The Master Lair

Your master bedroom says a lot more about you than you realise, do you know this? Now, don't stress too much about that; this is something I read whilst doing some research earlier this week. And whilst it often does - WHO CARES? It's your room and it should be the way you want it despite what someone will 'read into' about the deepest part of your soul.

It's so easy to get our knickers in a knot when trying to 'adhere to the laws' of the latest interior design magazine. My recommendation is that whilst we do want to keep up to date with materials, shapes, textures and lines; we never want to become a slave to fashion and trends. Your room is unlike a child's room where everybody, including the new neighbour who you barely know that drops in unannounced, visits. Your room is your private space that only you and if you have a spouse need to be happy with - how does that fit so far? It does and you're happy - well Good Night then!

It doesn't? Well let's get to work!

Colour
Choosing a colour that helps to accentuate your room is vital. The colour of the walls should never be the defining "decor item" in the room. The colour of the room sets the mood of the room, it defines the tone and is the 'primer to the canvas'. Bright is stimulating and generally speaking too upbeat for a master bedroom, pale can set a washed out tone. Your key word for a master bedroom is intimate, employing colours such as; light shades of rose, violet, green and blue. Depending on how much natural light the room receives, this should give you direction as to what shade you should be leaning towards. A larger room with lots of natural light copes better with a darker colour than a small room with very little light. Lighting positioned correctly is able to give you a hand but be careful when making a seemingly trivial decision like the shade on the walls.

Whilst "playing" with the colour is the easiest way to change the look and feel of the room, remember that the colour is the primer for all accessories to follow.

While I am passionate about helping my client choose a shade that is going to enhance the room, I'm not going to spend time on this today - I will discuss this in a post sometime soon. The walls of a room make a major impression on the eye and it's important to have a flawless wall.

"Line"
My wife loves referring to a home that is renovated on top of a renovation on top of a room addition as a "spoeg en plak" project; she may have a point with this. Actually, she does. When looking at the line of your room, it's vital that the lines are kept simple and clean. If you are renovating (or need to after reading this bit), ensure that you don't end up with nooks and crannies and small little spaces of nothing once changes have been made to the structure or walls of your room. Your bedroom needs to have a clean and definite look with a twist of surprise - such as a hidden bathroom / closet or a movable module. The shape and layout of the room should be inviting and be an intimate space which allows you to unwind and...well that all depends on you!

Accessories
This includes beds by the way! Don't clutter. Less is often more. Understand that the size of the room determines how many accessories you should use - and not what you have that determines the accessories you use! Hard, I know but everything from curtains to dressers to cabinets and side tables all fit the bill for accessories.

Your classic pieces mixed up with a modern accessory or two such as a light fitting and a beautiful set of bedding is a far wiser choice than decking the room out in the most modern of looks only to feel it date six months down the line. Don't be consumed by what you see in each magazine, they all interpret things slightly differently, and if you become a slave to chasing what's in, you'll soon be feeling like a chicken without a head trying to keep up!

The En-suite
It goes without saying that to maximise value on your home it is imperative that your master bedroom has an en-suite. Besides the shot in arm to your asset, it has to be the most convenient lifestyle perk; ask anyone who has ever gone camping and needed the bathroom in the middle of the night...it's part of the adventure until you have to go more than once over the weekend! As I mentioned in my Bathrooms post, a spa feel is certainly what you would do well aiming for; it really completes the whole intimate ambiance!

But in saying this, simple bathrooms with elegant minimalist partitions that compartmentalise the room for various functions do very well to enhance the master lair too! Black and white backgrounds with wood and mirror accents have become talking points in many design forums. A word of caution though is to never over decorate a bathroom as the accessories and materials make up the decor. It needs to complement the master lair not be the master's lair! Till next time - ciao!