Have you ever thought about how much time you spend in your bedroom? According to previous studies, on average, a person spends 227,760 hours sleeping over their lifetime.
As we navigate the up’s and downs that come with ’adulting’ it is important that we have a safe haven to unwind in. This is why ensuring that your bedroom is a sanctuary, is important.
Cape Town based creative behaviour strategist, Kim Williams, understands the importance of having a bedroom sanctuary, especially since she focuses on designing interior spaces in her career.
Having spent much of her childhood in her bedroom due to a physical limitation, she has a deep passion for positively impacting the physical and emotional wellbeing of her clients so they can live their best life – at home and work.
If you want to turn your bedroom into the perfect oasis, Williams offers the following tips:
Functionality is key
Before you go on a furniture shopping spree to fill up your room, you first need to determine a few things. You need to know the type of person you are so that you can decide the type of experience you want to create in your room. A single man’s bedroom will not be the same as that of married couples, so the functionality of the design needs to reflect that.
Next, you need to decide on the atmosphere you want to create. Do you want a romantic bedroom or do you want your bedroom to have a luxurious hotel feel? Deciding on these elements will help you get emotionally invested in the design, the process and the finished room because you have cultivated an emotional connection to your space.
Pay attention to flow and energy
Excellent spaces are designed around what we would ideally like to use them for and should not constrict or dictate our movement, Williams notes. Paying attention to how you live, such as where you sit, where you stand and where you snuggle in your bedroom, will give insight into how you want to ideally move through your future space.
Be mindful that there is always going to be an element of what is adjustable and what is not. Once you have identified your unique living patterns you will find that layering your space with wonderful pieces of furniture and accessories will be a more seamless process.
Get inspired
Looking through Pinterest, books of famous designers and magazines will help you gain an understanding of the lines, shapes and colours you are naturally drawn to. When you enter new spaces, look out for magical things that catch the corner of your eye because they will give you insight and direction. And, be mindful that your home is a larger entity that your bedroom is part of and make sure you have a cohesive design.
“In my design work, I draw inspiration from a loved item of my client – particularly paintings and sentimental objects – because they represent the perfect microcosm of their emotional sentiment and intellectual tastes,” said Williams.
Multifunctionality is key
Our bedrooms are no longer just for sleeping, many of us are using them as offices, dressing rooms, home gyms and relaxation spaces. An easy way to add functionality is with nightstands which easily double as desks and dressing tables. Multifunctional doesn’t have to be unromantic either. The colours that you use, how you accessorise and use smart storage, will all contribute to how cluttered your space feels.
If you are a neat person, open storage is a great option. If you are not, blanket boxes are useful for storing items at the end of the bed. The colour of the furniture, such as dark tones that recede into the background and arranging of your furniture to reveal the room one vista at a time is also very important when creating zones.
Have fun
Williams notes that one of the most profound parts of any project is combining creative understanding and skill to create a tailored retreat where you feel alive in your space. It evokes feelings of inspiration and excitement in us. Connecting with your changing space and being mindful of the new and old elements that evoke memories and emotion in you, help you to reconnect with yourself.
“When we create our environment there is a powerful sense of control and accomplishment we feel in the process, so take a deep breath and enjoy it,” she said.
For more design tips you can follow Williams on Instagram.