Perchance To Dream

Getting a good night’s kip is essential for a healthy mind, body and soul. That much is well known. So when it comes to our choice of décor for the boudoir, sleep – and getting lashings of it – should be top priority. A bedroom really can be a sanctuary – your very own calming space to shut out the world, unwind, de-stress and fall blissfully into that all-important slumber. Here are our top five tips to achieve a dream bedroom:

1: Hush the white noise
Be brutal: ditch the TV, iPad, phone and laptop, and make your bedroom a technology-free zone, and yes, that does include breaking the ‘Blackberry under the pillow’ habit. Really, that email can wait! Modern communications make it all too easy to be over-stimulated late at night, at a time when we should be de-cluttering our minds ready for a good eight hours in dreamland. Take inspiration from traditional Japanese style: clean lines and sharp silhouettes that exude simplicity and natural harmony. It’s a look that’s both serene and sophisticated, and will encourage you to be the same at bedtime – you won’t want to ?upset the Zen with a late night under the duvet status update. ?We love this Japanese-inspired Emer Walnut Platform bed from Living It Up.
From £899, Living It Up ?(0116 269 5960; www.livingitup.co.uk)

The Wood Works2: Out of sight, out of mind
You don’t have to be a feng shui master to understand that too much clutter can have a detrimental effect on your ready-for-bed wellbeing. And if you have to fight the piles of laundry to get to your pillow, you know you’ve got a problem. Storage is key: why not invest in some beautifully bespoke fitted wardrobes and cabinets that give your boudoir a hotel-tidy look? Hertfordshire-based company, The Wood Works have designed and manufactured made-to-measure storage furniture for many a cluttered bedroom across north London, proving that a tidy mind starts with a tidy bedroom. Go on, put it away.
The Wood Works (020 8806 5166; www.thewoodworksonline.co.uk)

3: Colour me calm
If your favourite colour is fandango pink, you might want to save it for a livelier room. Take some style tips from Mother Nature and think about the best colours to send you off to sleep, such as soothing ocean blues and greens. A calming colourway can instantly put you in the mood for some well-earned relaxation. Zoffany’s Aquarelle Sky wallpaper is making us feel seriously dreamy.
£44 per 10m roll, showroom: Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, SW10 ?(0844 543 4748; www.zoffany.com)

Etienne Glass Lamp4: Softly, softly
There’s nothing quite like the simple pleasure of winding down at the end of the day tucked up with a good book. It’s a sure fire way to make you drift peacefully into the land of nod. Give your bed-ready eyes some rest with gentle lighting to make reading that romantic novel all the more pleasurable. We love the way this Etienne Glass Lamp diffuses soft light beautifully for a perfectly tranquil look.
£225, ?Sweetpea & Willow (0845 257 2627; www.sweetpeaandwillow.com)

5: Sweet dreams Relax Candle
Burning a sweetly scented candle is perhaps the easiest way to ensure a blissed-out bedtime. It may seem an obvious solution to de-stressing, but its soothing powers are not ?to be underestimated, especially ?given the market’s vast and varied new breed of luxury candles to suit your every mood. We’re settling down with a delicious Relax Candle with myrrh and West Indian bay from Aromatherapy Associates. Night, night!
£27, Aromatherapy Associates ?(020 8569 7030; www.aromatherapyassociates.com)