When asked about the most important place in the house, there may be different answers. For some it will be the kitchen, where all family life revolves, for others the living room, where they devote themselves to reading and relaxing. But if you think about it, the bedroom is where we spend about 20 years of our lives! Interior architects suggest how to create the perfect one.
Remember Yoko Ono and John Lennon's famous 1969 performance? The young couple decided to hole up in a bed in a Montreal hotel room and take advantage of the media's curiosity to draw attention to the issue of world peace. For seven days, lying down, they received audiences of visitors, discussing their idea of a fix: pacifism. Why did they choose such a context for the happening? It's probably hard to imagine a space that has a greater impact on our relationship to the world than the bedroom. Top interior architects and sleep design experts advise on how to decorate the bedroom to create an inspiring haven, and only have pillow battles in it.
Bet on mindfulness
The bedroom is a special place , says interior designer Katarzyna Kraszewska. It's where we regenerate at night, and it's where each morning we decide with what energy we will enter a new day. It's a space that is very intimate - it creates a frame for our morning and evening rituals, lulls us to sleep and awakens us from it. Our bed is the confidant of our joys, fears, love confessions, elation, but also crying. That's why bedroom design is always something special for me. Especially now, when we spend more time at home and our emotions are torn by uncertainty, its creation is a really responsible task. In the process of creating an ideal bedroom, the most important thing is to be attentive - to light, ergonomics, individual needs, the stimuli it is supposed to provide. The ideal one should combine the mundane and spiritual aspects. On the one hand, provide a comfortable mattress, a place for our habits (such as an evening book or hand cream), on the other - to build something much more important: a sense of security." - he adds.
How to choose the best bedroom location?
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Of colossal importance for the mood and character of a bedroom is its location. And this is both in relation to other rooms and to the sides of the world. Ideally, we could allocate for it a room relatively distant from the living area. This will guarantee us intimacy, for example, if we have guests visiting. Ideally, it should have a view of the garden or inner courtyard, rather than the street - the sound of a streetcar or cars is certainly not the one we want to hear first at dawn. Preference for sun exposure is rather an individual matter, but most often an eastern or southern direction is chosen for the bedroom. It will allow us to "catch" a lot of vitamin D in the morning, and during the day the room will not get too hot, making us miserable in the evening. What are the best dimensions?
I rebel against the standards introduced by some developers ," says Anna Koszela, an architect who runs her own studio. - Telling investors that a room of 10 square meters will be optimal for a bedroom is absolutely contrary to my idea of an ideal rest area. Such a size is more like a box to sleep in, rather than a place to celebrate and experience the nicest moments of the day. In my opinion, space for a bed and nightstands is far too little to give us - also metaphorical - a breather. That's why I urge clients who have a dilemma whether to annex a larger or smaller space for themselves - choose the larger one, you won't regret it. Children can manage in a small room, space gives us breath and distance.
The key to success: the bed
The bed - it is the center of the bedroom. Its positioning should also reflect this fact. Particularly important is the location of it in relation to the door and windows. The general rule is to be able to observe the entire interior from it and easily reach it, both from one side and the other. Avoid sleeping opposite the door - it can cause anxiety, moreover, you risk resting in a draft. Taking into account the fact that in bed we spend one third of our entire life the piece of furniture we choose should not only be beautiful in design, but also as comfortable as possible.
For my clients, I choose large, spread-out beds with soft, sensuous finishes, " says Anna Koszela. - No one likes to bruise their tibias against sharp edges. I usually choose the height according to individual preferences. Some prefer tall continental frames, others are closer to Eastern tradition. However, I warn you loyally that it is much more difficult to rise from the latter. I really like experimenting with the headrest. With an original one - we can define the style of the entire bedroom. My discovery is the Torino model from the Somnus brand. Its wings broadly encircle the bed like an erect collar, creating a stunning focal point and a true oasis of calm." - adds the architect.
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The clue of every bed is the mattress, which determines the quality of sleep. When it comes to its selection, many stereotypes still persist, such as the one that you definitely sleep better on a hard surface.
This is a myth ," says Bartlomiej Switkowski , " The mattress should be chosen according to your height and weight, but also to the position in which you sleep. The rule of thumb is that we need to have a straight spine while sleeping, and every inch of the body must have perfect support. If we don't take care of this, we will wake up and not recover as we should. Natural mattresses adapt best to our bodies. I am a proponent of them for other reasons as well. Horsehair, wool or cotton used by brands like Treca Paris are materials that are much more breathable than foam mattresses. Thanks to the airiness, our body temperature drops gently at night, our heart beats more calmly, we have better blood circulation, and the phases of deep sleep are definitely of better quality. In addition, natural materials absorb water. And since on average we all produce between 0.5 and less than a liter of water each night, a mattress should absorb it brilliantly. The lack of moisture is also crucial to prevent the proliferation of dust mites.
