“Sleeping uterus” isn't a word we thought we'd share with you anytime soon, but according to a design psychologist, the smaller your sleep space, the better if you want to feel cozy, safe, and ready for sleep every night.
Small bedrooms, called “sleeping wombs” by Diana Trushell, are the key to good sleep: “Did you know that many people prefer to sleep in small spaces? The quieter, the softer, the more reserved they are, the greater the feeling of closure.” If that sounds good, maybe it's time to create a little “bedroom,” she says.
Diana, also known as The Design Professor and lecturer at Columbia University, continues: “By improving your bedroom environment, you can improve a variety of things, including sleep, how much energy you have, and how focused you are. “
When it comes to creating a cozy bedroom, Diana says psychological research shows that “we need to feel protected when we sleep. In this state we are extremely vulnerable and our primal mindset creates in us the need to feel safe and enclosed.” and in more design terms – cozy and warm.”
Diana points out that there is a misconception when people see their bedroom as a sanctuary and that it needs to be as big as possible. However, when choosing a place to sleep, you should go for the smallest one, she says. As long as there is room for a bed, that is usually enough.
Below she shares her tips for being the perfect “sleep mom.”
1. Use warm colors
(Image credit: Rett Peek. Design: Meet West)
One of the most important and easiest ways to make a bedroom feel more like a bunk is through color.
When you're looking for the colors for your bedroom that suit you best, think about the type of environment you prefer. Warm colors obviously make a room feel very cozy, while cooler colors appeal to those who prefer the feeling of sleeping in colder rooms with lots of blankets.
Dianna recommends “painting your room either a warm color—like red, pink, peach, or yellow—or a cool color with a warm undertone” for an overall smaller, cozier feel. This added warmth in your bedroom's color has the “effect of making the walls come closer, as opposed to cool colors making the walls feel like they're receding,” says Diana.
2. Create a canopy
(Image credit: Future)
A cozy sleeping alcove can also be created in a large bedroom. It depends on how you set up the area around your bed. Diana says: “A partition can be created simply from a four-poster canopy bed, or you can even add curtains to the ceiling around the footprint of your bed.” When it's time to settle down for the evening, you can draw the curtains and feel really locked in the room.
Four-poster beds are a popular option for many hotel-style rooms. If you want to have a lounge area in your room or have the luxury of enjoying the beautiful views from your bedroom windows, you can create a special retreat and create a sleeping area using curtains and canopies.
3. Divide your space
Share your space
(Image credit: Stephen Kent Johnson)
In keeping with the function of four-poster beds, you can expand your small space design even further by separating your sleeping area from the rest of your room. Sleeping nooks are ideal, but not always possible.
Another alternative are room dividers and modular bookcases. Diana says: “I live in New York and know the difficulties of making a studio apartment comfortable. Anything you can use to divide your space will help your sleeping area feel smaller and more relaxed.”
Placing your bed in a corner of your room can create an angular atmosphere and delimit your space.
4. Keep your wall decorations to a minimum
(Image credit: Image credit: Alexander James. Design: Oakley Moore Studio.)
Small rooms can seem messy. However, Diana explains, “The main thing that makes a room feel cluttered is that it contains too many different elements.”
She notes that, psychologically, our brain is always trying to unconsciously group similar objects in a room – be it all red things, all triangular things, or all fuzzy things. In psychology this is called gestalt grouping. When designing a bedroom, the following applies: “If there are far too many different decorations and furniture, it ends up looking very cluttered and overstimulated.”
Overstimulation is the opposite of what you want in your bedroom. To avoid this feeling, it is best to use full-coverage decorative walls, such as: B. gallery walls, in rooms that are naturally larger and more energetic, like the living room.
Keeping bedroom wall decor to a minimum will optimize the purpose of your space and preserve the feel of a small, intentional nest.
Makes sense, right? While most of us obsess over making small bedrooms seem larger, at the end of the day we all want a cozy place to lay down at night, and a “bedroom” can be welcomed as a positive thing.