Ten Tips On Bedroom Design From A Top Interior Designer

Interior designer Charlotte-Elizabeth Evans explores the ideal bedroom design – and shares her ten top tips for the perfect slumber nest.

How To Make Your Bedroom Absolutely Perfect, According To An Interior Designer

A bedroom is a sanctuary. It is the most vital room in any home because it is where after a long and tiring day, you can escape to rest, recover and recharge before tackling the hustle and bustle of a new day. It is of the utmost importance that you invest in your bedroom to make it a space of calm and tranquillity where you can shred off the day, climb into a big soft cloud, slip between the sheets, fall back into sumptuous pillows and drift off into a restful slumber. In our busy daily lives we have to give the very best of our selves at all times and so ensuring we start each day in the right mindset and with our bodies full of energy is crucial to us living in alignment and projecting our highest self. Here are my top ten essentials that I feel must always be considered when planning bedroom design to maximise serenity and calmness…

Bedroom Flow

Never underestimate the impact a headboard wall can have in a bedroom. When we work on room placements, I like to ensure that you walk in on the end of a bed. This is for a number of reasons but mainly because it provides a beautiful view point to draw the eye and creates a lovely setting for the other items in the room. I also feel a balance of energy is essential in any bedroom and keeping the bed diagonally away from the door prevents unwanted energy slipping in. You can be very creative with how you dress and design a bed, it can be lovely to frame the headboard with a border detail, a contrasting fabric, studding or wooden frame as this can set the bed off the wall and create another level to the design. I also will always recommend an upholstered headboard as it creates a cosiness to any space and makes the bed feel more inviting. 

Colour Palette

Bedroom design is all about balance, about evoking serenity through the energy and flow of the room. Once the layout has been selected the next step is to pull on the accents of the room through fabrics, textures and patterns. I like to introduce colour into bedrooms but I like to make sure that there is a reflection of each chosen finish somewhere else in the room. For example, if you have colourful curtains then I like to try and pull those colours through other items, the cushions, artwork or accessories so that there is a blend throughout the room rather than a multitude of colourful bursts. I personally feel this creates a more composed scheme which all contributes to calm the mind, body and spirit through a considered unity.  I like to use the same tone on all architectural details in a room. In a wallpapered bedroom, painting the skirting, doors, architraves and windows in the same colour creates a continuous blend throughout the room and in smaller spaces carrying this across joinery can lift and make a room feel much more open and lighter than by adding pops of colour to each individual item.

Morris & Co and Pooky Lamp collaboration

Lighting

Creating atmosphere is fundamental in any design and particularly in a bedroom. I like to try to avoid bright light from spotlights and would advise positioning them around the periphery of a room to accent joinery doors, curtain headings and artwork rather than providing an overall wash of bright light. Table lamps look beautiful on bedside tables and chest of drawers and I personally like to incorporate crystal and precious stones into my bedroom schemes through lamp bases as they carry a variety of healing properties and can absorb negative energy which all works together to create a harmonious environment. Wall lights with shades to cover any exposed bulb helps to soften the light output and creates a very soft wash across the scheme. I like to make our lampshades bespoke because we can add further textures through the shades, adding to the warmth and luxurious tones of the bedroom. 

Wall Treatments, Fabrics and Finishes

Adding a textured wallpaper can soften a bedroom to create a more inviting aesthetic. It draws the room in to feel much warmer. I personally love fabric walling and you can also buy linen papers that provide the same look and feel but are a far more cost effective option. I also love to use a linen printed vinyl which can be very useful in children’s bedrooms so you can wipe away any creative drawing or sticky finger marks that form part of the beautiful patina of a family home. Bedroom design is all about cosiness and papering your walls is a must to enhance that serene feel and adding it as inlays in joinery or bedside table drawers fronts all enhances this. Upholstering your bed in thickly woven linens, wools or embroidery provides another dimensional layer to the balance of fabrics and adding corner pleated valances furthers the softness of a bedroom and can be a fun way to bring in pattern and interest. 

The Mattress

A bed must be comfortable. Every night when you climb into it, all the stress of the day should suddenly be released and replaced with an immediate sense of grounding and stillness as your body shifts from on to off mode. Mattress are incredibly personal and you must purchase the right mattress for you. It must calm the nervous system as soon as you lie on it. Mattresses can be an investment and so, unless our clients come to us with a mattress brand they are particularly loyal to, or have been using for years, we encourage trialling mattress prior to purchasing, and it is always amazing how there can be such a divide in the type of mattress our clients like. Cleverly these days you can split the mattress’ firmness in half to accommodate each individual. One of my favourite mattresses was from my very first little flat that I rented in London when I first moved from North Yorkshire, it was an orthopaedic one and about three hundred pounds at the time, which is incredibly good value for a mattress. It was however all natural materials and by far one of the best mattresses I have ever slept on. Sadly I no longer have it anymore but have found a lovely Yorkshire wholesaler who creates exactly the same firmness and feel and I recommend them in all of our projects. 

Lake Blue Linen Bedding, Piglet in Bed

Linen

Bedding is crucial in any scheme. My favourite duvets and pillows are from The White Company, in particular their Siberian 13.5 tog. It looks very full and plumb which creates an inviting feel in any bedroom but it is also light weight and so prevents you from feeling trapped underneath it. I remember sleeping at my Grandparents when I was a child and they always had layers and layers of blankets on the bed. It certainly kept you very warm but once you were under it, you were not moving until the morning and I find the quality of the bedding today far more airy and light weight. It also saves a great deal of time when making the bed which is essential when negotiating with your partner to dress the bed with numerous pillows and throws. Quality linen is also essential, it has to feel clean and hold its crispness but also soft and cocoon around you. Vis-à-Vis has a lovely selection and you can fully customise with embroidery, designs and monogramming. Another supplier that offer a lovely personalised range is Coze Linen and of course The White Company and their Avignon range is an all-time favourite. 

These are the best brands for luxurious bed linen

Joinery and Bedroom Furniture

I cannot advise enough how critical it is to have sufficient space for storage in a bedroom. Walking into a room of chaos will only add to stress levels and so carefully designing areas for all objects, clothing and accessories to be neatly placed away is vital. A joinery company who excel at this is Neatsmith. Over the past twenty years they have refined each and every detail of cabinetry design. Whatever you need, they will have designed it, whether that be concealed drawers sueded lined for jewellery and watches, pull out laundry bins for lights and darks, tie racks, suit jackets and trouser hanging, discrete safes, pull out shoes drawers, and a particular favourite high level hooks on the joinery that can be used to hang clothes on when choosing your outfit of the day, or putting freshly ironed items away. Every detail has been carefully considered and this makes such an impact to how a bedroom can be utilised. Another suggestion is to have drawers in bedside tables. The extra space is always useful and details such as adding USB plugs in the back of the drawers can allow you to place your phone away at night, limit the EMF output and induce a peaceful night’s sleep. I little touch I also would recommend is swapping the handles on the bedside drawer fronts if buying off the shelf as this adds a unique touch and creates a different aesthetic to a more generic item of furniture.

Window Dressing

Curtains require a lot of fabric and so are the perfect platform to build a scheme and create warmth and softness through colour and texture. In a bedroom I would advise having curtains, lined and interlined to create a full and sumptuous look. During the week I like to wake up naturally, and especially in the Summer and so sleep with my curtains slightly open to allow natural light to flood in. On the weekends however, I like my bedroom to be pitch black and always use blackout in curtains to minimise any light exposure. Upholstered pelmets add a richness to a window dressing and further prevent any escaping light so you can fall into a deep sleep and fully recharge before another week begins. Adding decorative leading edges, or borders can be a great way to enhance your window dressings and can be the perfect way to modernise or  update any existing curtains or blinds that you might have in the home. 

Yves Delorme Parc design, SS24 collection

Cushions and Throws

I believe that layering is the epitome of considered design and using cushions and bed throws to pull together tones from your flooring, drapery, wall colour, upholstery and other finishes is the perfect way to finalise a bedroom scheme. We fully customise our cushions to create a unity between all colours and finishes but there are also fabulous off the shelf suppliers, De Le Cuona and Andrew Martin have extensive collections and a wide range to suit any scheme. 

The Finishing Touches

This is the stage where the character of your bedroom comes into its own. Balancing the old with the new, antiques with newly crafted items offers a depth to a design scheme and enriches the overall vibe of the bedroom. A combination of accessories, crystals, candles, decorative photo frames, self-care books and intricate dishes for jewellery and small objects deepens the aesthetic of the room. Positioning artwork clustered in three above a headboard, or adding mirrors above bedsides adds a subtly luxury to a bedroom. Bear in mind when selecting artwork to choose pieces that are calm in their composition and subject matter. Every detail impacts how you feel in your bedroom and so it is important to carry the same vibe continuously throughout the scheme. 

Bedrooms are little retreats that we escape to, creating a design that mirrors how you want to feel in your mind and body is the foundation block for any design. I want to provide our clients with spaces that they can be authentically themselves in, where they are soothed and nurtured by the scheme around them.  Design is about adding value to lifestyle and quality to every day needs and requirements and I always look to capture this essence when designing our projects.

Charlotte-Elizabeth runs Charlotte Elizabeth Interiors, ce-interiors.com.