Singaporebrides | Home & Travel
April 2011
Home Sweet Home Series – Pt II
Part two of our Home Sweet Home series is about a very private part of the home. Your bedroom is your sanctuary. The place you can feel most at ease, unwind and be yourself, where you can snuggle under the covers and relax with a good book. Here’s what you need to know when creating your own little boudoir.
Agood rest in a comfortable bedroom allows you to recharge for a brand new day, while a less comfortable one could have you tossing and turning all night, and waking up with a stiff neck. Krisztina Pohl, First Interior Designer from IKEA Singapore, shares some tips on what to look out for when designing your bedroom.
Choose Your Bedfellows Wisely
The bed is perhaps the most important piece of furniture in your home. We spend a third of our lives sleeping, so make sure you find a mattress that you’re comfortable with. When choosing a mattress, remember to lie down completely on it. Take your time; don’t be afraid to roll around and bounce on it. Never test it out just with the palm of your hand because that’s not how you will sleep in it at home. If you find yourself torn between a few choices, don’t rush into making a decision. Sleep on it (well, not literally), and return to the store another day to try again.
Buy pillows that fit your sleeping positions – check with the store if they have pillows specifically for side, back and tummy sleepers. Don’t get an outrageously thick quilt; you want to be warm and snug, not drenched in perspiration, when you wake each morning. If your partner has a different level of temperature tolerance, you might want to consider getting two separate quilts.
Creating Romance
Set the mood for romance in the bedroom with textiles and lighting. Mix and match softer shades with bolder colours. You can also mix in fabrics with floral, striped, embroidered or checkered patterns to soften the look of your bedroom.
A nice bedside lamp, or uplighter can also dramatically change the look and ambience of the room. Choose light bulbs that emit a warm or yellow glow for that cosy, romantic feel.
Lighten Up!
For general lighting, most people will choose a ceiling lamp to illuminate the whole bedroom. This is an important light to have in any room to carry out everyday tasks such as cleaning, dusting or searching for that missing sock.
You’ll also need to add in functional lights, such as a reading lamp above the bed or a free-standing one placed next to the bed. You’ll either need spotlights or a track light near your wardrobe so things are easier to see and find. Alternatively, you can get interior wardrobe lighting. If you are the kind that brings work home, a proper work area (read: not your bed) equipped with a work lamp is crucial.
For additional mood or ambience lighting, place a floor lamp or uplighter near the bed, or a table lamp for the bedside table or chest of drawers. Lamps with a shade are best for giving the room a soft glow. Add a few candles in the room for a really romantic feel if you like but remember never to place lit candles near windows, curtains or leave them unattended!
Behind Closed Doors
Before you move in together, take stock of what you have. Clear out or give away any old or rarely used clothing. Then sort your clothes and accessories accordingly so you have an idea of the type of interior storage fittings you will need for your wardrobe. Aside from maximizing the space in your wardrobe, it is also important to make sure that the wardrobe works for you.
For example, do consider if you prefer to fold or hang your t-shirts, as this will determine if you need more clothes rails for hanging or the number of shelves you will need. Would love a built in walk-in dressing area but your budget doesn’t allow for it? Consider an open wardrobe which can double up as a room divider. All you need to complete the look is a full length mirror. And don’t forget that the area will need its own light source.
Space Maximisation
Need more space? Use your walls! Create extra space by adding shelves against the wall behind your bed (remember to make sure the shelves are high enough so you don’t bump your head when you sit up), fix up wall cabinets on free walls, or install shelves above the door.
Do utilise the space above your wardrobe – use storage boxes so it looks neat and tidy. You can also add hooks on the back of your door or on the walls to hang your bags, scarves and belts. Even the space under your bed should not be left idle – maximize that space with pull-out storage boxes to keep your extra bedspreads.
Your bedroom is a very personal expression of yourself, as well as your life together as a couple, so it’s not something that you’ll find on a list somewhere in a home decorating book. Accessorise your room with items that you both love and you will create a bedroom that you’ll spend many loving moments in.
Sweet dreams!
Credits:
Images courtesy of IKANO Pte Ltd, © Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2011
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