7 tips for creating the bedroom of your dreams The key to creating the perfect bedroom, according to San Francisco-based interior designer Emilie Munroe, a 15-year veteran of the industry, is thinking about the space as a retreat.
"Our lives are so scheduled and dynamic. We?re on at all times ? whether it?s through technology or our work life," says Munroe. "The bedroom is the last secret place of refuge and peace in a home." Here, she outlines the seven key steps to creating a quiet escape.
1. Plan for function
"Always start with functionality," Munroe says. In bedrooms, this means tackling the largest element in the room: the mattress. When buying a mattress, there are many factors to consider, from the size to the firmness to its composition, like memory foam or spring coils. Delve into your preferences and make the mattress the first purchase in the room?s design. Mattress heights, with or without a box spring, vary widely, and will affect which headboard can be purchased. Once the mattress is chosen, the rest of the room?s selections can flow from there.
Next, Munroe reviews other living requirements. Do the occupants stay up late" Do they want blackout shades for early morning sun" Are focused reading lights, or a television desired" Will dressers or an armoire be needed for storage" This will all inform the selection of furniture pieces and the room?s layout.
2. Pinpoint mood and aesthetic
"The bedroom t...