If you simply can’t wait to crawl into bed at the end of the day, your desire might be about more than just being tired. For many people, their bedrooms can be a sanctuary. A peaceful place away from the distractions of life – smartphones, chores, bills and so on – and can sometimes be the only place to get a moment’s peace and quiet. If you’ve ever wondered why you love your bedroom so much, here are some insights – and how to create that peaceful feeling…
OUR CHILDHOOD BEDROOMS
When you were young, your bedroom was the only place you could call your own. At a certain age you were allowed to make decorating decisions – even if it was only choosing the duvet cover for your bed – and it was the first room you ever put you own stamp on. Your teenage collections, posters and clothes were displayed around the space, allowing you to express your personality for the first time.
For some of us as adults, the bedroom still holds that level of emotional attachment. It continues to be the place where we can be ourselves and, because it’s a private space that guests won’t visit, it’s where we can keep our favourite (if embarrassing!) things. For example, my teddy bear Percy who sits in the very centre of the bed all day long.
SHARING SPACES
Even if you shared a bedroom with a sibling when you were growing up, you probably still had part of the room to yourself – even if that was just the top bunk of the bed. While your childhood space might’ve been less private, research from Hammonds shows that there are many benefits to adults if they shared a childhood bedroom.
“Sharing a room is a major part of childhood for many people, and lots of us look back with fond memories of the chats we had and games we played with our sisters or brothers during this time.”
Kirsty Oakes, Head of Displays and Marketing at Hammonds Furniture
As part of the survey, 2,000 people who shared a bedroom during childhood were questioned and many believe the experience helped them navigate adulthood better. 59% agreed they were more prepared to shared spaces as an adult, such as offices and university halls. The survey also revealed that sharing had helped many later in life with their confidence levels (22%) and conflict management (21%). Amazing what a bedroom can do for you, isn’t it?
A PEACEFUL PLACE
When life gets too busy, confusing or upsetting, our bedrooms are sometimes the place we retreat to. We can be alone, be quiet and think through any troubling thoughts in the peace of our ‘sanctuary’. That’s why some of us struggle to sleep at night – when we are finally able to stop and relax in our beds, that’s when thoughts start wandering around our minds. This can either keep us awake or, if you deal with and question the thoughts as they arise, you can find resolution and drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Even though your bed may be comfortable and the room might be your ideal decor, it’s important not to spend too much time lounging around in the there. In fact, the limited amount of time you spend in your bedroom is precisely what makes it special. If you hang out in there all the time, you won’t ever get that feeling of going in to the bedroom, seeing a freshly made bed with big squishy pillows and feeling the urge to dive straight into bed! If you make the bed and leave the room in the morning, at least you can look forward to your chill-out time in the bedroom later.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR BEDROOM SANCTUARY
Making your bedroom feel like the safest place in the world will be completely difference for each person. Your preference for colours, linens, furniture, accessories, clothes, lighting and so on, are all completely personal to you. My own preference is for white walls, uncluttered surfaces, hotel-esque bedding and fairy lights. And actually, thinking back to my childhood bedroom, all I ever wanted to do as a teenager was to paint the room white and fill it with storage. Not much has changed!
But that’s just my preference. You might prefer dark colours that induce sleep, cosy textures like velvet or wool, flickering candle light, or to be surrounded by collections of your favourite things. Maybe a shelf of reading books is essential to help you unwind, or perhaps pastels and florals make you feel refreshed and happy. Maybe it’s looking around your room and seeing bright rugs covering the floor, ensuring that your space feels cosy. Whatever your own personal idea of a sanctuary is, just go for it! Noone else is going to see your bedroom so you might as well please yourself and make it feel like the best place on earth.
Let me know how you’ve designed your bedroom in the comments below and I’d love to hear you reminisce about your childhood rooms 🙂
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