Don’t forget to treat your guests with fresh flowers and a good book, too.

Get more decorating ideas in our Gorgeous Guest Bedrooms Photo Gallery.

Stripes, ruffles and scalloped details create a cosy retreat.

A wall-mounted bedside light in this guest bedroom, designed by Anne Hepfer, frees up the red tray table for pretty and practical touches that help guests feel at home. Anne added intricate details, such as the fabric appliquéd to the curtains.

Pretty paint and wallpaper create a fitting look for a young girl’s clothing storage space.

In this elegant yet youthful walk-in closet, order is kept thanks to a built-in dresser and lots of hanging space. The soft blue paint colour creates a breezy, fresh look while pink damask wallpaper and a mini chandelier add personality and a touch of sweetness.

For more closet and dressing room photos, browse our gallery.

Choose a soft palette for a serene space.

Montreal designer Julie Charbonneau went with a soft palette of taupe and beige for this feminine bedroom. The panelling on the lower half of the wall is painted darkest, upper wall colour a lighter shade, and the crown moulding a warm shade of white, drawing the eye upwards from the panelling. Charbonneau also added a bold black light fixture and curtain rod to ground the lightness of the room.

See more interiors by Julie Charbonneau in our photo gallery, plus browse photos of her own home.

A pretty and traditional main-floor bath.

A dark countertop grounds the vanity of this softly coloured main-floor powder room. Chrome accents sparkle without overwhelming the space.

Try different trims for an added flourish.

Even with a trimmed skirt, a white sofa offers needed breathing room and contrast for a three-colour palette. Natural fabrics and earth tones keep a row of trimmed-out pillows from looking too feminine or overly embellished. Stick with simple flat pleats, clean stripes or tone-on-tone pattern for graphic punch.

Warm browns and greys make this high-ceilinged space seem cosier.

Designer Sarah Richardson, host of HGTV’s Sarah’s House and Sarah’s Cottage, decorated this “Millionaire Designer Home” for the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Lottery. “I wanted it to have a coastal feel: a breezy, light-hearted tone that was sophisticated and elegant, too,” she explains. Velvet-upholstered furniture and wood add a sumptuous note to the living room, while mirrors add sparkle.

Find more inspiration in our photo galleries of Sarah Richardson Designs, Traditional Living Rooms and Rooms With Brass Pendants.

Bold coral pillows and a throw add punch without overwhelming.

The principal bedroom’s panelled four-poster bed is made less imposing thanks to its coat of creamy paint. Shapely slipper chairs, a patterned bench and dark wood round out the look Sarah created.

Shapely dark furniture pops against a white and coral palette.

“You can never go wrong with embracing basics for practicality and longevity. White denim, twill and natural linen are available for $10/yard or less, and make any upholstered piece look crisp and tailored,” says designer and HGTV host Sarah Richardson. “If you’re on a budget and won’t be able to splurge on reupholstery any time soon, forget about going for bold prints and daring colours, and stick with a timeless classic. Dress it up with exciting accents, and you’ll be able to reinterpret your look whenever the mood strikes!” she adds. Here, the chairs’ piping ties in with the vertical banding on the drapery, which adds a sense of height.

See more of Sarah’s designs in our photo gallery, plus get more Budget Decorating Ideas.

Grey-blue tones create a serene colour palette.

In designer and HGTV personality Sarah Richardson’s holiday house, the guest bedroom was decorated with care. Her playful approach to fabric is evident in the mix of the drapes, headboard, bedskirt and throw pillows — which are different yet cohesive.

Get more decorating ideas in our Gorgeous Guest Bedrooms Photo Gallery.

Designer Anne Hepfer gives her Georgian-style home a current but timeless quality.

When looking to move to Toronto, Anne — a former New Yorker — was charmed by the 10-foot ceilings and lofty elegance of this home, found in Toronto’s Forest Hill neighbourhood. In her airy dining room, Anne chose a round dining table to encourage conversation. For larger dinner parties, she squeezes in as many chairs as possible to create a sense of intimacy. Neatly displayed across the wall are early 18th-century French architectural prints, a reflection of Anne’s passion for architecture.

Rosy neutrals add warmth to this feminine space.

Incorporate blush into your decor. This serene sitting area, in a principal bedroom, uses a muted palette pulled from the contemporary artwork. The Lucite table and cross-back chairs keep the look light.

Frame a pretty wallpaper with wood trim for an inexpensive upgrade to your space.

Delicate spring green blossoms create a breezy atmosphere in this vintage-looking entrance. A colour palette inspired by the outdoors is sure to refresh any room, especially when paired with warm wood floors.

Create a retreat with both masculine and feminine design elements.

A chocolate herringbone-patterned bedspread and taupe and toile pillows make this traditional bedroom appealing. “The gender-neutral decor is inviting and comfortable for my husband. It still has a softness but isn’t overly feminine,” says interior designer Sloan Mauran. South-facing windows bathe the room in sunlight, and elegant ivory silk taffeta curtains flank each side of them. Gold studs on the tufted bench add drama.

For more glamorous interiors by Sloan Mauran, see our photo gallery.

Stripes, ruffles and scalloped details create a cosy retreat.

A wall-mounted bedside light in this guest bedroom, designed by Anne Hepfer, frees up the red tray table for pretty and practical touches that help guests feel at home. Anne added intricate details, such as the fabric appliquéd to the curtains.

Luxe details in the beauty mogul’s closet include a vintage chandelier, mirrored dresser and a brass desk.

“Most people would have added a feminine French vanity and chair to a dressing room lined with romantic, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper,” says New York interior designer Heather Clawson, author of the popular blog, Habitually Chic. “I love that Aerin Lauder brought in a clean-lined, Italian brass desk from the 1970s by designer and architect Gabriella Crespi, instead. It picks up the gold in the paper without looking too girly or matchy-matchy. It’s the chicest closet I have ever seen.”

See more of Clawson’s favourite interiors in our photo gallery.

Crisp white walls, bedding and lamps allow pastel shades to shine.

In this little girl’s room, a rosy-pink velvet headboard, striped silk dust ruffle and toile chair combine for a sophisticated and feminine look that she won’t soon outgrow.

A DIY display rack adds character and storage.

A rustic branch, pink wall and striped flat weave rug offer country style, while the metal bistro chair and simple Ikea shoe cabinet keep the look fresh and not overly feminine. To make this do-it-yourself branch rack, look for a thick, fairly straight fallen tree branch with a few knots in the wood for interest. Make sure a hanger will fit around it and then hang it with chain or rope on either end from eye hooks in the ceiling.

See more modern country interiors in our photo gallery.

Drawers, desks and curtained cubby holes maximize storage.

Sarah Richardson, host of HGTV’s Sarah’s House and Sarah’s Cottage TV shows, teamed up with the homeowner to design this room over a garage. To make the most of unused space and awkward roof slopes, drawers and closets were custom designed into every nook and cranny. The window seat was fitted with deep storage drawers and flanked by two desks. Large cubby holes hidden by curtains provide a spot to play house or hold puppet shows.

Get Sarah’s tips on paint colours, too.

For more storage tips, see our Organizing Kids’ Play & Work Spaces photo gallery.

A colourful rug and rich paisley bergere chairs are tempered by neutral walls.

Stately mouldings reinforce a refined aesthetic, and lush florals bloom as accents in this home also decorated by Sarah.

Grown-up architectural details add unexpected elegance to a child’s bedroom.

Bubblegum pink walls and artwork create a decidedly feminine look in this young girl’s room. A steel grey marble fireplace provides a dramatic focal point and keeps the space from appearing overly sweet.

Colour and pattern add a personal touch to a too-plain bedroom.

Wallpapering the ceiling is a great way to add character to a large room, and here the light ivory colour and understated gold stars keep the ceiling from looking too heavy. A block-print coverlet and paisley throw pillows are harmonious in shades of purple, but doesn’t make the room too feminine. Layering a striped cotton rug over an existing sisal rug adds even more pattern and punch to the colour scheme.

Get more decorating ideas in our Gorgeous Guest Bedrooms photo gallery.

Paneled walls, pretty bedding and antique furniture add a feminine touch to this bedroom.

This bedroom’s formal style is tempered by the playful use of bold colour and pattern.

Create an old-world atmosphere with patterned bedding, ambient lighting, matching side tables and art in mirrored frames.

A ceiling mounted canopy — made of the same fabric as the bed skirt — adds height and dramatic flair to this elegant bedroom.

A home with pets doesn’t have to compromise style.

Suzanne is a true animal lover who knows how to design a beautiful home while keeping pets in mind. Here, Suzanne cuddles with cat Diego in her old home’s warm and feminine principal bedroom.

Decorating with traditional, old-world pieces creates warmth and intimacy in this room.

Layers of vintage velvet and silk bedding, French antique furniture and a crystal chandelier combine to create a luxuriously feminine space.

A well upholstered sofa and a rough-hewn salvaged wood table add character to this design.

Light lavender painted walls make for a fresh, feminine backdrop to neutral coloured furnishings. Black and white photography pops against this soft hue.