According to 2021 statistics, 36% of UK adults struggle to fall asleep at least once a week. If so many of us find it hard to switch off before we fall asleep, what can we do to improve this? Well, luckily we have a few helpful tips to help you create a relaxing sleeping space, so you can get that well-deserved good night’s sleep!
Darkness
Unless you’re not a fan of the dark, it’s a good idea to make sure you sleep in complete darkness to help your brain switch off. We’d recommend you invest in some blackout blinds or curtains to block out any light coming in from your windows. This would be especially helpful if you have any street lights directly outside your home. If you prefer to have a nightlight in your room, perhaps find one that has a dimmable feature, so you can have it to a brightness that’s comfortable for you and that will also allow you to fall asleep easily. Warmer light also creates a more cosy and relaxing atmosphere, consider a Himalayan Salt Lamp for the added health benefits.
Ditch the Electronics!
According to The Sleep Foundation, watching TV before you go to bed negatively impacts your quality of sleep. Your exposure to blue light before you sleep (which comes from most phones, tablets, computers and televisions) affects your circadian rhythm, which is the internal process in everyone’s body that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. If you need any devices in your room before bed (i.e. your phone for your alarm in the morning), keep it out of arm’s reach and avoid using it for an hour before bedtime. Instead of browsing social media before bed, read a book, soak in the bath or participate in a nighttime yoga or meditation class.
Noise
We can’t always control outside noise that might disturb our sleep, however, there are ways to block this out! Whether you’d prefer to create white noise by having a fan on during the night or wearing earbuds to block out the noise, all we recommend is to do whatever makes you comfortable!
Your Bed & Mattress
If your mattress is lumpy, torn or if you wake up feeling sore, it’s probably time to buy a new mattress! Mattresses are made to last for up to 10 years, and they can be quite pricey. However, you have to remember that we spend almost 1/3 of our lives asleep, so a good mattress is an investment for better sleep. Although online shopping seems like the future, we’d still recommend doing physical bed shopping. Go and lie down on various mattresses at your local mattress retailer and see which one fits you best! Also, if you find yourself fluffing up your pillows during the night or your head doesn’t feel comfortable when you’re asleep, it’s time to buy some new pillows too!
Colours & Decor
Neutral colours and soft furnishings on your bed and in the bedroom can help you feel more comfortable and relaxed. Blue and green have also been suggested as more calming colours, so consider adding these to your sleeping space. If you need some more guidance, check out our blog on bedroom colour schemes.
Decorating your bed with extra cushions and throws can make it a more comfortable space for relaxing as well as sleeping. If you like the way your bed looks, you’re bound to feel more comfortable falling asleep in it!
Reduce Clutter!
Our stress levels are very easily affected by mess and untidy spaces, especially in rooms where we’re meant to relax and unwind! Make it a habit of putting dirty clothes in your laundry hamper and putting clean clothes away in your wardrobe, so they’re not piling up in your bedroom. If you’re struggling for wardrobe or storage space, we can help by creating made-to-measure wardrobes to fit your bedroom, and help you to organise your sleeping space. Make sure any drinks glasses next to your bed don’t pile up, and if you can, avoid eating in your room so dirty plates or food debris don’t start appearing. While odour doesn’t usually wake us from sleep, it can make it much harder to relax if you can still smell your dinner while in bed!
Did you find these tips useful? We’d love for you to let us know what you think! If you’re looking to improve your storage and reduce the clutter in your space, you can give us a ring on 01536 697996or send us an email at info@madeinteriors.uk.
As Christmas fast approaches, many of us will receive a new book to get stuck into. Or perhaps you’ve already got a big collection of novels, autobiographies and more that you’d like to keep in a special place. It doesn’t matter if you already have a few ideas or if you’ve got a blank canvas, this article will help you with some useful tips when creating the perfect reading corner!
Location
Are there any empty or spare spaces in your bedroom you could turn into a cosy reading corner? Whether it be a nice bay window with a view or an alcove you’ve yet to make any use of, it’s ultimately down to you where you choose to create your new reading corner. No matter the location, as long as you’re comfy and it’s somewhere quiet to read a good book, it will be perfect!
Lighting
Where possible, it’s best to choose somewhere that has good natural light to avoid eye strain. However, we know that not all rooms have enough windows or natural lights to make this possible, so we recommend that you use extra lighting where required. If you have enough space, a floor lamp that hangs slightly overhead while you read is a good idea. If you’re using a smaller space, a table lamp might be more appropriate, try one with a warm lampshade that brings a soft light into the room so you don’t get distracted by any harsh lightbulbs. A good side table also provides somewhere to pop your book down so you can come back to it later!
Soft Furnishings
Pillows, blankets and throws are all great options for making your reading corner nice and comfy. Adding a rug to the floor space of your reading corner will also help separate it from other areas of the room. While adding plenty of pillows and blankets are great for making sure you stay cosy while reading, make sure you don’t overdo it. Adding too many pillows to your seating space might make things a little overcrowded and distract you from your book!
Distractions
There’s nothing worse than being distracted while you’re trying to read! For a great reading corner, we recommend placing it away from any windows facing busy roads where there may be a lot of traffic noise, and away from any technology such as televisions and music players. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to reach for the remote and have the TV on in the background! Also, don’t be afraid to tell your family or housemates that you need a distraction-free zone when reading and ask them to keep the noise down.
Storage Options
We all need somewhere to put our books! Whether you’d like bookshelves acting as pillars on either side of your reading corner or you’d rather have book cabinets underneath your bay windows, that’s where we can come in. When you book your showroom appointment, you can let us know everything you’d like!
Whether you’d like us to help create shelving for your reading corner that matches your wardrobes, or you’d just like to add storage options to improve your space, we can definitely help!
Functionality and space are so important when we think about our living rooms. Many of us want an equal space for relaxing, floor space for the kids to play and smart storage solutions.
Our fitted furniture is made-to-measure and designed to your specifications, to create a unique design which is perfect for the modern living we all enjoy. Whether you need specially designed shelf space for entertainment systems or enough room for your collection of books, we can work with you to make that happen.
TV Cabinets
It’s hard to find TV and media cabinets that are perfect for various entertainment systems and suit all of our storage needs. The good news is we can design the exact TV cabinet you want! We can make sure that your TV cabinet hides any unsightly wires and cables and fits the exact size of your TV, so you can have a more cinematic experience!
Bookshelves
Although we are in a digital age where some people might prefer to read on e-books or scroll through their phones, books are still a treasure to read. If you like showing off your collection, we can create bookshelves that fit exactly into your space. Standard flat-pack bookshelves are often made to a standard size and can look a little out of place and disjointed, so we’ll make them to the perfect size and colour to match your existing living room furniture.
Awkward Spaces
If you’d like your fitted furniture to fit beneath the staircase, or if you have sloped ceilings or ceiling beams, we can create your order to fit in your space without faulting on design or quality. Your furniture can be made to look like it was designed and installed exclusively for your home, creating a space that will be timeless and will delight you for years to come.
If you’re interested in designing fitted furniture for your living room or if you’d just like to enquire, don’t hesitate to contact our sales team on 01536 697996 or email us at info@madeinteriors.uk We endeavour to get back to all enquiries within 1-2 business days. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Working from home isn’t exactly a new concept, there are some that have been doing this type of working style for many years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced working-from-home as a very new way of life for thousands of workers across the UK.
So, here’s the thing. You’ve been working from home for almost two years now. You might be working from your spare bedroom, on a second-hand desk or on a desk you scrambled to purchase from that big Swedish furniture store in March 2020, when you were told to stay home from work. Or, maybe you’ve got your own office space, but it’s lacking a certain flair?
We can help! We aren’t just fitted wardrobe connoisseurs, we can also create and build your dream office space to your design and specification. Do you need a big desk to fit two, even three monitors? Do you also want bookshelves and cabinets that seamlessly come together with your primary working space? We can do exactly that.
Whether you want an office wardrobe to quickly change into something formal for a video meeting, or if you want plenty of cabinet space for filing and storage, we can meet your needs and design your WFH space exactly as you imagine it. There aren’t many limits to what you can do, and even if your WFH space is small, we can still modify your vision to fit into the room you work in.
If this sounds like something for you, why not give us a call? We’ll take down the details of what your project is and the specifications you’d like before we invite you to our showroom for a brief tour, and to sit down with one of our designers to visualise your dream office space.
Call Made Bedrooms & Interiors on 01536 697996 or email us at info@madeinteriors.uk to find out more.
Whether you live in a smaller space or need to come up with some smarter solutions for storage, we’ve got some great smart storage ideas on how to use as little space as possible and still have a stylish living space. Tiny homes and smart living is on the rise, so here are the best ways you can make the most of the space you have to work with:
Fitted Wardrobes:
For all of your clothes, shoes, accessories and more, a fitted wardrobe is the best way to go. If you have a bare wall you don’t know what to do with, or an alcove in your room that could fit a fitted wardrobe, then this option could be the best one for you. Having a wardrobe fitted into this space means that you can choose the layout, what goes where, and you’ll be able to call the shots on how many drawers and shoe racks you’ll need, as well as railing. Any extra space at the top or bottom of the wardrobe could also allow you to store any storage boxes you may have.
Fitted wardrobes are very amenable in the design stage and even the door you choose will have a brilliant effect on your room. If you don’t have a lot of space for a full-size mirror, choosing a mirrored door will mean you don’t need to put an additional one in the room, plus mirrored furniture can make you room much bigger and can improve natural light. Choosing shaker doors for your fitted wardrobe can provide a natural and stylish look to your room and will make for an attractive bonus if you decide to sell or move out of your home.
Multi-purpose Bed:
Having a multi-purpose bed is an excellent smart storage solution! Under-bed storage boxes or a liftable mattress can make all the difference between having storage boxes everywhere and keeping them all in one space. You can make your under-bed storage even neater by using vacuum bags and/or boxes. It’s an excellent idea to keep your clean towels and fresh bedding in your under-bed storage space if you don’t have an airing cupboard or ample storage cupboards in your home.
Floating Shelves:
A big, bulky bookcase or shelf can take up a huge amount of space in your room and, if you ever want to redecorate, they can also be a pain to repaint or move around. Floating shelves can be screwed into your walls and can be positioned as close together or as far apart as you need them to be. They are also excellent as a multi-purpose smart storage feature. Need to use them as a bookshelf? The great thing is that floating shelves can fit stacks of books, and can also be used to hold miscellaneous decorations that you have for your room. And, as you can’t usually see the fixings, they look seamless and stylish against any wall.
If you’re looking to smarten up your living space or need to make use of some smart storage solutions, try our suggestions and see if any of them work for you!
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