Sleeping Beauty
There’s nothing more restful than a pretty boudoir, so here are some pointers to help you sleep in style
In design terms, bedrooms are a bit of a problem. The average standard size for the main bedroom in Britain is 3x4m, and when you put anything from a double bed size upwards into that space, there’s not a lot of room left over.
Apart from the fact that most of us need to have our clothes storage in the bedroom too, that bed is one enormous expanse of duvet or bedspread filling the eye.
So what are the key design issues to take into account and how can we make these spaces feel warm and inviting without compromising on practicality? The things that are important here are the grittier issues of design – space planning and practicality; getting proportions correct.
Where possible, don’t have the door behind the bed [ our ancestral self is worried about the wolves and the tribe down the valley attacking].
Head boards should provide a comfortable rest for your back and head when sitting up in bed; avoid footers to your bed unless you like your bedding tucked in and you never sleep with your feet over the end of the mattress. And unless you’re an exhibitionist, don’t have full mirrored wardrobe doors in front of the bed. You’ll scare yourself on the way to the bathroom in the night.
Built in wardrobes always take up less visual space and provide more storage than freestanding ones and you can go the way of the expensive but luxurious built in wardrobe system – I rather covet this one by Wharfside – or cheap and cheerful as I did by building a simple carcass ( not personally, you understand).
Add a rail and a few wire drawers sets from a well- known Swedish company and Bob’s your uncle.
I’d always go for carpet rather than hard flooring, both for comfort on bare feet and noise levels. I have had clients say they prefer hard flooring because carpets trap the dust, but unless you vacuum every day, trapped dust is better than dust being blown around.
If you do go for hard flooring and add rugs, do make sure they have a non- slip underlay.
Bedding can be a minefield. In order to give some interest to that acre of bed, a lot of people like patterned bedding. Attractive bedspreads can be easier to find, but most people have duvets.
Good reasonably priced patterned duvet covers that work with your décor are hard to come by, so snap them up if you find them. Mind, this is one thing I’m a purist about and I want plain white cotton or linen bedding.
Lighting and electrics are a big issue and should be considered early on in the design process. Making sure you have sockets where you need them sounds obvious, but is very easy to overlook and can scupper your great design scheme – extension leads are not the best look, nor the safest.
Think in layers of light, from rushing out to work on a dark winter morning, where strong overhead light means you begin to wake up, even if it makes you look like death in the mirror. So good, reasonably flattering lighting is important for the dressing table and the best is the all- round lighting of a classic Hollywood mirror, such as this one by Illuminated Mirrors. You can also get good backlit ones if this look is not for you.
Bedside lighting is important but there are lots of options: wall lights; mini reading lights so your partner can sleep while you start another chapter; classic table lamps, two ceiling hung pendant lights – just make sure they not positioned to strangle you when you get out of bed in the night.
For furniture, buy the best mattress, not necessarily the best bed, you can afford. If you have the space, it feels very generous to have two chests of drawers instead of standard sized bedside tables. If not, there are some wonderfully styled smaller chests.
If you want a dressing table consider, using a small desk instead – you’ll find there is greater choice.
It’s always useful to have chairs in a bedroom, whether it’s for sitting to put on your socks or just as a night time dumping ground for clothes.
There are other, less tangible design aspects for a good night’s sleep – such as banning televisions and, if the light affects you adding blackout linings to blinds and curtains.