Though a bedroom is not as functional as, say, a kitchen or bathroom, it still has a distinct function, and needs to fulfil it well. Designing a good one is not as simple as plonking a bed in any old space. It needs to be thought through, lest you end up going to sleep every night and waking up every morning resenting the overflowing wardrobes which should have been bigger from day one, the tiny bed which you half-tumble out of every night or the creaky floorboards which are begging for carpet. In order to avoid this, there are certain protocols to follow, and nobody knows them better than interior designers. We've turned to two of the best - Alice Bettington and Ellen Cumber of Golden - to help work where to start.
Before doing anything, think about your needs
‘As with planning any room, the starting point is taking the time to think how you want to use the space and how you want it to make you feel. Bedroom design is particularly personal and while many of us want it to feel calm and restful, some clients want the room to be energising and uplifting too. This will dictate the colour scheme and whether you want to colour drench walls and ceilings to lean into the sense of a cocooning restful feel or to go for something more zingy and energetic. That’s not to say any paint will touch the walls at this point – but it’s invaluable to have a vision you can refer back to through each stage of the design.’
Plan the space
'Space planning is the next step. The most important piece in any bedroom is the bed itself. While having lots of floor space is wonderful, the majority of the time you spend in the room will be in bed, so opting for the largest one you can fit often feels the most luxurious use of the space. If you go for a super king bed, make sure you buy super king pillows!
In an ideal world everything in the room would be beautiful and not functional, but there are practicalities to consider – how much storage do you need and where are you able to fit this, if you don’t have the luxury of a separate dressing room? Think about whether you will have freestanding wardrobes or built-in joinery. If it's built-in, design it now. You need to know its dimensions and crucially if you are going to have lights in it, as the electrician will need to fit them early on in the project. When it comes to joinery design, where space is tight we like to take the cupboards right up to the ceiling to make the most of the height of the walls. It's also worth measuring clothes and thinking about what you need to house them – if you have lots of longer dresses then full length rails are a must, but if you wear more separates double hung rails will optimise the space.
Choose any mouldings and coving you would like to accentuate, as well as ceiling roses. The ceiling as the fifth wall is possibly the most important in bedrooms due to the amount of time you might spend gazing up at it! Getting this right the first time saves any costly backtracking!'.
Removal time
'Strip out anything you're not taking – whether that means disassembling existing joinery that you don't want, removing old cornicing, taking up a carpet or down a pair of curtains, this is the moment to clear the space ahead of the build. You'll also want to remove the radiator at this point. It'll go back in later once the flooring is completely ready. This is, incidentally, a great time to paint the radiator if you're planning to, it's much easier than trying to paint it when it's on the wall! While the walls are bare, take the opportunity to sand them and patch them up if needs be so they're ready to be painted further down the line.'
Plan your electrics
'Decide on your sockets, switches and what kind of lights you want to have (and where they will go). Make sure to plan electrical sockets and switches carefully to suit the size of the bed and how you will use the room. It’s really crucial to have the bedside switches at a height that’s really comfortable to reach from a lying down position! Dimmable lighting is really key. If there isn’t lots of space for larger bedside tables with statement lamps, wall lights add to the sense of a considered, cohesive scheme. Add mini task lights for reading and USB ports for charging devices, it will feel like a luxury each time you use them.
Order your lights as soon as possible, because before anything can begin the electrician will need to chase all the cables through the walls so your lights can go on later. They won't fit the lights until the painting is all done or the wallpaper is on, but they'll leave the cables hanging out ready to go.'
Install wooden flooring
'If you're going for wooden or another type of hard flooring, this is the moment to install it. Get it down and then have it covered and protected. If you're opting for a carpeted bedroom, this stage comes later.'
Get the bones of the room ready
'Make sure the walls, joinery and architectural details are ready to go. If you're replacing cornicing or skirting, do this before fitting joinery, and then run both across the front of the joinery afterward too – it makes the whole thing feel really harmonious. If your wardrobes aren't coming up to the ceiling, you don't need to worry about cornicing, but if they are, it's worth asking your joiner to match the existing cornice in wood. It's more expensive than adding plaster cornice to the front of the wardrobe, but much less messy!
This is also the moment to prime the walls if you're painting them, and do the first coat.'
Decoration
'You're approaching the end... The final coat of paint or wallpaper can go on the walls, as an the lights. Hold back on the carpets and curtains until the radiator has gone back on the wall. Leakage is inevitable when radiators are being moved, and you want to avoid this going on a brand new carpet. Once it's back in place, your carpet can go in.'
Window dressings
‘Once the carpet is in measure for the window dressings. You need to wait until this point as you want your measurements to be accurate, and the drop to the floor will be different - even if by a couple of centimetres, once the carpet is in. Consider blackout curtains: there will also be an element of light bleeding around blinds and curtains but adding blackout rollers for blinds and pelmets for curtains helps to minimise it.’
Finishing touches
‘Finally, add in the touches that will make the room really special and personal. Consider floor finishes to ensure comfort for bare feet, a large area rug fitted beyond the parameters of the bed works well. Nobody will spend as much time in your bedroom as you so if there is something you really love then there’s nowhere better to use it – it will be the first thing you see as you start each day. Hang beautiful artworks that you love. And enjoy…’
