For many interior decoration fanatics, the master bedroom is the centrepoint of the home. At once both the most private room and the one with the most potential for interesting and bold design, the bedroom offers a challenge to even the most savvy of décor fashionistas. Read on for 3 great boudoir design tips.
1. Choose Your Curtains Carefully
Curtains are often overlooked by keen amateur designers, as they are not as glamorous as more central features. However, curtains perform a very important role, and selecting the right ones can assist you in setting the correct atmosphere for the room, as they frame (or cover) the only source of natural light. There are a number of factors to consider. Generally speaking, thicker fabrics offer greater protection from the cold and sunlight, whilst thinner ones fold more crisply when drawn. Bolder patterns can be paired with eyelet headings in order to create a contemporary mood, whilst layered silk curtains offer a sense of formal class without appearing stuffy. Positioning should also be considered – hanging your curtains 6 inches above the frame will make the windows appear taller, and some designers have experimented with greater heights to impart a dramatic look.
2. A Beautiful Bed
Of course, the bed is the focal point of the bedroom. Designers have a great deal of choice here, meaning that all tastes and wallets can be accommodated. Those of a more traditional bent will doubtless be keen to pick out a grand, four-poster bedstead crafted from mahogany, whilst fans of the modern boutique bedroom will be considering low-slung, sleek metal or composite varieties, with or without a headboard. Whatever you choose, remember to pick the right bedding. Luxury duvet sets and pillows complete your bedstead, either enhancing or softening the approach you have taken to the rest of the room. Minimalist decor can be spruced up with a few wisely selected cushions, giving a more substantial impression. More traditional looks, on the other hand, can appear too soft with a large number of pillows, and might benefit from more simplistic dressing. The great dividers, of course, are silk and satin sheets. Love them or hate them, they certainly lend a certain flavour to the room.
3. Storage
Storage solutions must combine efficiency and good looks, making this aspect of bedroom design the most difficult one. Those of us lucky enough to have walk-in closets have an easier job as, if necessary, the decorative theme can be altered slightly with the transition to this new ‘room’. Those limited to more traditional layouts have a number of matters to consider. Do you want to tuck your cupboards out of the way to maintain a sleek, contemporary feel, or would you like to inject some clutter? Similarly, would you prefer smaller, low-key designs, or grandiose wardrobes stretching from floor to ceiling? Whatever your theme, make sure you have enough space to store everything; don’t sacrifice function for form.
Lawrence Jones is an interior designer. When he’s not working at his studio in London, he enjoys blogging about decor and high fashion.