Fancy a bedroom facelift?

The bedroom should be our place of solace, Busy Girl, it's the one place we can wearily rest our head at the end of a busy day.

So, with the days getting longer, but the sunshine still refusing to come out, it seems the perfect time to give our bedrooms a little facelift. But rather than rush into it, why not make some plans for the perfect sleep-haven? Here are our quick tips to designing a space you'll never want to leave...

The perfect haven

First, you need to decide what you want to do in your bedroom (ok girls, don't be naughty!) - do you need a room you can escape to, watch TV, work or just sleep in? Do you want a really big bed or lots of storage? Do you like a particular look? Be realistic about what you can achieve in the space you have.

The big bed

Go for the biggest bed you possibly can fit in. You might love him dearly, but when the snoring & shuffling starts, disturbance from your man is one of our commonest cause of sleep complaints. As to where to position it, most shove the bed against a wall, but a little lateral thinking might free up valuable wall space. Try moving your bed into the centre of the room & using the wall behind for a wardrobe with sliding doors. Even if you don't believe in feng shui, it's better to plan your room so your bed isn't right behind the door as it can make the room feel quite closed in.

Built-in bedrooms

As fitted bedroom furniture goes from the floor to the ceiling, there are no gaps. This means less dusting! Also when you use the full height of a wall you can create useful high cupboards for storing little used items like hats & extra bedding. What many people like about fitted bedrooms is the opportunity to choose their own co-ordinated scheme.

Rails of content

If you like the look of freestanding wardobes & chests, check they have the internal fittings you'll need. Look at your clothes & decide what will be useful - drawers for folding jumpers, shelves for shoes & full-length hanging space for party dresses &winter coats. That way, when you're in a rush & don't have time to fold & tidy, at least you'll have the space for your clothes to easily slot back into.

Make it easy for yourself

Whether you go for a fitted or freestanding option, the secret to a relaxing bedroom can lie behind the cupboard doors. So devote as much time to planning the inside as you do to choosing the wardrobe itself. You'll be amazed how many more closes you can fit in with & fully extendable drawers that mean you can get to things right at the back.

Softer underfoot

As your bedroom gets much less traffic than other rooms, you can have more textured carpets - like a loop-pile - & choose paler shades than you might use downstairs. Wood floors - either solid or engineered - & laminates are becoming more popular in the bedroom & can be combined with underfloor heating. If you're unsure about the minimalist look, add comfort by having a deep-pile rug next to the bed.

Ambient lighting

Don't leave the lighting to the end - particularly if you are going to need extra sockets or want to fit wall lights. The basic rule is that bedrooms need to be bright in the morning and atmospheric at night. Fitting a dimmer switch & having bedside lamps helps achieve this balance. You can also use lighting to highlight features, for instance, line the front of your wardrobes with discreet low-voltage downlighters.

Busy Tip

Try to keep a consistent style going in the room - a mismatch of designs & styles will end up feeling a bit confused & messy... Glamorous looks work well, with daring colour schemes & glam elements, like mirrored furniture, metallics & white leather. Or opt for dark woods for smart, grown-up luxury.

Most of all Busy Girls, have some fun with your room design - you don't have to spend a fortune to get the perfect look, just think about what you're doing and limit yourself to what you can get done in less than a week, then you won't feel like you've started another stressful project.

Do let us know how you get on! blog