Q As a result of a renovation by the previous owner making two smaller rooms into one, our master bedroom is an unusual L-shape and has two windows and two doors.

We plan to seal off one of the doors but are not sure which should be eliminated. The new carpet is a darkish cool grey and the drapes are floor-length pale blue silk over printed sheers.

Our furniture includes a low mahogany dresser and matching armoire with a mirrored front. We would like to buy an upholstered headboard for our bed.

The room also has a television that sits on the dresser and a small chair. The problem with this room is that it is difficult to figure out where to best put furniture and how to give it some style.

Since we don’t have a lot of furniture, it seems now that the unusual shape really dominates the overall look of the room.

A Designing a bedroom has requirements that are specific to its function. Because it is generally a night-time room, the atmosphere you may want to create will be quiet, calm and dark (you should at least be able to cut off the light when someone is sleeping; this includes sunshine, moonlight or street lights).

The furniture should be arranged so that the bed is easy to make, and to get in and out of. Storage units dressers, armoires, etc. need to be easily accessible and should be convenient for dressing.

As you can see from my plan, creating an effective layout for your master bedroom is fairly straightforward.

I have chosen the door that opens directly into the room as the one to eliminate for better traffic flow into the room and so that the largest portion of the L-shaped space is uninterrupted by architectural elements.

I have shown the bed on the south wall so that it is not the first thing you see when you enter the room, providing a good traffic flow between the entrance, dressing area and the sleeping area.

From the bed, there is a clear view of the television, which sits on the low dresser.

The space in front of the mirrored closet doors is left clear so there is plenty of room for selecting clothes and dressing there.

The mix of the mahogany furniture coupled with the proposed upholstered headboard is a major style statement.

The choice of colours that exist in the space are mostly cool tones.

A sand tone on the walls will not only make the space feel warmer and more intimate but it will create a more effective background to highlight the furniture. If the room lacks architectural detail, you could always add wider mouldings around the doors and windows and install a wide cove moulding at the ceiling line.

This type of detailing will give the room a classic feeling.

This woodwork could be painted in a white or an ivory to contrast with the darker wall colour.

You can accessorize the room with throw pillows on the bed in a mix of textured materials, such as silk, leather and suede. Bedside lamps can often be an underused design statement.

Since you are getting a new headboard for the bed, you could consider table lamps that match the headboard, or articulated arm-lighting fixtures that are integrated into the headboard.

source : www.thestar.com David Ferguson