Your bedroom is your private sanctuary, a place of calmness and tranquillity and when it comes to designing the interior of your home, is worthy of your focus.
227,760 hours, or 9,490 days or 26 years. Essentially, one-third of our life is the amount of time we spend sleeping or attempting to do so, according to M Aminoff et al Handbook of Clinical Neurology
Yet most people devote their time, attention and budget to the kitchen and bathroom before the bedroom. In 2022, investing in the home office space, or creating space for a side hustle, was the top priority for internal redesign, according to Architectural Digest
I believe our bedrooms deserve to be a design priority. Not only do we spend so much time in them, but our bedrooms are our personal often intimate space, our sanctuary to relax and unwind from the outside world.
So how do we design our dream bedroom?
Influence of hotel bedrooms
Many of my clients draw on their experiences of staying in hotels. They remember the style, the luxury and the comfort. There are ways to bring this into your home, but it is worth remembering that you are a guest for a few nights in a hotel, in a room which has to suit a myriad of guests and tastes. You are a ‘guest’ in your bedroom every night. Thoughtful design, planning and thought will help you create a room that suits your style and personality and which meets your definition of luxury (after all we are worth it!).
Great design starts with the occupants
The design for a master bedroom will differ from that of a child’s bedroom, which will differ from that of a guest room. The essence of a bedroom is to be a space where we feel at ease, and comfortable and a place which can help us relax and unwind from the day, recharging us for the following day. The occupant’s personality will be a key determinant in creating this ease.
In the example below I show three mood boards for the same property; a master bedroom, a girl’s room and a guest room. Whilst they are consistent with the overall theme and style of the house, each room has its own identity, style and feeling suited to its intended occupant.
The focal point
In many cases, this will be the biggest object in the room, most often this is the bed. The size and shape of the room will provide a guide to the style and size of the bed you choose.
Feature headboard
The headboard provides an opportunity to emphasize and enhance the room’s styling in terms of furnishings and wall coverings and express your individuality. If you have floral wallpaper, for instance, a matching headboard would set this off beautifully. Conversely, if your walls are painted in a more muted, neutral colour, you might want to have a headboard in a bold colour to offset this.
Headboards can enhance the styling of the room itself. In a recent project, a large bedroom in the roof space had high sloping ceilings so we used a statement headboard which followed the contours of the ceiling.
What bedding should you use?
Don’t skimp on your sheets. Cotton and linen are both great choices for bedding sheets or duvet covers. Linen is breathable, providing warmth in the winter, but allowing you to stay cool in the summer. 100% cotton is a popular choice because it is soft to the touch, strong, durable and comfortable.
Accent and accessorize
Here is where you can add your personality, from pops of colour in your cushions to layering gorgeous soft throws. These essential items can tie all the colours in the room together from the curtain fabric to the pictures on the walls to your choice of lamps and lampshades.
Lighting
There are so many options for bedroom lighting, I should probably write an entirely separate blog on this. Standing lamps, overheads, dimmers, bedside lamps, mirror bulbs, the options are almost endless. But one thing is for sure – the lighting should be part of the overall design of the room, rather than something considered an afterthought.
As a starter, you will probably want some form of overhead, although these come in many styles. And if you enjoy reading in bed, some form of bedside lighting, be it wall-mounted behind the bed or a small lamp on your bedside table.
If you have a dressing table with a make-up mirror, you will probably want specialised lighting here too.
For more lighting ideas, browse my website or have a look at my other blogs to see what some of my clients have done.
A treat for your feet
Stepping out of bed into a luxuriously soft carpet or rug creates a feeling of well-being. After all, it’s the first thing on the ground your feet feel in the morning.
Smart storage to banish clutter
Nothing cramps the feeling of calmness and serenity like clutter. So consider freestanding storage solutions where you can easily put things away. Hidden storage solutions such as built-in wardrobes, under-bed drawers, or tucked behind the headboard can be space-saving and give a neat finish, especially in smaller rooms. Feature furniture such as an ottoman at the bottom of the bed is a great solution. These come in many shapes and sizes and can have a traditional or contemporary look.
It is up to you to manage how much clutter you allow into this space.
A note about tech
We all know that technology ideally doesn’t belong in the bedroom and TVs, smartphones and laptops are not conducive to a good night’s sleep. But there’s no getting away from the fact that most of us probably don’t leave our smartphones downstairs at night and maybe even work in bed.
From a design point of view, if have a television in your bedroom, incorporate this into the design of the room so that it is not an obvious focal point.
Make your bedroom your favourite room in the house.
I would ask, if you like so many, focus attention on the rooms which are used by the most people and seen by our friends? Then why shouldn’t we devote the most attention to our most precious, personal space?
In the meantime if this has inspired you then do get in touch to discuss how we can create your dream home, either give me a call on 07773 372 158 or send me an email via nicky@nickypercival.co.uk
I look forward to hearing from you.
Nicky
If you enjoyed this blog, you may be interested in Create A Stylish Boutique Hotel-Inspired Bedroom With These Five Tips