Planning the best layout for your bedroom

Sometimes it can be helpful to start from the outside and work your way in. What wall space do you have? Where are your power sockets, or where do you want them to be for what you need? Take into account the features of the room, do you have any built–in storage, alcoves or chimney breasts that need to be accommodated or removed?

Always think about who is using the room and the functions it needs to serve, is the room for children, or guests, what will they need? Does it need to double as an office, or a separate dressing area?

Start with the essentials, like a bed and storage and then layer in the nice to haves like a desk, toy storage, a reading/feeding area.

With the bed consider positioning and how it can best work for you and your home, for example in a childrens bedroom placing a bed in a space that allows you to peek in on them without fully going into the room, and if you have drafty windows you may want to keep the bed away from the windows.

For storage, how much space is needed? What type of furniture would allow you to maximize space?

Bedrooms need to accommodate some big furniture items, could built–in storage be a better use of space than freestanding? Ottoman beds and under bed storage can be useful for extra bedding, clothes or toys. Do you need bedside tables or perhaps a shelf would be better, could you fit wall lamps or hang mirrors instead of freestanding? A smaller bed or a raised bed can help create more space.

Not only do you not want to trip over things in the middle of the night as you pop to the bathroom, but bedrooms should be a restful area and having to squeeze in and out can make it feel cramped and uncomfortable.

Radiators should ideally be placed under the window. Because cold air falls and warm air rises, the hot air from the radiator rises in front of the window and the cold air that is coming through the window pushes against the warm air, circulating it more efficiently around the room. Placing a radiator anywhere else will result in warm and cold spots around the room.