I have recently acquired a new mattress – after my back started telling me in no uncertain terms that the old one was knackered. I am somewhat sceptical still about the benefits of the much-lauded (and expensive) ‘mattress in a box’ Emma, but just think how much more expensive it might be to have one of the bedrooms below!
The Lincoln Bedroom in the White House – I really think the White House decor would not be to my taste, it is too opulent and faux-historical. From Galerie Magazine.
If you want a real historical bedroom, what about Hever Castle? From their website.
Hmmm, Josephine’s bedroom at Malmaison resembles a campaign tent – so that Napoleon would feel right at home? From Palaces-of-Europe.com
Bedroom in Faringdon House, described by Nancy Mitford in one of her novels. From House and Garden.
Edith Wharton’s bedroom at The Mount is very feminine – apparently, she wrote most of her work while lying in bed, although she had a perfectly stunning library/study downstairs. From Lit Hub.
I rather like the style of Syrie Maugham, interior designer to the stars (and yes, wife of Somerset Maugham). From Decorpad.
I have a weakness for Art Deco, so I couldn’t resist including this, although it’s a film set rather than a real bedroom: Gatsby’s bedrooom in the latest film incarnation by Baz Lurhmann.
I’ll be honest: what is being flogged as romantic in most magazines or travel brochures makes my skin crawl: tacky decorations, lots of pink and red, a bathtub at the foot of your bed (all the better to hear the gurgle of water draining, see a spider crawling out of the plughole and have to choose between romance of scum residue or scrubbing the bathtub immediately after use). So I’ve had to create my own definitions of romance.
It might get too hot in summer, but a bed in a greenhouse is the perfect place for reading. From soyvirgo.com
A treehouse is also a great option, although you might have to fight the bugs for bed occupancy. From Airbnb.com
Great views and lots of soothing greenery with this day bed. Plus, who can resist a feline friend? From merchantdesign.blogspot.fr
OK, mood lighting can enhance romance, they’re right about one thing, but I think the view and the sound of waves might also be helpful. From bocadolobo.com
It’s all about the view in this one as well. From bocadolobo.com
However, the most romantic bedrooms, to my mind, are the ones where you also have a comfortable reading chair and plenty of books to hand. From homedesignlover.com
I believe in separating your working and sleeping space, but I’ve heard of plenty of writers and readers who feel at their most comfortable (or most inspired) in their bedrooms. And what about if you have no other space for writing? So here are some elegant solutions to this quandary. Which don’t involve lying propped up on cushions in bed (although that is perfect for reading).
The elegant townie, from Decoist.com
The occasional scribbler, from The Design Chaser.
The teenage artist, from You Tube.
The one designed by the interior designer, from Gravity Home.
The one designed by your mother, from Decoist.
The professional writer (or the writer on holiday), from Architecture Art Designs.
… Or should that be ‘the truly wise’? Because there is no better place for reading, especially when you are poorly, as I am at the moment. (Perfect timing for the long Ascension weekend in glorious sunshine – boo!) Besides, I can’t help but remember that doggerel rhyme by Dorothy Parker:
Daily dawns another day;
I must up, to make my way.
Though I dress and drink and eat,
Move my fingers and my feet,
Learn a little, here and there,
Weep and laugh and sweat and swear,
Hear a song, or watch a stage,
Leave some words upon a page,
Claim a foe, or hail a friend—
Bed awaits me at the end.
Up, and out, and on; and then
Ever back to bed again,
Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall—
I’m a fool to rise at all!
Bed with a view, from architecturendesign.net
Or you can turn your back on the view, from quadcityhome.net
Some like to live dangerously in their beds, from architecturendesign.net
This one has a handy reading chaise longue. From fivestarbrewing.com
For camping (or should that be ‘glamping’?) fans, from architecturendesign.net
For those who prefer bunk beds, from viralnova.com
Have you ever noticed how pathetically floral and pastel teenage girls’ bedrooms are? What I would have liked as a teen (and what I still like in a bedroom) was a cave-like atmosphere, with plenty of room for books, and a hankering for exploration and dreaming.
Sporty but nice, from Decoist.com
Bunkbeds have always been a secret dream of mine, from pinterest.com
For the Indian Jones at heart, from pinterest.com
Perfect place to read, from bedroomdesigncatalog.com
Hidden storage ahoy, from mediabookbub.com
But if I were to go with the truly grandiose, I would have liked to have a room in a tower, a whole floor to myself. Below is just a small part of the ideal…
There is an irony in there somewhere. On those days when you need to accomplish so much, but all you’d like to do is curl up in bed with a good book. I must resist!
A sky full of stars… From Pinterest.
Brazilian beach house, from Domaine.com
In the jungle, the quiet jungle… Safari Look from Domaine.com
Loft in Paris, from apartmenthterapy.com
Room with a view and books, from Modern Cottage Design.