Good morning,
The Bedroom, Reimagined
I have been thinking a lot about bedrooms lately.
The more I read about sleep, and the way it shapes our mood, our focus, even how we show up in our day, the more I realise how much this room matters. And since having Zac, I feel that in a completely different way.
That need for proper rest and real, uninterrupted sleep. The need for a space that helps you switch off, not just one that looks nice when you walk into it.
We spend around one-third of our lives asleep, which is roughly 26 years over a lifetime. When you add in time spent reading, resting, scrolling or simply lying still at the end of a long day, our bedrooms are one of the more emotionally significant spaces in our homes. So I believe it’s important we get this room right.
Creating a bedroom is not only about how it looks. It is about how it feels to be in it. How does it support you at the end of the day, when everything is a little quieter? It is something we don’t always talk about in design, but I think we should.
A real bedroom
This week, I wanted to do something a little different in this newsletter. I wanted to share a real bedroom.
My friend Amy has just finished renovating her home, and her bedroom is such a beautiful example of what happens when you trust your instinct with colour. I’ve seen this room come together over the past few months, and I am obsessed! There is a softness to it, a calm confidence.
I asked her a few questions about creating this room because I think hearing how someone else approached their space can make things feel much clearer when you are starting your own.
How did you want the room to feel, and how did that guide your decisions?
“Since we don't spend much time in the room - mainly weekend mornings and the final hour before bedtime - I wanted it to feel like a real treat when we were in there. I knew I wanted the bedroom to feel warm, inviting and comforting—all the things a bedroom should be as a safe space where we escape the business of work and everyday life - but still feeling like it reflected our personalities and brought in character was really important. We chose to do this through colour but also elements like the burl veneer tables, which I've been a fan of forever, and pre-loved items like our bedside lamps.”
What drew you to your colour palette, and how does it feel to live with it now?
“Our house generally mixes warming neutrals with richer, bolder colours to inject our personalities and our bedroom was no different. I chose pink-based White 06 for the walls because of its timeless versatility, layering it with a complementary mossy green that has a strong yellow undertone which I love, and using a slightly more stimulating blue as an accent. The room feels cosy in the evening but refreshing and uplifting come morning, which is exactly what we need. We're not big lie in people so we need a space that feels energising but not so much that we feel overwhelmed when trying to relax, and this is the perfect balance.”
You chose coloured bed linen rather than keeping things neutral. What made you take that step?
“For such a long time I lived by the myth that you needed crisp, hotel-white bed linen to make your bedroom feel well-designed, but I was so wrong. It started because we wanted softer walls, so I challenged myself to find more interesting ways to bring colour into the room because I didn't want a completely neutral feeling space - that's just not our personal style. I have to say, moving into my colourful bedding era has been one of my favourites. Not only is it an incredibly easy and non-committal way to layer (and switch up) colour but waking up in this bedding gives me a real spring in my step.”
And looking back, what made the biggest difference?
“We've allowed ourselves to be playful and avoided restricting ourselves to a single design style or source of inspiration which can be very limiting. I love scrolling Pinterest and Instagram to source inspiration but I've ultimately learned to use them as a starting point to build my own ideas, rather than adopting them directly. If you're starting your own bedroom, my advice is to find ways to bring joy into your everyday routine. All those little details matter, whether it's your favourite colour bedding to wake up in or investing in beautiful hardware on your wardrobes. “
The important focus
When it comes to the pieces in your bedroom, I strongly believe that there are certain items that you should invest a little more in and properly.
Your sofa is one. Your bed is the other.
No matter how considered a room is, if it does not feel good, it does not work. No matter what a bed looks like, if you don’t get a good night's sleep, what's the point!
I recently bought a mattress from The Odd Company, and I can honestly say it has changed how I sleep.
It is supportive in a way that you notice straight away, but still soft and comfortable. One of those things you do not think about until you get it right. And then you cannot quite imagine going back.
Introducing colour easily
If changing your walls feels like too much, your bed is the easiest place to start with colour. Bed linen can shift the whole feeling of a room.
I often suggest looking at softer, more muted tones. Colours that feel settled rather than bright. Think dusty pinks, warm olives, buttery yellows, soft clay. Nothing harsh. Nothing that asks too much of you, and just feels lived in. Bed Threads is a good place for coloured bed linen, and I have a couple of their lovely bedding bundles.
Colour is never just one thing on its own. It is how it works with the light, the textures, and everything around it. This is what creates that sense of calm that we so want in our bedrooms.
An extra thought
One last thing I wanted to mention, especially if you have little ones. What your child sleeps on matters just as much. Their mattress should be supportive, well-made, and as natural as possible, particularly in those early years.
The mattress I chose for Zac is from Naturalmat Baby, and I could not be happier with it. The quality, the materials, the care that goes into it. It all feels considered.
And if I am being completely honest, I do think it has helped him sleep better. Which, if you know, you know.
Hope you all have a lovely, relaxing bank holiday, whatever you get up to.
Tash x