There are many ways you can adapt your home to make it ideal for both older family members and young children. You can make changes to a bathroom to make it more suitable for all to use and while you may want communal spaces such as your living room to be suitable for the entire family when it comes to creating personal space the bedroom is the place to start. After all, the place where you sleep and relax should reflect your personality, and you can achieve that by designing and decorating your bedroom.
Be warned, though, if you’re going to work on a room for another family member; it makes sense to consult them before you start – you may think wallpaper featuring princesses, dragons and unicorns will look adorable. However, your child may not be of the same opinion.
Relaxing décor for your bedroom
Your bedroom should be a place of peace and tranquillity, a haven you will long to retire to at the end of your busy day. It should cater for your favourite creature comforts and reflect your style. If you share a bedroom with a partner, consult with them and agree on what will suit you both. Maybe your partner wants a TV bed whereas you’d like to ban all gadgets and electronics from your bedroom. It’s important to find a compromise if you want to create a space that you both can relax in, so keep an open mind and look at all options available to you. TV beds aren’t just a man toy, though, they’re actually a great space saver and just think of all the romantic movie nights you could have snuggled up in bed!
Shared bedrooms often have matching furnishings, such as bedside tables or reading lamps. However, there’s nothing wrong with personalising these items to suit your preferences, even if it does create a mismatched effect. The bed is the focal point and depending on space available you have several options for other furnishings.
Let natural light in
Although you may principally use your bedroom in the evening, you will also wake up in it in the mornings and perhaps occasionally take an afternoon nap, so be aware that natural daylight is just as important here as it is in your other living spaces. Making the most of daylight is easier if you install elegant shutters with moveable slats for your windows as this gives you precise control year-round of the amount of light you admit. Shutters are also ideal for ensuring you have a complete blackout when you need it, the better to help you sleep.
Perfect colours for your bedroom
Unless you’re fond of bright, buzzy colours, it’s a good idea to opt for soft, calming shades when deciding on colours to use in your bedroom. Remember to check that you like the way your room will look in artificial light as well as in daylight. You can use swatches or colour cards to try out different ideas before you make a final decision. If you have decorated your entire home according to a specific colour palette, choose shades at the lighter end that will promote relaxation in the bedroom.
How to work with artificial lighting
Recent trends in artificial lighting have favoured wall sconces and lamps rather than a central ceiling light; however, a chandelier is a stylish solution, either contemporary or classical in style. You can still make good use of bedside lamps and, if space allows, perhaps create a quiet reading corner with a comfy armchair and cushions.
As with daylight, controlling the artificial light is important so whatever options you choose, try to make it as adjustable as possible, perhaps by fitting dimmer switches.
There’s nothing like fresh bedding
There is nothing quite like that moment when you finally manage to sink into bed and enjoy the luxury of fresh, comfortable bedding. Treat your bed linen as an important part of your wardrobe and seek out the best quality you can find to ensure you are always comfortable in bed and feel suitably pampered. Extra touches such as a faux fur throw will add a little bit of extravagance to your comfort zone.
Add personal touches
Finally, what makes your bedroom yours, rather than the equivalent of a smart but anonymous hotel room, are the unique personal touches you add. Perhaps you have favourite family photos of loved ones or artwork you love to look at before you sleep. Maybe there are some artefacts that you like to enjoy privately, rather than displaying them in your living room. Sometimes favourite small items, perhaps ones that you bought together with your partner, can make a lovely addition to a shared bedroom. If you enjoy listening to music, that can be a great way to relax before sleeping, make sure your favourite tracks are accessible before you nod off.
Do you sleep in the bedroom of your dreams or would you change anything about your bedroom?
Totally agree with the need for natural light and the choice of colours. They are more important to us (our health and emotional feelings ) than we think. 🙂