National Sleep Day: Designing a Calmer Bedroom for Better Sleep
Lunar Providence Blue Bedroom
National Sleep Day is a timely reminder that good sleep isn’t a luxury – it’s essential to our wellbeing. We design and craft the fitted and freestanding furniture that shapes the bedroom environment around you – and that environment has a profound impact on how well we sleep.
Research from the Sleep Foundation consistently shows that the ideal sleep space is cool, dark, quiet and tidy. Meanwhile, guidance from the NHS highlights the importance of a calm, uncluttered bedroom in supporting healthy sleep habits. In my experience as a designer, organisation is one of the most overlooked factors in achieving that calm.
Here’s my advice on how to create the ultimate restful bedroom.
Aurora Fern Green Wardrobe
- The Power of Storage
Visual clutter creates mental clutter. Studies in environmental psychology suggest that untidy spaces can increase cortisol levels and feelings of stress. If your bedroom doubles as a dumping ground for laundry, paperwork or accessories, it’s much harder for your mind to switch off.
The solution isn’t less living – it’s better organisation.
When planning a bedroom, I always recommend starting with a detailed list of what you need to store:
- Everyday clothing (short and long hanging)
- Shoes and handbags
- Jewellery and accessories
- Bedding and seasonal items
If you have a lot of shorter garments, two hanging rails can double your usable wardrobe space. There should always be at least a small section for long hanging. And if there isn’t room for a separate chest of drawers, consider integrating drawers within the wardrobe itself.
Lunar Providence Blue Wardrobe
Our Lunar in Providence Blue range is a perfect example. This serene scheme features internal drawers and LED strip lighting with sensors, making it easy to see – and maintain – an organised interior. When everything has its place, surfaces stay clear and the room instantly feels more tranquil.
For accessories, clever detailing matters. In our Aurora range, we’ve included considered storage such as dedicated handbag sections. Small design decisions like this make daily routines smoother and prevent items piling up elsewhere.
Nexus Hunter Green Bed Side Unit
- Choosing Restful Colours: Why Blue and Green Work
Colour psychology plays a powerful role in how we feel in a space. Blue is widely considered the most restful bedroom colour because it can help lower heart rate and blood pressure. Green, associated with nature, promotes a calming and restorative effect.
It’s no surprise that green is the colour of the moment in interiors.
- Lunar Providence Blue offers a soft, cocooning backdrop that feels effortlessly serene.
- Aurora Fern Green brings a fresh yet grounded calm.
- Nexus Hunter Green is perfect for those embracing the trend for darker, colour-drenched rooms while still maintaining a soothing atmosphere.
If you prefer a neutral, Pebble is a beautiful choice – warm, versatile and timeless.
For darker rooms, mirrored wardrobe doors, such as our Glide Silver Mirror sliding wardrobes, can reflect available light around the space, preventing deeper tones from feeling heavy. Sliding wardrobes like Glide Nebula and Pebble are also ideal where space is tight, maintaining flow without door swing clearance.
Nexus Hunter Green
- Planning the Layout: Space to Breathe
A well-planned layout is just as important as colour.
Start by:
- Measuring floor dimensions and floor-to-ceiling height.
- Noting obstructions such as radiators, pipe boxing, alcoves and sockets.
- Establishing bed size (remember to allow around 10cm each side for duvet overhang).
Always select the best wall for wardrobes, ensuring:
- You don’t block sockets or light switches.
- There’s adequate depth beside windows.
- There’s enough clearance between the end of the bed and open wardrobe doors.
You shouldn’t have to squeeze past furniture in a room designed for rest.
If space is limited, sliding or bi-fold wardrobes are often a better solution. In smaller bedrooms, planning becomes even more critical – maximising vertical space, incorporating internal drawers, and choosing the largest practical bedside unit (preferably with drawers) will prevent clutter building up elsewhere.
Lunar Platinum Wardrobe with Shelving
- Storage Ratios: How Much Is Enough?
While every household is different, a useful rule of thumb is to aim for:
- At least 60% hanging space
- 30% drawer storage
- 10% shelving for folded knitwear or display
Of course, this shifts depending on lifestyle, but without adequate drawer space in particular, surfaces quickly become overwhelmed.
Walk-in wardrobe layouts, where space allows, are ideal for zoning clothing categories and keeping the sleeping area visually minimal. Even in standard fitted wardrobes, internal mirrors, pull-down hanging rails and shoe racks help maintain order.
Aurora Fern Green Wardrobe
- Lighting for Better Sleep
A bedroom that promotes good sleep should offer layered lighting:
- A central ceiling light
- Bedside task lighting
- Softer mood lighting
Blackout window treatments are highly desirable to support melatonin production, and having enough sockets either side of the bed ensures practicality without trailing extension leads.
Inside wardrobes, integrated LED strip lighting with sensors isn’t just luxurious, it improves visibility, helping you stay organised and reducing rummaging (and mess).
Nexus Pebble Dressing Table
- Designing Beyond Sleep
Finally, think about purpose. Is the bedroom purely for rest and storage? Or does it also need to accommodate a desk, hobby area or ironing space?
If possible, I recommend keeping work-related functions visually separate from the sleeping zone. The clearer the room’s purpose, the easier it is for your brain to associate it with rest.
The Calm Bedroom Checklist
To support better sleep this National Sleep Day, aim for a bedroom that is:
✔ Cool
✔ Dark
✔ Quiet
✔ Clutter-free
✔ Designed in calming, muted tones
✔ Supported by well-planned storage
At Symphony, we believe beautiful design should enhance wellbeing. When storage is thoughtfully integrated and colour is carefully considered, your bedroom becomes more than just a place to sleep – it becomes a sanctuary.
And in today’s busy world, that sense of sanctuary has never been more important.
- By Josie Medved, Symphony Design Manager