It’s World Sleep Day, so what better excuse to plan the perfect bedroom?

First things first.

The bed

Your bed is the centrepiece of the bedroom. Not only should it be the beautiful, but more importantly, comfortable. I fantasise about a lovely new bed almost daily, and I’m always curious about the bed in a box American podcasts advertise. Then I discovered we have a local equivalent! You can have your base, mattress and pillow delivered in boxes from Genie Beds. This is perfect if you live up a flight of stairs or would need to navigate tight corners to get a mattress into your room.

A touch of luxury

Adding a headboard instantly levels up your boudoir. I’m particularly fond of these Grayson headboards from Block & Chisel. I really love all these colours and think they’d make any bedlook like you absolutely have no choice but to sleep on it immediately. And pretend that you’re Marie Antoinette (careful of getting cake crumbs in the sheets).

Always by your side

The main thing to keep in mind when choosing bedside tables, is that it should be just higher than your mattress. I prefer one that has drawers, because I take my meds when I get in bed at night, but need to keep them in a dark space during the day. There are always a book or two on my bedside table (although lately I’ve almost exclusively done audio books for the last several years), and the embroidered coaster my mom made for me.

Light up your life

Aside from being practical, bedside lamps will balance your room’s appearance. Opt for lights that are higher (if set in the walls) or taller – if freestanding – than your headboard.

Add some additional opulence to your sanctuary by replacing your overhead light with a chandelier. When I put together my room at my mom’s place when she had the flat built, I had the walls painted sage green, added grey curtains, and put up a little black chandelier. It made me feel ultra fancy, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Currently I have a length of fairy lights strung over my bed. It’s not quite the same, but it’s quaint.

Accessorise, accesorise, accessorise

The colour of your walls can be neutral and allow you to add colours with your accessories – throw pillows, rugs, lampshades – or keep your linen natural and play with paint. Whether you add a chair or two, a bed end – a chest or a plain seat – will naturally depend on whether you have space. And if you’re prepared to admit that the chair will never be used for seating; it will become that chair. The one that’s always covered in clothes that may be clean, but you’re not really sure. I joke. If you’re going to turn your room into a place of peace and calm, put that chair in the bathroom or somewhere out of sight. A screen can be handy to hide the unsightly bits (in my experience).

Nothing hampers sleep as much as flimsy curtains. They may be pricey, but after your first night you will agree that blackout curtains are the best thing since the feather bed.

Finally, art or an ornate frame will tie the look together nicely.

Dress your bed

Quality linen is key. There is some debate over the value of thread count, but I still believe the higher, the better. In case you’re wondering, the “affordable” sheets and pillow cases you buy from home stores are usually around 144 count. If you can afford to at all, don’t go any less than 200.

But it’s not just the linen that makes your bed more inviting. Adding a feather bed on top of your mattress will make you think you’re sleeping on a cloud. A duvet that’s warm enough – you have to love the idea of a four-seasons duvet: two duvets, one light, one heavy, that are used separately or together, depending on the weather. Cushions – feather, down or a combination.

I also have a full body pillow. I bought it from Granny Goose (where you can also get the feather beds and four-seasons duvets) just after my back operation in 2007. It’s the best thing I’ve ever bought!

Some final bits

Make sure you extend the life of your mattress, feather bed and pillows, by investing in protectors for them. You can get them where ever you buy these different items.

One thing I found out about last year, and which I plan to get soon, is a weighted blanket – you can order them locally here. My mom has mentioned that my duvet is heave and makes noise (the feathers can disturb the silence, but you’ll get used to it very fast). I truly adore my duvet, despite it being too small for my bed, because it is heavy. When I sleep under my nephew’s duvet, I place a continental pillow on top of it because I can’t sleep under something flimsy. I need the weight for comfort. I don’t know why, I just know I sleep better when I can feel I’m covered.

And now I feel like a nap. To be fair, I’m never opposed to napping.

Keen to share a pic of your bedroom? Share it on my Facebook page.