The bedroom is a sanctuary. A place of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. Unfortunately, in today’s closet-sized spaces, leave alone a closet, it’s sometimes difficult to even fit a decent-sized bed in it. Nonetheless, no matter the size of your room, you should always have a bedroom where on hitting the sack, you will wake up refreshed and ready for the next day.
Lose the TV: Keep the television out of the bedroom. This is a decorating tip as much as it is a lifestyle tip, but not having a television in the bedroom is the number one way to ward off negative vibrations and heat generated by your television set, thus rendering your room calm and positive in feel. It thus also provides with the extra space required to fit anything else according to your needs.
Bed basics: Most people would go in for a large double bed without thinking, placed bang in the centre of the room. However, keep your needs in mind when considering a bed. Perhaps a queen bed will suffice instead of a king. Perhaps a single bed is all you need. Maybe you don’t need the side tables and can replace those with a ledge or shelf over the bed to keep your knick-knacks. Consider placing your bed flushed against a wall, giving you extra leg room to move around. Try and do away with heavy beds. Losing the footboard is a good idea to start with and having a light and neutral headboard will also reduce the heaviness, thus giving the room a sense of peace and calm.
Neutral colours: Stick to neutral colours when doing up your bedroom. Creams and pastels colours are perfect for soothing your nerves and calming the senses. Bold and vibrant colours are best left for areas that require a bold and vibrant environment. It’s also advisable to pick a colour theme and stick within varying shades rather than go for a myriad of contrasting schemes, shades and prints. You can have your fun by mixing up the textures of your fabrics. Have your wardrobes painted the same colour as your wall, or a very light shade of wood to reduce the heaviness of their presence in the room.
Cut the clutter: Keep your bedroom clutter-free. It’s best to have all closed storage in your bedroom. Unless you have the propensity for neatness, it’s best to hide away all of your ‘stuff’ behind closed doors. But first, remember to sort through your stuff and discard what’s not really required. Only essentials like your night table knick knacks should be seen to the naked eye.
Create barrier: Unfortunately, most often our bedroom needs to perform double duty. Mostly as a workspace. In situations like these, it is best to create a division in the room so that when you get to bed, there are no visual distractions to your space. Barriers can be created as simply as hanging a curtain between the two designated spaces or creating a more solid division by placing a book case or wardrobe between the two areas. This segregated area can then be used either as work area, changing area or even just your tiny private haven.
Do away with the fuss: This does not mean all you are left with is a Spartan bedroom, but be selective in your frills and fancies. It is best to let your window dressings be light, airy and minimal and dress up your bed with an excess of pillows, but the other way around works just as well. The point is to balance it out. Choose one element in your room you would like to add some glam and luxuriousness to and then keep the rest relatively simple. This ensures a pared down, holistic feel to your room and enables a good night’s rest. Sleep tight!
The writer is an interior designer, with offices in Delhi and Mumbai. E-mail her at info@fleurxavierdesign.com