Whatever its size, a master bedroom should be a calm haven from the hectic activities of the rest of the house. But if it’s strewn with clothes, shoes, magazines, jewellery, sports gear, make-up and all the other bits and bobs that seem to have no home, it will never feel like a peaceful retreat.
The way to create a feeling of space with bedroom furniture and ensure that all the personal clutter that lives in the bedroom is safely out of sight is to give yourself sufficient, well-planned storage. With careful planning, you might even find you have room for a TV, so you can watch the programme of your choice for a change – a real luxury.
Focus on furniture
Make your bedroom furniture work for you. If, after deciding where to put your bed and dressing table, you are left with one clear wall, uninterrupted by a door or window, you will be able to have a range of floor-to-ceiling wardrobes built in along the entire length of the wall – and enough storage space for clothes and shoes, and possibly for the rest of your possessions.
Free-standing wardrobes and chests give you less storage space than built-in ones but, if you are considering moving fairly soon, this may be a more sensible option. Roomy chests of drawers, beds withdrawer divan bases and bedside tables that incorporate small cupboards all provide vital extra storage space.
A low chest or trunk at the foot of the bed provides extra storage with your bedroom furniture without taking up a lot of space. Make the most of every inch of space inside wardrobes. It is unlikely you will need an entire run of full-length hanging space, so consider adding a low rail in one section for shirts and racks for storing shoes. And incorporate drawers, open shelves, or wire trays – perhaps even a linen basket – into the cupboards. Store suitcases and seasonal or holiday clothes which are not often needed in overhead cupboards.