Getting a restful sleep is essential for optimal performance during the day, sleep experts tell us this all the time. While playing close attention to sleep hygiene is the best advice anyone can give for a good night’s sleep, there are a few design guidelines to make your bedroom look great and function best.
Quick tips: key bedroom measurements for a well-designed retreat
Let’s start with what you reach for first in the morning…
Bedside Tables
The height of your bedside tables should be close to the height of your mattress, or up to 4″ higher; however this may vary depending on the design of your bed frame and mattress. Choose tables that are large enough to hold a lamp and any other personal items, such as books or glasses. Position your bedside table about 3 inches from the bed to prevent small items from falling off the table and if they do, they can easily be retrieved.
Lamps
If you enjoy reading in bed, select tall bedside lamps so that the bottom of the lamp shade is the same height as your shoulder when sitting up. This way, when you are reading in bed, there will be enough light at the ideal height so you don’t strain your eyes. Choosing a translucent lamp shade will create a soft and romantic mood, as light is able to come through the shade as well as above and below.
An alternative to table lamps are wall sconces that can be mounted to the wall and can be easily reached from a seated position in bed. For the best results, leave approximately 55-60 inches of space from the floor to the top of the sconce. Since every sconce is different, check yours to be sure the light will land at the right height.
Area rugs
Area rugs provide a soft landing for chilly toes when getting out of bed. They also visually anchor the space and add to the overall colour scheme and design. A good sized rug will also absorb some of the sound that inevitably bounces off the hard surfaces. They give your room and your home a more restful ambiance by buffering the sound of footsteps from transferring to floors below.
Here are our guidelines for rug sizes.
- Standard rug sizes for twin beds are 6′ by 9′.
- For queen size beds, the ideal size of the rug is 8’ X 10’ or 9’ X 12’.
- King size beds fit a 9′ x 12′ best.
Artwork
We recently wrote about creating a gallery wall and dove into many tips from a professional photographer for a successful installation, a bedroom is an ideal place for family photos or soothing nature scenes. Artwork that vary in height and width can be difficult to hang, but here are some measurements that will make this process easier. Similar to hanging a picture over a sofa, when hanging artwork over a bed the rule of thumb is that artwork should take up one-half or two-thirds of the width of the bed. In case you missed it, here is our guide to space planning for the living room.
Individual Pieces
Proportion will make or break your room, so getting the bedroom measurements right will ensure a pleasing result. For large individual pieces of art, try to hang them at eye level. Many people make the mistake of hanging art either too low or too high. We like to leave about 6-10 inches from the top of the bedframe to the bottom of the artwork.
A Row of Artwork
If you have a collection of pieces that you want to hang, align the art at their center points, still following the measurements mentioned previously; 6-10 inches from the top of the bedframe to the bottom of the artwork.
Tips for choosing the best artwork for your bedroom wall
When choosing artwork, assess the wall space that you want to fill and match the orientation of the art with the wall that you want to fill. For example, a large horizontal piece for a large horizontal wall. This can also be accomplished using small pieces arranged in a grid formation leaving a 3 inch gap between the frames.
If you have high ceilings and a narrow wall, use a large portrait piece or stack two landscape-oriented pieces. This will help to emphasis the height of the rooms ceiling and draw the eyes up.
Most importantly, have fun. Create a room that is soothing and you will always find it relaxing. It should be a place of solice, and we all need more of that right now!
