One of the few certainties in life is the need to sleep. Since it is critical to our physical and emotional well-being, sleep is something all of us need- regardless of who we are, where we reside and how we live.

And it is something we spend a considerable amount of time doing. The average eight hours a night amounts to a third of our lives.

Every home needs a sanctuary where one can escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or a secluded spot to just relax and revitalise. But to create this space needs planning, imagination, resourcefulness and most likely, work.

Today, research supports the notion that a bedroom or any other space that accommodates sleep and its related activities, should be more than just a randomly arrayed place to sleep. They must be functional, comfortable, nurturing, appealing to the eye, above all else, restful and serene.

To endow the bedroom with a serene and nurturing aura, opt for simplicity. A bed can tempt without all the fussy attire. Elegance and ease can meet head-on, by choosing the right elements. For instance, a plank bed frame elicits a rustic or provincial era. Polished metal or glossed wood may impart a modern or minimal aesthetic look.

Bedclothes are just as evocative. Frothy linens turn a bed sweet and romantic; crisp textiles lend it an air of tailored elegance and rich trappings give a bed a lavish look.

Thanks to its powerful presence, changing the bed can also change the very nature of the room. And making those changes can be as easy and inexpensive as dressing and draping the bed to evoke a new mood.

Drenching it with colour and pattern can offer definition by establishing a specific decorative style. Tenting the bed in various ways establishes a certain tone, be it historic, exotic, fanciful or romantic.

And changing the look of your bed need not be a big production. For example, you can create the look of a canopy bed without building a new structure. Simply hang fabric from a central point over the head of the bed.

Then, drape lengths of lightweight cotton over looks in the ceiling placed at either side of the head of the bed for a contemporary effect or at all four corners for a very dramatic effect. Whatever types a textiles are employed, it is important to consider the cleaning process.

Sheet, pillowcases, quilt covers need frequent laundering, so they should be able to withstand regular washings.
They must be colourfast, shrink-resistant, and require little or no special care such as hand washing or air drying. However valances and tents do not need to be washed frequently.

Headboard solutions

White linen is perhaps the easiest way to implement a quick change in the bedroom, and don’t forget the headboard. Colour and pattern, no matter how subtle, boost the perceived comfort quotient to the bed. Creamy tones of maize spiked with touches of green can make a simple iron bed alluring.

A bed that faces the door can give its occupants a sense of security when they are most vulnerable, since they can easily see who is entering the room.

Add built-in shelves around the bed to suggest a headboard where there is none while at the same time providing great open storage offering an arresting framework for a dramatic work of art, which can be placed behind the bed. By painting the shelves black, the decorative process can increase as they seem to cocoon the bed.

Maximising your mattresses: The average life of most mattresses is about 10 years. But quality of the mattresses and its use also matter. Deterioration inside a mattress can often go unnoticed until your body starts feeling it.

The stiffness and pain from tossing and turning are good indications of an old mattress. Do keep a check for the peaks, valleys, lumps, bumps and surface wear and tear in your mattress.

To be fair, looks aren’t everything, nor are they ever the most critical part of the equation in this instance. We all need our bedrooms to be hardworking spaces that meet a range of wants and needs.

This room must be extremely serviceable since it usually must harbour some of our most treasured possessions and contains all our accessories and clothes.

And there is also much to do in this space on a daily basis, such as grooming ourselves, selecting our clothes or getting dressed. If we are sharing the bedroom with a partner, the room must accommodate twice as many effects and double the action. Thus it is just as important to plan a bedroom as it is to plan any other space in a home.

A sense of separation from other activities in the home is critical for a bedroom. Achieving this will involve where you place the bed and how you dress it. Light and sound controls are also critical issues. If there are many windows in the room, hang thick curtains or blinds to block outside lights.

On the other hand, morning light is a powerful wake-up tool. If the room is noisy, introduce plush carpets, thick drapes or wall hangings to muffle loud sounds.

Sleep secrets

A low temperature promotes better sleep, while a warm bedroom can actually interfere with the same. This is because our body temperature drops during sleep and rises as our waking hour draws near. According to experts, the ideal bedroom temperature is 18 and 20 degree celcius, but that will not suit everyone. Women usually prefer a slightly warmer room temperature then men.

Buying linen: All cotton sheets soften with washing, while blends wrinkle less but aren’t soft. Egyptian cottons are extra lustrous and retain this sheen through repeated washings.

Mix and match to make a bed great by combining prints. The best principle to remember is that opposites attract. Curves should be balanced with straighter edges. For example, some perfect paving are lush floral with simple stripes or linear geometrics with curvy designs.

Accentuate the foot of the bed with a bench, a trunk or low bureau, or even a stack of antique luggage. Depending on the piece, it can assume any decorative style. It will also serve as a place to sit while dressing, to drop clothes on or for storage.

Colour:

Colour is a powerful tool in decorating the bedroom as it can be expensive, versatile and inspiring. Furthermore its effects have been scientifically proven to affect physical, psychological and emotional well-being. Colours can be used to create a range of moods that enhances the way we function in a specific room. Also, take the size and shape of the bedroom into consideration. Choose colours that you are comfortable with and that make you feel good.

Special space

Everybody needs a place to put up his or her feet and relax, whether it is to sit quietly and read, gaze at the scenery outside (if there is one), or grab a short nap, in essence, somewhere to escape the stresses of daily life.

While a whole room devoted to this pursuit would be ideal, it is often unrealistic, give the space constraints most of us have. This sort of space can be carved out of the corner of a room, be it a bedroom, study, family room or home - office. Furnish this space with sensuous pieces, such as a cushy recliner on a chaise or a hammock or a swing hung inside to brings the outdoors in.

Don’t ignore the spaces outside your home. In good weather, transform a corner of a balcony into a spot for peaceful repose. Set a deck chair under an awning or tree, spread a blanket on the grass or hang a hammock somewhere.

Creating your bedroom retreat: Be creative and bold with decorating elements. Don’t hesitate to try daring colour combinations, over the top patterns or unusual textures into the mix.

Add all amenities you love. If you love music, invest a superior sound system; if you want to eat or drink in the space, consider a mini refrigerator, expresso machine or a bar. Use lighting as a tool. Vital to the atmosphere of the room, lighting can be used to create different effects at different times.

It can be targeted to accent a certain feature in the room, such as a coveted collection or to create a mood. Don’t forget the basics: function must still be a priority.

No matter how singular, eclectic, elegant the furnishings, they still must be practical and offer all the comfort you need. Make sure you have a comfortable, supportive bed, adequate lighting and ventilation and enough storage to accommodate your possessions.

The spaces we use for sleeping should be shrines to our personal needs and preferences and places where we can create a secret world. And we can learn how to design the spaces to fulfill these needs with forethought, planning and action.

The author is an interior designer and can be contacted at 9845070824 or email: modcconinterior@rediffmail.com