| Of all the rooms in the house, the bedroom is | | | | it is best to avoid these beds, as what will suit a |
| perhaps the most personal. Although it's rarely | | | | beautiful Tuscan villa won't look so good in a small |
| seen by anyone other than its owner (unless it's a | | | | modern bedroom. |
| guest bedroom), a bedroom can be a perfect | | | | Contemporary beds are always a safe bet, as |
| place to give full expression to personality and | | | | styles can be chosen that are as unobtrusive as |
| design flair. | | | | possible, unless of course you want to make the |
| Choosing a bed, and accompanying furniture is | | | | bed the absolute focal point of a room. Most |
| incredible important; we spend up to a third of our | | | | contemporary beds are quite low - adding a |
| lives in our bedrooms. Obviously, we're unaware | | | | sense of space & light to smaller rooms. |
| of our surroundings for much of that time, being | | | | Larger rooms are best suited to king sized beds, |
| asleep, but the times spent before and after | | | | where single beds or smaller double beds would |
| sleep are incredibly formative, both of the quality | | | | be swallowed up by the space. |
| of sleep we're to have, and of the day to come. | | | | The space around your bed and other bedroom |
| The recipe for a fantastic day begins with the | | | | furniture is also important. Think about how you |
| bedroom, where use of designer furniture, careful | | | | and your partner might move around the |
| decoration and soft furnishing choices makes the | | | | bedroom. Will progress be impeded too much? Is |
| room a haven for calm. Being the largest piece of | | | | there enough space to dress? Are there sharp |
| furniture you'll own, a bed is of course, your most | | | | corners that will be painful if bumped into? A |
| important design choice. | | | | well-built, bespoke wardrobe may be your storage |
| So it's often worth splashing out & buying | | | | answer, or perhaps separate pieces of |
| the best bed you can afford, with designer | | | | lovingly-chosen designer furniture. Tallboys will give |
| furniture to match. Designer furniture will always | | | | plenty of storage room without taking up too |
| look good, not dictated by fashion, but always up | | | | much precious storage space & can be a |
| to the minute. Generally, the better designer beds | | | | practical way to keep the usual small bedroom |
| by Italian furniture makers like Bonaldo & | | | | objects, eg hairbrushes out of sight but within |
| Jesse really stand the test of time, not just in | | | | easy reach. |
| quality, but also in style. So called 'trendy' furniture | | | | A bedroom is a room very much lived-in, and |
| tends to look very dated a few years on, but | | | | there should be allowances made for the |
| upmarket Italian furniture will always look great. | | | | everyday and essential 'clutter' of a bedroom: |
| But first the practical considerations. Most couples | | | | glasses of drinking water, spectacles, books and |
| prefer as large a bed as space allows - king sized | | | | magazines. |
| if possible - in order that both can comfortably | | | | When choosing each piece of designer furniture or |
| stretch out and luxuriate. However, king size or | | | | accessory for your bedroom, try and get each |
| super king beds can easily over-dominate a small | | | | piece to complement the next, thus helping to |
| space, so it may be better to buy a double bed | | | | create a unified whole. It is perfectly acceptable |
| instead. Choice of bed size is very important. | | | | to mix styles, urban and rustic, old and |
| Claustrophobia is not a good 'feel' for a bedroom. | | | | contemporary. It's increasingly common to see |
| A bed must be at least six inches longer than its | | | | contemporary design in older settings such as |
| tallest occupant, so in a small room, width may | | | | barn conversions, and of course there are always |
| have to be sacrificed for length. | | | | elements of technology we wouldn't want to do |
| Consider the overall space that you have at your | | | | without even in a period design. Halogen lighting, |
| disposal. A four-poster bed may seem wonderful | | | | hidden sound systems and even televisions |
| on the pages in the catalogue or in the | | | | (artfully tucked away) may make their mark |
| showroom, but would it really suit your room? | | | | even in a Shaker-styled bedroom! Just remember |
| Are your ceilings high enough? Is the room | | | | that the bedroom's design should reflect you and |
| spacious with plenty of empty floor space? If not | | | | your tastes. |