How to choose a bed
When it comes to bedroom furniture, perhaps the most important piece is the bed. Whichever bedroom you’re choosing a bed for, comfort is as important as your personal style.
Size matters – The size of a bedroom and who’s sleeping there will influence the size of bed you choose. Single, double, king size or super king are among the standard sizes, although you could opt for a ‘small double’, ‘queen size’ or ‘shorty’ bed depending on the dimensions of your room. Helen Joseph, from our in-house interior design team, said: “We use different bed sizes in our show homes depending on the house type and room size. As a general rule, we furnish the main bedroom with a super king or king size bed. For example, in the four-bedroom detached Cambridge the main bedroom has a super king bed; there’s a king size bed in bedroom two; a double in bedroom three and a single in the fourth bedroom.”
Plan your bedroom design ideas by mapping out the room. Use tape, string or wool on your bedroom floor to see how much space your new bed will take up. “Include your other bedroom furniture too when you’re planning your bedroom design, remembering to allow for drawers and doors opening is particularly important in a small bedroom,” Helen added.
Once you’ve selected the size of your bed, the next step is to choose the type of bed. The core choices are divan or bedframe.
“A divan is essentially a fabric covered wooden box, mounted on casters so it’s easy to move. A divan usually takes up less overall floor space than a bedframe, which usually extends beyond your mattress at the head and foot of the bed,” Helen explained. “Select a fabric that will work pair with your bedroom décor and stand the test of time. If you choose a divan you can opt for either an integral or separate headboard. In our show homes, we love to tone a fabric divan base with an oversized feature headboard in a matching or coordinating shade giving a sense of luxury and a boutique hotel like feel, headboards are a great way to really make a design statement and express personal style.”
Storage for divan beds can come in the form of underbed drawers or ottoman style, which uses a sprung opening to lift your base and mattress to reveal a storage cavity beneath.
"Choosing a bedframe offers an array of materials including wooden, metal, fabric and composite. “Bedframes are often flat packed making them easier to manoeuvre into your bedroom space initially, but they can be heavy and more cumbersome than divans if you want to move your bedroom furniture around,” Helen added.
For children’s bedrooms there are even more options, including a “high sleeper” or “midi sleeper” for a space saving solution. Read our guide to creating children’s bedrooms that will grow with them to find out more.
Guide to choosing a mattress
How to choose your mattress firmness will depend on the way the people using that bed sleep.
- If you’re a side sleeper a soft to medium mattress is recommended. Options include memory foam, latex or gel, all of which will respond to the curves of your body.
- For back sleepers it’s important to have good back support with a medium to very firm mattress. Pocket spring, traditional spring, memory foam or orthopaedic mattresses are best for those who sleep on their back.
- Restless sleepers could benefit from a memory foam mattress that will respond to their sleeping position and cushions the body, encouraging you to stay in position.
- If you’re wondering what’s the best mattress for front sleepers, the advice is to choose a medium to firm mattress to ensure your body is supported. Options include pocket spring mattresses, memory foam mattress and combination mattresses.
- Coil sprung, also known as open or traditional sprung, are the most affordable mattress type. These tend to be lighter weight than other types of mattress, which makes them easy to turn, but they’re not as supportive as other mattress types. A coil mattress is therefore best suited to an occasionally used guest bedroom or for a child’s bed, which is likely to be replaced more often.
- For those who overheat at night, the mattress material will be important. Natural materials such as cotton and wool; gel or combination mattresses, may help regulate temperature and aid a good night’s sleep.
- When you’re choosing a mattress make sure to read reviews and product descriptions to draw up a shortlist. Test the mattress out in store before you buy or arrange a home trial.
If you’re buying a new bed or mattress, remember to ask the supplier if they’ll take away your old one for recycling.
What are the best bedroom colours for sleep?
Despite celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, we didn’t open our first show home until 1982. Since then, we’ve created hundreds of showcase properties to inspire our homeowners. Our earliest one featured textured ceilings, a pink, beige and brown colour scheme, and an array of patterned wallpapers and curtains. Back then, children’s bedrooms were often decorated in bright primary colours, geometric patterns and printed wallpapers all making their mark.
Today, when it comes to bedroom interior design, we tend to choose colours that will inspire calmness and encourage sleep.
- Take inspiration from nature with calming neutrals. Soft neutrals and muted earthy palettes will help create a sense of tranquillity and grounding and are the ideal choice for a nursery. For more nursery décor ideas and inspiration read our guide.
- The Dulux colour of the year for 2024 is a versatile and soothing near-neutral – Sweet Embrace. It’s perfect as a stand-alone colour or partnered with tranquil tones of blues and greens to create a calming yet positive atmosphere.
- Rooms with a north facing aspect may benefit from warmer, baked tones as well as cosy neutrals like taupe, caramel and oyster white. Bring added texture to your room through a feature wallpaper in your chosen tone.
- Cooler accent colours such as a deep navy or teal are also great bedroom options, with both blue and green hues believed to be most conducive to relaxing our minds ready for sleep.
- Layer restorative dark tones with soft neutrals for an on trend look.
Layers of linen
To create our show home look, our interior design team take inspiration for bedlinen from the most luxurious boutique hotels.
Layer clean, crisp white bedlinen with contrasting, textured throws in accent colours, and blend these with two or four scatter cushions in complimentary or contrasting tones. A fitted sheet in your accent tone will enhance the look.
Pull the look together with curtains
Investing in quality bedroom curtains can really enrich the overall aesthetic of your room and your quality of sleep.
Fully lined curtains can help retain heat, helping to keep bedrooms warm in winter.
We lose an hour’s sleep on March 31 when the clocks go forward and British Summer Time begins. Blackout lining is a must if you don’t want to be woken too early by the sunrise in the summer months.
“Roman blinds instead of curtains are best for a small bedroom as they will help the space appear more expansive,” Helen added.
In our show homes we favour floor to ceiling curtains in larger bedrooms, hung from a rail or ceiling track that extends beyond the window’s edges at each side. “Hanging curtains like this means they don’t block any of the light when they’re open, making the room feel much more spacious,” Helen explained.
When choosing bedroom curtains, plain, neutral fabrics offer longevity over patterned ones. “Investing in good quality curtains can help with our sleep patterns and so a neutral fabric that will blend with your bedroom décor if you change your colour scheme is a more sustainable option,” Helen added.
Bedroom lighting ideas
Ambient lighting is perhaps more crucial in your bedroom than anywhere else in your home. Avoiding bright light exposure in the evening can help you sleep.
A multi-light pendant fitting on the ceiling can be great for creating a light environment for getting ready. Orbs, spheres, globes and sweeping curves bring a dreamlike luminance. Bedroom lighting can be added as an optional extra via My Redrow.
Softer, lower-level lighting in the form of bedside lamps is key for creating the perfect space to wind down. Read more information about the latest lighting trends.
Bedroom furniture
Your choice of bedroom furniture can also help creating a cosy ambience to aid a good night’s sleep. In our early show homes, furniture was selected in a mixture of pine and dark wood, as was popular in the early 80s.
Today, the main bedrooms of our homes generally include fitted wardrobes tailored to maximise the potential of the space. They’re available via My Redrow in a choice of styles with hinged or sliding doors, with the option to add coordinating furniture such as besides, a dressing table or chest of drawers. In our larger houses and Lifestyle designs the main bedroom includes a walk-in wardrobe, offering the epitome of luxury with plenty of storage space for all your clothes and enough room to try them on too.
Find out more about the options and upgrades available in a new Redrow home.
