The master bedroom.
It’s often a space that gets woefully overlooked. When the house gets decorated the master bed gets left til last, used as a dumping ground, a place where ironing, and odd socks go to die. Sound familiar?
I’m trying to bring the master bedroom back.
As parents we spend an awful lot of time up and down each night and, the way I see it, is it’s important we have a sanctuary to retreat to when we do get to sleep. I look forward to the time I spend in my bedroom, get excited about that hour of relaxation before sleep.
My old non-luxe bedroom
My bedroom used to be the typical dumping ground. It wasn’t a very attractive or restful room to be in – an ill thought-out space with functional, clunky plain furniture. No sort of retreat at all. It took the whirlwind of divorce and single parenting for me to realise just how vital it was to have an adult space to relax in when everything else is spinning at 100 miles per hour.
I’ve always hankered after a hotel-style bedroom for my own, a calm place I can go to at the end of the day to sink into pillows, read books and enjoy the silence. As such I’ve done plenty of research over the years to find the one thing that sets a calm, peaceful and adult bedroom apart from the others. Think about it: what strikes you as you walk into a hotel bedroom? It’s always the bed.
The bed is the focal point and everything else a supporting role.
Looking back at hotels I’ve loved: The Wythe, The Town Hall Hotel, The Grande Center Point Bangkok…. what all these places have in common is the fact I collapsed and starfished on the bed immediately upon arrival.
And so I’ve been working hard to re-create the magic of these hotel rooms in my own room, and the one secret I’ve found to a peaceful sanctuary?
White sheets.
White sheets immediately transforms a hectic bedroom into a serene and calm place to be. With the bed always dominating a bedroom (hence the name), clean, simple lines afforded by a simple white bed dressing goes a long way to creating a soft, peaceful and tranquil vibe.
On my own bed I like to add a pop of colour with a boudoir pillow (actual name), and use the sheets to create a bit of interest with texture. These gorgeous linen sheets are from IKEA, and I’ve layered them with a couple of blankets to keep me cosy. The faux sheepskin next to the bed reinforces the warm textural vibe (and is pretty lovely on my feet in the mornings).
I keep the bedside tables as clear as possible to emphasise the minimal, clean look: this bamboo charging station for my Apple Watch and iPhone has been some of the best money I’ve spent recently, and the clock app means I don’t need to use a separate alarm. I used to be a devil for fiddling on my phone way into the wee hours but once it’s docked I don’t touch it again and this has helped loads with my sleep.
From top left: Mina Pintucked duvet, Habitat. Egyptian Cotton duvet set, Amazon. Beaufort Bed Linen, The White Company. LINBLOMMA duvet set, IKEA.
Could you go all-white for a peaceful bedroom?
I agree with you, and I actually have white sheets on the bed as we speak! (I must be uber trendy.) Unfortunately I also have a partner who doesn’t seem to understand that clothes don’t live on the floor…
Funnily enough I’ve had a similar-ish change this year, and its absolutely transformed my life. My room is pretty much split in two, with bed and wardrobes one end, and desk/workspace at the other. The big changes I’ve made are that this year I make my bed as SOON as I get out of it, and my laptop NEVER comes into my bed, or even away from my desk within this room.
I’m sleeping better and earlier, and I’m more motivated to get up in the morning (sad though it is to reflect on the role my laptop has in getting me up!). My room is still a bit of a cluttered mess a lot of the time, and I’m working on that aspect. But having a made bed at all waking hours, and the bed purely being for sleeping in has made for a much better bodyclock, which has impacted hugely through the rest of my life!
Think I might nick the sheepskin rug idea, as the cold floor is not the one first thing in the morning!
Isn’t it funny how much a little change can make such a huge difference?! I did something similar last year: I used to have a big sofa but swapped it out for something smaller, it made a real difference to the way I work (i.e. never on the sofa any more).
I also make the bed first thing which means I don’t get back in it when I’m supposed to be working! Similarly I have make up and face stuff clutter that I need to work out storage solutions for (#girlproblems) but it’s great to have the bedroom just for sleeping!
Alas we share our bed with a black Labrador so white sheets just aren’t in our remit. We’re currently rocking some charcoal grey ones with a weird ruched pattern, the dog and I both approve, Husband says the pattern on his pillow makes his ear hurt. Sigh!
Oooh I love the sounds of charcoal grey! Apart from the painful ear pattern… ;)
It looks fab. I’ve only recently moved away from white or cream bedlinen, I’m not wondering now, as I think you are right it does help make a bedroom calm. Is that how you got the time on your phone, the clock app, I so need this!
Yes! the app is just called ‘clocks’ – I love it x
I think you’re right about white sheets – I especially like them in summer. Your bedroom looks lovely and I really like that pop of orange on your bedside table. xx
Thanks Kathryn! The lamp was a total steal that my mum spotted at BHS a couple of years ago – I always forget to check in there for lovely home bits and bobs.
We usually only use white sheets – I get mine mostly from The White Company when they have a sale, and combine them with vintage french linen pillow cases. (That said, I am also partial to some striped linen too!)
Love that bamboo charging dock. I may have just added one to my shopping basket :)
Ahh the White Company sheets! They’re the dream. I live near their Bicester shop and I’m always on the lookout for knockdown sheets but I haven’t been in luck yet. And vintage french linen – just gorgeous x
You’re definitely right about white sheets- we’ve been using some lovely ones for a while now and I much prefer them to the other, patterned set we use, there’s something so calming about them! x