By Tara de la Motte, Editor of Sussex Homes & Gardens, www.sussex-homes.co.uk
A comfortable bed dressed in luxurious bed linen will ensure a restful night’s sleep, transforming your bedroom into a haven of comfort and calm. As we spend a third of our lives asleep it is important to create the ideal sleeping environment, so choose your bed with care and invest in some beautiful bed linen.
Comfortable Beds
Throughout history the bed was acknowledged as the most important piece of furniture in the house. Beds today are very much inspired by ornate styles developed over the centuries and in particular the French designs continue to influence English taste today.
We’ve come along way since the middle ages when a bed was a primitive mattress on top of a wooden bench and today with advances in technology and our understanding of the importance of a good night’s sleep, consumers have a greater choice on which bed to choose.
Today beds come in a huge array of styles from intricate wrought iron to curvaceous timber sleighs and there are beautiful beds made from re-claimed teak that are both durable and stable, whilst being environmentally friendly all making a decorative statement in the bedroom.
A bed that is making a statement at the moment is the upholstered bed with scaled-up headboard upholstered in zesty fabrics like lime green with white and these beds are very contemporary in feel, whilst the scaled-up headboard creates a real impact in the room.
The upholstered bed offers an opportunity to co-ordinate the bed with room décor while creating a feeling of intimacy. Equally popular is the four-poster bed being chosen for its plain elegance, without any drapes at all.
However, if you like the more traditional four-poster complete with drapes then there are lighter, cotton fabrics to choose from that are more suitable for today’s home. The four-poster is still the quintessential English bed.
Divans still remain a popular choice, although boxy in design, divans offer valuable storage opportunities; vital in smaller homes or guest bedrooms. Many have double-built-in drawers and some divans even fit a secondary truckle-style bed below that can slide out on to the floor, or even lift up onto legs to become the same height as the original bed.
Today Divans can be upholstered to every taste, including tweed, narrow cord and textured fabrics in a range of smart neutrals. There are also fitted valances that disguise the built-in storage drawers.
There are divans that zip-and-link together which are invaluable for bedrooms where access is difficult with narrow stairs and doorways; consisting of two divan bases that can be joined, and topped with two single mattresses that zip together.
According to ‘The sleep Council’ people who sleep on uncomfortable beds sleep for nearly one hour less than those who own a comfortable bed, therefore choosing the correct mattress is vital to our health and wellbeing.
When it comes to traditional sprung mattresses, pocket sprung are the ultimate in luxury as they feature individual springs enclosed in fabric that work independently of one another. Whatever you choose, always opt for natural fillings as natural materials breath and regulate body temperature which leads to a good night’s sleep.
Modern memory foam mattresses are ideal for allergy sufferers as they are hypo-allergenic with anti-microbial properties. There are even memory foam mattress toppers that will bring extra support, warmth and comfort to your bed.
Toppers are available in various materials including goose feather and down, quilted cotton wool and hollow fibre polyester. These mattress toppers not only add comfort, but also protect and extend the life of your mattress.
Visit your local showrooms and try a number of beds to make sure that you choose the right one as the size of the bed is all important when it comes to a good night’s sleep; the more room available to move, the greater ones chances of having quality, undisturbed night’s sleep.
Luxurious bedding
Beautiful bed linen carefully chosen can make bedtime all the more appealing, we love to sleep well and a bed made with good quality linen is a perfect beginning. In the past the finest bed linen was always woven in pure linen. However, after cotton was discovered, linen was replaced by cotton for bedding as it was less expensive and more accessible.
In the past bed linen was almost universally white and just sometimes cream. But now days we see an exuberance of colour and design and more choice of fabric options including linen, cotton, silk and hemp. Pure linen is still the king of bed linen but it remains an expensive choice as it is costly to produce.
Silk bed linen is pure luxury as it is soft and sumptuous and helps maintain comfort by regulating body temperature, both in summer heat and winter chill. Silk, like linen is an expensive option but utterly luxurious.
We sleep better if our body temperature remains normal, so if you can avoid bed linens from man-made fabrics, instead invest in natural fabrics, such as cotton, silk or linen that feel wonderful and allow skin to breathe.
This season we see bed linen in neutrals right through to striking florals, bright colours and bold patterns all making a strong statement.
Kids Beds
When it comes to choosing the perfect bed for your child’s bedroom, there are plenty of options available, including kids beds by BedKingdom. Offering a diverse range of designs, from classic four-poster styles with drapes to more contemporary and light options, finding the ideal bed to suit your child’s taste and your home’s decor is easier than ever.