Room by room: The master bedroom

The master bedroom

In 2015 I started a series called "Room by Room" where I focused on ways of making our homes more comfortable and cosy, home decorating tips, ideas for storage, ways to keep it organised and other general information. These posts were quite popular, however I never finished the series (sad face!!) and now its time to do something about that!

Today I want to talk about The Master bedroom.

There was a time when the lord and lady's bed chamber was a multi-functional room: home office, library, living room, a place to have important meetings, an operating theatre, place to be born and to die and a bedroom for sleeping. Rarely did ordinary folk of the past sleep just the two of them — children shared the bed and others could also sleep in the same room perhaps on the floor. The bedroom was once a very communal and busy room. It wasn't until more recent centuries did people start to have their own private space and the lord and lady of the home, their own retreat.


I live in an average sized home built in the early 1970s,  3 bedroom, 1 bath — typical of its era. Having watched a number of US real-estate programmes I now realise that most people would think our bedroom was way too small — but, in reality it does its job. It is a nice place to sleep and be intimate — as we no longer need to entertain in our bedroom as we once did in Tudor times, a small space is not the end of the world (at least I have a comfortable bed and roof over my head, I really can't complain). Which is ultimately what the bedroom is for — it shouldn't be all show and no go ladies!

No matter what size your bedroom is, it should be a place of comfort and cosiness where  you and your husband can spent intimate time together and a place to sleep. How you decorate your bedroom is a very personal thing — some people like soft gentle colours, others like it bright and light. Perhaps romanic, seaside, cottage, simple, ultra modern. This is one room in the house that belong to you and your husband and no one else so you can do what you like.  You don't need to have theme in your room — whatever makes you happy is far more important. 

Just remember ladies, if you like lots of lace and a feminine room full of pink — think of your husband, he may hate it (mine would), so when designing your bedroom, think also from a male perspective. 

There are few practical things to think about when designing a bedroom:

1. Storage for clothes — do you have enough space for all the clothes you have, including shoes and other accessories. Not all rooms have adequate wardrobe/closet space that are large enough for two peoples (we don't, so I use a second bedroom as my closet extension!)

2. Window dressings — do you have adequate coverage over the windows to cut out light and keep the room warm and cosy. 

3. Lighting — I love good lighting when I am getting dressed (so I can see what I am doing), but at night in bed whilst reading, the bedside lamp is a must. However for those more romantic, intimate occasions, I have fairy lights around the bedhead for a more romantic mood. 

4. Mattress — nothing worse than sleeping on a bed with a bad mattress. It is better to spend a little extra to get the mattress that will give the best sleep.

5. Pillows — comfortable pillows are very important and very personal. My husband likes hard pillows, I like my boomerang pillow. Some couples like to have their bed covered in lots and lots pillows (as it looks nice during the day) — I'm not one of these people, never know what you do with them at nigh!!

6. Bedside tables — very handy for books, glass of water, more books, lamp, mobile phone, clock etc... Some people like to make matching bedside tables (works of art) — these might look lovely in a magazine, but are not very practical. My side of the bed is a pile of books and all the bits and pieces I like next to me, my husband goes for the minimal look!. Once again — don't be driven by the magazines (and pinterest), go with what is practical for you!!

7. Heating and cooling — no one likes to be too hot or too cold in bed, this is important to get right and you and your husband are both happy. Many an argument has occurred over whether the bed is too hot or too cold!



After a busy day there is nothing worse than arriving in your room to find the bed unmade from the night before, clothes all over the floor and general mess. This is your place of rest and a mess doesn't create a restful environment. Get into the habit of making your bed, picking up your clothes, putting shoes away, throwing out the rubbish and keeping the room neat and tidy. Dust and vacuum the room often (dust isn't good for one's breathing at night), keep the room well aired and fresh and make sure it smells nice. 

Perhaps add a washing basket in the corner, a chair for the clothes (so they don't end up on the floor) and a box for the shoes. Get into the habit of keeping your bedroom tidy (and the rest of your house) its a very good habit to have and sets an example for your children. 

Make your bedroom a child free zone — this doesn't mean your children can't come in, but it isn't a place for their toys and belongings and it certainly isn't a place for them to play — this is your space and not theirs. 

Some people make the bedroom a pet free zone — whilst our dog is not inside, there is no way that I could exclude the cats. Under our bed are two small cat beds where they like to sleep in winter, but more often, they find their way onto our bed at night, or into bed if it is cold. This is, once again a personal thing!! 

Make your bedroom the one place your husband really wants to spend time in

“Bedrooms are not just for sleeping! Ideally bedrooms should be special places where each family member can pull away from all the stress, escape the demands, and rest, cry, journal, and dream away from the eyes of others. Bedrooms give sanctuary to souls and should be outfitted accordingly.” — Sally Clarkson


If you are interested in other rooms in this series — check out these links:

Comments

  1. I really need to work on my bedroom. It does tend to get cluttered. I think we would sleep better if it were clutter free.

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    1. I have plans for a deck outside our bedroom running down the side of the house and quite excited about the ideas of French doors from our bedroom opening up to the deck, it would so great in summer. Just need to save up to make it all happen!!!

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  2. Very interesting and fun post =) We have school in our bedroom!!! ;) A good space away from the hustle and bustle of phones and people moving around, but not perhaps what everyone would do =)

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    1. I think you are returning to tudor times!!! If it works for you, then it doesn't matter what others think!!

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  3. My bedroom is for sure the catch all room, I would love to make it more of a retreat. Thanks for the ideas

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    1. I'm sure many families use the master suite as a bit of a dumping ground when it should be far more like a retreat. I hope I have inspired you :))

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  4. Yes. I think it's important to make a bedroom an inviting, comfortable place where relaxation, sleep and intimacy can occur without clutter. Of course that is dependent on enough bookshelves in our house - something we are in dire need of at the moment!!! Haha!! Once we have a new bookshelf, then the clutter (piles of books) can be tidied up! Although I'm not sure that the pile of books on my dresser and beside my bed will ever disappear - as soon as one book is read, another replaces it!!!
    We have a huge pile of pillows on our bed - and they get a lot of use, too, as we often sit up in bed to read in the evenings before we sleep, and we use them when we read our Bibles and pray together before getting up to face the day in the morning, and we occasionally use them to sit up in bed and watch a DVD. They get stacked on a rocker in our bedroom at nights when we're sleeping - in answer to your wonderings, Jo!!!

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    1. When I watch those home renovations shows they always have a beautiful bedside table - looking so pretty and just right. They never have a huge pile of books, which is what I have next to my bed!! They also never have a box of tissues, a pen, paper, torch etc.... Because steven makes the bed in the morning, I know that lots of pillows would never make it back onto the bed, so I make it as simple as possible !!!

      I have a pile of books next to my bed

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