5 ways to create the perfect bedroom sanctuary – expert tips from an interior designer

There's no denying that a bedroom sanctuary isn't just about aesthetics: a comfortable, beautifully designed space can help you sleep better, too. 

Here, interior architect and designer Natalia Miyar exclusively reveals how to create an inviting bedroom sanctuary with all the necessary home comforts as well as a fusion of hotel style elements to elevate the space to a higher level of sophistication and glamor.

Something we all need right now...

• See: Bedroom ideas – designs and inspiration to decorate and furnish your space stylishly

5 ways to create a bedroom sanctuary

'Like many people right now I am missing travel; for me one of the perks of visiting a new city is the enjoyment of a well-designed hotel bedroom,' says Natalia. 

'The best hotels root their design to their location and enhance the idea of place and time for lasting memories. In my own homes I like to recreate this sense of identity and add a few hotel comforts to make my own bedroom sanctuary.'

• See: Best design hotels in the world – our most coveted global destinations

1. Use soft furnishings to establish your color palette

For Natalia, one of the key elements of any hotel room is a comfortable bed with high quality bedding and beautiful, colorful cushions to make it look inviting and also stylish.

Natalia loves being bold with color in all her design schemes and is skilled at creating layers of color and texture to create a glamorous setting. 

She recommends sourcing a beautiful throw for the bed, adding another layer of color, and likes to design a bespoke bed-box or stool upholstered in a rich fabric, such as velvet to sit at the foot of the bed, creating a useful space to keep clothes or bags, and reducing the risk of a cluttered floor. 

Getting into the habit of fluffing the pillows and cushions every day will maintain the fresh, clean look achieved in hotel rooms and ensure the room always looks inviting at the end of the day and somewhere to truly escape, away from everything else going on inside and outside the home – a private personal sanctuary.

• See: Best pillows – sleep better with our edit – from feather pillows to memory foam

2. Ensure you have the best lighting scheme

Natalia considers lighting to be a key aspect of designing any room and advises that it is important to achieve great lighting in a bedroom, especially one which will be used everyday for a long period of time. 

While the room needs to be dark enough to sleep well in, which can be achieved with shutters or well-made black out curtains or blinds, she advises that the light during the day is also an important factor for getting ready for the day ahead and good bedroom lighting ideas may be needed if there is a desk set up in the bedroom for work – if it is the only space that will offer peace and calm, away from a busy household.

Natalia’s background in architecture enables her to work with the natural light available to achieve the perfect lighting scheme for a room; she also loves sourcing statement lamps for the bedside tables, dressing tables or desks as well as floor lamps to soften the tone and inject more color and texture into the room.

3. Invite nature into the bedroom

Spending so much time inside can be challenging especially as the weather starts to improve and one’s natural instinct is to enjoy being outdoors, breathe in some fresh air and soak up vitamin D. Natalia believes that bringing a touch of the outside, inside by placing lush green plants and beautiful arranged bunches of flowers into a room will bring a freshness and added pop of color.

Extra touches often found in a hotel room, such as a small vase of delicately scented flowers on a bedside table or an elegant bouquet on the dresser, will evoke feelings of calm and bring clarity of thought. If the room will be used as a home office, the presence of fresh foliage will also contribute to enhanced creativity.

• See: 10 air purifying plants – for your bedroom, home office and beyond

4. Ignite the senses

For Natalia, the sense of smell is a very important element in design and when styling a bedroom, she loves to use scented candles to create a warm comforting glow and guarantee a wonderful fragrance. 

With less ability to travel and experience exciting new places in 2021, bringing a touch of the exotic through smell will introduce something different into an already familiar setting giving it appeal.

Natalia recommends placing a couple of candles with different fragrances in the bedroom, to light at different times, to awaken the senses and take some time out from the day. Whether the fragrance has fresh and fruity or floral or spice notes, it will add a much needed layer of comfort and luxury to the room.

• See: How to make your candles last longer – top tips from Victoria Cator

5. Invest in the right mattress for you

We can all agree that the key to a bedroom sanctuary is a comfortable bed that you actively look forward to getting into at night. It's vital to choose a mattress that's right for you – and the first step to finding it is ensuring it suits your sleep position. 

The mattress type you prefer is utterly personal, but as a general rule, lighter people and side sleepers will need a mattress that's softer than the best mattress type for heavier people or those who sleep on their backs or fronts. Of course, if you share with a partner, you will have to compromise or choose a mattress that can be tailored on each side to your individual needs. 

For more expert knowledge, take a look at our best mattress guide – each buy has been tested by our team, so you can read our reviews with confidence.