New life for the bedroom area

Amongst the various changes in home lifestyles, the functions and look of the bedroom area have been fundamental; more and more often, this area is now integrated with the rest of the home.

As I have already underlined, if attractively designed, small rooms can sometimes be very comfortable and elegant. Thanks to the growing awareness of design and the extremely vast range of options made available by “low cost” prices, we are now witnessing a high degree of contamination within interiors, and the creative combination of a ‘50s light, a Bauhaus style sofa and a wrought iron bed should come as no surprise! 

Carpet, which reigned supreme in the ‘70s, is now giving way to parquet and ceramic floor tiles,, with a virtually endless choice of colours. Marazzi offers an excellent range of solutions in  in porcelain for this purpose: for those who like a classical, timeless taste in interior design, Evolutionmarble Golden Cream, or for those who feel more at ease in warm, cosy surroundings it offers Treverkway wood effect porcelain tiles in oak colour; those with a more urban soul can opt for Brooklyn, the ceramic tiles inspired by metropolitan concrete, in the mocha shade. 

Since the bedroom area is a place for rest, relaxation and pampering, its furnishings must be chosen with great care to provide a truly congenial environment. The latest current trend in furnishings is “recycling” so when choosing our furnishings for our homes, I would opt to reuse old beds, either in wrought iron or with padded headboards reupholstered with new fabrics, and old wardrobes, perhaps repainted and finished with gloss paints that underline their shapes but bring them up to date. When introducing new objects, I suggest focusing on small things: lamps and ornamental items that serve a real purpose. 

Luckily, we are aided today by designs often created by new, young talents, who are able to create objects that have style but are economically “sustainable”. Forget about poor quality low cost items of the souvenir shop kind; instead go for just a few things, perhaps picked up second hand, but carefully chosen to meet our needs. Remember to leave some empty spaces ..... shelves should never be overcrowded! We must not forget the importance of wall colour. Natural shades, darker or lighter depending on the level of natural light, are always excellent, and white is always very easy to use, but we can also be daring with the warmest, cosiest shades of brick, and we must not forget the option of using wallpaper on the wall at the head of the bed. Last but not least, lighting can play a big role: bedrooms do not need much light. 

However, in some situations, such as when we are cleaning or tidying out our cupboards, stronger lighting is required, and can be provided by means of a ceiling light or a halogen floor lamp. Bedside lights are an essential feature; adjustable wall-mounted LED lights are a useful alternative. However, we should try always to use lights with a warm colour so we do not bring a chill to the room; let’s create atmosphere!