Many people see their bedroom as a sacred shrine to sleep. You read articles advising insomniacs to remove unnecessary distractions such as computers and mobile phones from the room. Luckily, both of us rarely have trouble dropping off to sleep. It’s said that you spend a third of your life in bed – for us it could be getting on for up for a half! Here are some of the things we get up to in bed… no sniggering there at the back!
Work
We both work primarily from home, and a lot of that time is actually working from bed. Working mornings begin before we even get out of bed; we’re on the iPad or laptop answering emails, browsing social media… and even blogging. They’re all jobs done from the comfort of bed. Speaking of comfort, upholstered beds & headboards give necessary support to your back. They can be beautiful as well as practical, we especially love the pretty floral patterned example from Button & Sprung in our main image. Get extra help from bolsters and cushions.
Read
If you enjoy reading in bed, you’ll need decent lighting. A wall-mounted reading light frees up limited bedside table space. The bulb should be bright enough so you don’t strain your eyes, but not so bright that you dazzle yourself. Get a lamp with an adjustable, directional arm so that you (and your page-turner) don’t disturb or keep the other person awake.
Eat
We usually have coffee in bed first thing most days, but breakfast in bed, especially at the weekend – now that’s a real real treat. A tray laden with fresh coffee, croissants, fruit, bacon & egg… along with newspapers and the radio… bliss! Come to think of it, it’s been a while – Sunday it is.
Watch TV
We love watching films and gorging on box sets such as House of Cards and Scandi dramas. We have a large TV mounted on the wall opposite the bed in our upstairs den. It’s such a comfortable position to watch the screen from. The perfect place to switch off and relax in the evenings – wood-burner crackling, pillows plumped up, a snack or chocolate treat close to hand.
Store stuff
Your bed can take up a huge amount of the space in your bedroom. Make it a multi-functional, practical piece of furniture by having an ottoman or under-drawers. You can never have too much storage space! You’ll find a large selection of divan beds with drawers and king-size ottoman storage beds on the Button & Sprung website. Bedding, towels, out-of-season clothes, shoes or, in my case, the overspill of vintage handbags can all be stored out of the way until needed.