Minimalism works best here

It’s a place that helps us unwind, recharge, relax and just be ourselves. It’s a home within a home and it sure is a refuge from the harsh realities of the world. It’s none other than the bedroom, the room we spend most part of our “my” time in.

However, the degree of comfort offered by the bedroom is largely dependent on its furnishings. The more pleasing the furnishings are, the more relaxed we feel. The colour of the walls, décor, bedding, floors, lights, accessories… all play an important role in making our bedroom a place of relaxation and leisure.

Gone are the days when bedrooms were no more than four walls with a cot in the centre and a dressing table in one of the four corners. Today, the accent is on designing bedrooms to reflect our personality. Though a challenging task, it is definitely not impossible. With the application of a little creativity, our bedroom can be made to look and feel great.

To begin with, choose the colour of your choice for the bedroom walls. Painting the walls right can work wonders as they lend a drastic makeover to the room, accentuating its general ambience.  

Though contrast is the style of the season, you can either paint the walls according to the dictates of good interior designing or just follow your heart to harmonise the room with your own likes and dislikes. The more appealing the colours, the calmer our minds will be, considering the fact that colours have a major role to play in influencing our mood.

The basic principle on which a bedroom should be designed is minimalism.  The lesser the clutter, the more the comfort. Neat wardrobes against walls, in the finish of your choice, are the key. In terms of wardrobe designs, many options are available in the market today.

However, a custom designed, built-in wardrobe is the best choice, as it ensures that each and every inch of space available in the room is put to good use. Even inside the wardrobe, care should be taken to ensure that clothes are neatly stacked up, for, neatly organised wardrobes are not only a pleasure to look at, but are great time savers too, making it easier to find what we are looking for. Wardrobes in wood will make the bedroom look classy, lending it a sophisticated touch.

So does the cot, which is the centrepiece of the room. Available in a wide variety of designs and sizes, cots occupy the pride of place in bedrooms. Cots in rosewood or teak with ornate headboards are not only trendy but also classy. Headboards with built-in shelves to hold books and alarm clocks are functional.

Solving the space crunch

Another trend that has caught on fast with people who look for practical solutions to the problem of space crunch is to go in for cots with drawers and chests in them where all the stuff not regularly in use can be safely stored. Such cots save a lot of space and do away with the need for an extra almirah.

Also, it makes perfect sense to invest on a good quality bed that’s soft and comfortable. And, of course, cover it with the choicest sheets, pillows and duvets available.  Because cotton is an all-season fabric, go in for cotton fabrics for the bed and set the tone for the overall look of the room by selecting the theme of prints for the bed covers - bold, plain, floral or contemporary.

Whatever the chosen theme is, it pays to ensure that it blends well with the overall colour and theme of the bedroom.

Good ventilation

Since good ventilation is key to a fresh-feeling bedroom, windows should be planned in such a way as to facilitate cross-ventilation.  

Lots of natural light and fresh air streaming into the room can work wonders to our general mood, spicing up our lives. Tiny little ventilators can also be included to make the room brighter. When it comes to window drapes, it is advisable to go in for two-layered ones - a thick one and a thin one. While thin drapes serve the general purpose, thick drapes are for occasions when you feel the need to shut sunrays out and catch up on your sleep.

If huge, airy windows take care of our lighting needs during the day, appropriately positioned light fixtures can do the same after sundown. It is also very important to make sure that light fixtures not only give out an adequate amount of light but also allow the flow of light to be regulated.

Bright lights for general purposes and soft lights for reading your bedside book. However, separate lights on either side of the cot are a must so as not to disturb your partner. And, of course, focus lights near the dressing table to dress your best to face the world.

Floored, are you?

Flooring can actually make or break the look of a room and bedrooms are no exceptions. While a wall-to-wall carpet lends a dramatic look to your own private den, ornate area rugs give it a totally different appearance.

However, they need to be vacuum cleaned often to keep dust allergens at bay.  To spruce up the bare walls of the bedroom, adorn them with artworks and paintings of your choice. If there’s a creative person in the family, what better way to encourage his/her creativity than by hanging their works on your bedroom walls. Family photographs too make great wall posters.

Lastly, never ever accommodate a television in your bedroom. For, bedrooms are meant to shield you from the worries of the world and hence should be free from all sorts of distractions, allowing you to relax. Decorating bedrooms is worth every penny spent on it. After all, it’s your personal space and it deserves to be comfort.