Over the years I’ve seen many people compromise on their bedrooms. Typically this is because “we only sleep in it”! Therefore less time and money gets put into the thought and implementation of this particular room.
This reason “we only sleep in it", is precisely why we should invest more time into making it the comfiest and most harmonious room of the house. This is where our bodies recuperate after a long day. This is where our minds can be put to rest!
How do we make the perfect bedroom a reality? And with minimal spend?
Here are the 4 principles I swear by to create a perfectly harmonious bedroom.
1. SYMMETRY
As a Designer I absolutely LOVE symmetry. Not only in bedrooms to calm the mind at nighttime but throughout the house. Anything that’s slightly off centre or not aligned to something drives me mad!
Symmetry in the bedroom is very important. It’s about creating that equal space around the bed, having the same bedside tables and lamps and framing this with a painting or series of posters above.
Surrounding the bed, you need on all three sides the same so it’s accessible in the same way no matter which side you sleep on. Not only for practical reasons, this is extremely aesthetically pleasing.
Depending on what you like to do before nodding off to sleep and first thing in the morning will influence the style of bedside tables you have. Typically you need storage. For books, knickknacks – that sort of thing that you’d not necessarily want to be on public display. I have found that having a small drawer at the top can be extremely useful as well.
Always keep the top surface of the bedside table as clear as possible. This can be tricky – I would know as I always seem to accumulate a pile of books! – but if you’ve got enough storage below you should be able to keep it as minimal as possible. The combination of a feature lamp, picture frame and a candle is the perfect example of keeping it clear from clutter.
2. Back to Basics & Style
There is a tendency to add more furniture to a bedroom than necessary. Take it back to basics and decide what you really need in there.
Do you really need a desk and chair that clutters up that one side or corner of the room? Try and find space elsewhere to house this or decide if you truly need it.
Overcrowding the bedroom is not only stressful when you go to bed of an evening but difficult to move around in too. A bed, bedside tables and a wardrobe are the bare basics in terms of furniture.
Sometimes (particularly in modern new builds) adequate wardrobe space can be tricky to find. So if you’re fortunate to have the additional space, I would highly recommend using another room as a dressing room. Not only to give you more storage space for clothes but also to create more space in the main bedroom.
When it comes to the overall style of your bedroom, it’s best to do some research into good bedroom colour palettes and go from there.
Choose a style that is personal, unique and stylish. There’s no right or wrong answer so long as you are consistent with your chosen style throughout the room. Feature bedroom stools / chairs or bed frame can look fantastic. It’s better not to over do it with statement pieces in the bedroom as it can often look messy and not well thought through. If you need to up-cycle or renovate, sanding is really important in this process and shouldn’t be overlooked.
3. Quality Linen
I don’t know about you but whenever I stay in a hotel I always love sleeping in a big, cosy and fluffy bed. Instantly I think about how I can create that beautiful fluffy feeling of the hotel bed at home.
Unsurprisingly, it boils down to the quality of bed linen used, number of pillows and comfort factor. We are very unlikely to spare on these things in our living rooms, so our bedroom should be no different!
Finding premium quality bed linen at high street prices can be a challenge. Every time I have settled for high street priced bed linen in the past, I have 9 times out of 10 been pretty disappointed by the third night. Hence, by finding premium quality bed linen you will "feel" that the texture is incomparable to anything else.
4. Accessories
Ahh, the finishing touches … Probably my favourite stage of each project I have worked on. Adding those all important decorative items that make any room look polished off and complete.
Creating the perfect ambient lighting in a bedroom is essential. Choose matching bedside lamps that take at least a 30W bulb so you can still read with them if necessary but their not too bright that they may as well be the main ceiling light.
On that point, your ceiling light can be quite minimal as you don’t want to detract attention from the main focal point of the bed and surrounding furniture. There’s argument to say that you’ll probably not use it that often either, or at least for minimal lengths of time.
Here are some bedside lamps options:
Comforting decorative accessories such as headboards, cushions and throws really finish a bedroom off. Choose complementary colours that blend well together.
Candles and photo frames are fantastic bedside table accompaniments. If you’ve been able to have a dressing table within your main bedroom this is also a great place to add these key finishing touches. Lavender and Jasmine are calming scents every bedroom should have.
Also, when it comes to picture frames, simplicity is key. Nothing too overwhelming, “elegance is the ultimate sophistication” and this should run clear into your bedroom.
So here are some of the accessories for creating a calming environment:
Wall decorations above the bed really finish the room off in terms of accessorising. Whilst some may opt for hanging a mirror here, I personally believe either paintings or a series of posters work much better. This is because a full length mirror on a different wall is far more practical and a rectangular one works beautifully in the living or dining room instead.
Here are my top picks, for adding those final wall decorations on a budget:
Top Tip: Combine quotes / sentences with calming landscapes in complimentary colours to the rest of the room for the ultimate calming gallery wall.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post and been able to take some valuable hints and tricks to create the perfect bedroom in your home.
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