#3 regenerating

This post is part of a series where I'm recording the appreciative thoughts and emotions associated with various spaces in our house. For context, read my post Thinking about houses.

It might sound obvious, but sleep experts say that a bedroom should be set up exclusively for sleeping. The simplicity of a room that has a bed and a small amount of convenient storage space is very appealing. In Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander and his colleagues suggest that, unlike what the most common house designs offer, dressing is an entirely different activity than sleeping and is best accommodated in its own space. The old dressing screens or walk in wardrobes with sufficient space for mirrors etc would be ideal. Alas, we don't have that amount of space in our little town house, but this room is wonderful anyway. 

In the winter months when it is dark in the evenings, the light on the dressing table provides a soft welcome into the room. Immediately inside the bedroom door is a short corridor with mirrored wardrobes on each side, a nice proxy for a walk-in wardrobe. It is a clever way to keep the clothes and dressing space clear of the bed.

But the best feature of this room is the north facing balcony. That side of the bed is Maria's reading spot of choice; the sun streams in for most of the day with the view across to the Village Park drawing your eyes outside. It is not unusual for me find either Johanna or Winnie (Johanna's Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) curled up with her on the bed. It is a gorgeous spot to pass the time.

The prints on the walls are from a local photographer. We got talking to him one day at the market in the town hall around the corner. In keeping with what we wanted for the room, the images are simple and clean. 

For me this a regenerative space. It's where Maria and I reconnect at the end of the day; it's where rest rejuvenates and in the ensuite off to the side, it's where we ready our bodies for the day ahead. Maria's yoga mat rests in the corner; her morning routine also regularly involves stretching and centering before the bustle of the day begins. 

I agree with the idea that simplicity is a good design principle for a bedroom and I'm pleased that this room not only ticks that box, but our experience of spending time in it generally leaves us feeling better than when we walked in through the door.