I've got the bedroom on my mind ...

Whether it's a lack of quality sleep, an urge to cozy up with a good book before bed or the desire to simplify my life, I find my thoughts have increasingly been turning to the bedroom these days. In terms of decor, of course!

The master suite tends to be a tricky area to decorate. For starters, it's hard to make it a priority. Who's really going to see it? It's much easier to justify splashing out on your dining room or living area - places where you and your guests will be spending your waking hours. Plus, who really wants to spend time arranging and dusting knick knacks you're likely only going to see before you nod off at night and flee the house in the morning?

But, the argument goes, the bedroom is also supposed to be your personal oasis; a tranquil space to relax. It's hard to do that when you've got builder's beige walls and a stack of unpacked boxes hanging around. (Check out Colin and Justin's tips for getting the most out of your bedroom.)

At Casa Speedy, the master bedroom makeover came midway through the decorating list in an attempt to balance off these two needs - the public space to entertain and a personal retreat to relax.

With the heavy lifting - painting, accessorizing and the like - done, I'm still perusing pretty spaces but am mostly preoccupied with those mundane maintenance tasks to keep what I've got presentable, both for myself and those guests who inevitably ask for a tour. Of course, that to-do list includes making the bed.

But lately, I've been questioning my routine. I've always (well, since my teen years) been a huge fan of a neatly made bed. I find it can make your room look put together and much, much cleaner with minimal effort. Plus, as far as chores go, it tends to be a quick one!

What changed my mind? For starters, I came across a study that says an unmade bed actually helps with allergies and asthma by eliminating the moisture that dust mites crave. Breathing easier is certainly a plus for the unmade bed.

Then on Monday I interviewed HGTV stylist Lisa Quinn, author of the new Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation. While the full story will be in this Saturday's paper (and stay tuned to Yourhome this week for her list of the 10 things to clean - in order - when guests are coming in 30 minutes), I couldn't resist sharing her thoughts on the bedroom a little early.

For starters, she says we should be skipping all those fancy, colour-coordinated sheets. Instead, she suggests having just two sets of simple white sheets for each bed in the house, because they don't fade, they're interchangeable and they're easy to clean. I certainly get that logic, and anything that cuts down on my laundry time is a plus in my books.

She also argues in favour of a rumpled look for bedtime and beyond. Not just for time-savings, but also because of the message it sends. Quinn says those tightly fitted sheets and rows of throw pillows (in my defence, I have only the one!) are "uptight and prudish", while leaving the bed unmade is romantic and sexy, "like tousled, after-sex hair."

So, now I'm tempted to leave the sheets askew a few mornings a week, while accepting that I just simply can't imagine leaving it unmade when company's coming. 

What do you think? Is it time to give the unmade look a try? Or do you already rock the rumpled look?

Comments

[Sarah :)]

Fight the temptation, look how nice it looks made. It only takes a minute to have peace of mind for the entire day plus it feels so good to unwrap your bed at night and crawl in.