While getting ready for some family to visit tomorrow, I have created a long list of tasks specifically for my guest experience. Down to the freshly clean sheets, often a baked good in their room, and a pillow spray that could induce sleep faster than any sleep app, I take pride in my guest experience. Mainly because I want my guests to return, take a design idea home with them, and to simply have a wonderful rest while they are away from home.

As an interior designer, I often find that guest rooms and even primary bedrooms seem to be an afterthought in a house. The design emphasis is usually found in the communal spaces of the kitchen and living room.

In my last article, I mentioned that many people tend to design for when others visit as a way of showing how they want to be portrayed to the world. When I visit a home, and the communal spaces are put on display but the more private rooms seem to have less attention, I immediately understand more about the person’s personality and the way they value themselves.

Environmental psychology research reveals a lot to the trained eye about how people protect their identity and self-concept. When bedrooms are under-designed, it often reflects the patterns of need for external validation, the sacrificial self, and often times unawareness of how their environment can be undermining their wellbeing. This also stems from Western culture, as the parlor, now called the living room, was historically the showpiece of the house. In our modern and often less formal culture, the kitchen has taken the living room’s place.

Don’t worry, I am not here to judge. As your designer and friend, I approach people about how deserving they are of a great space of their own to relax in.

Photos are from Intrepid Interior Design. Project: Modern Southwestern

I have recently started working with another client in Colorado Springs who is moving into a newly built home and has enlisted my help for her primary bedroom. In our first consultation, she mentioned not being able to sleep through the night often. After learning more about her life story, her stage in life, and all she does for others, I am deeply inspired to do all I can to create a truly relaxing space for her. I have never met a client so kind and uplifting to me as a designer, and I can’t wait to translate design into returning her kindness. I will update you as we work through the progress of her primary bedroom.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ROOM IN THE HOUSE

The bedroom spaces in your home contribute more to your overall well-being than any other space, as quality sleep is the foundation of wellness. This room is an anchor for daily recovery and envelops every aspect outlined in HABITUS in consideration of hydration, air quality, acoustics, thermal regulation, and light exposure through circadian rhythm.

THE SECRET BEHIND SUCCESS AND WELLNESS IS REST

While many influencers and successful people attribute health and success to the rise and grind culture, what they aren’t telling you is just how well they sleep and the intention they put behind it. Many of them don’t publish the design intention they put into their bedrooms, but I can help you understand the design optimization they use for sleep, recovery, and focus in your own home, solely based on their routine descriptions.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is known for prioritizing a minimum of eight hours of sleep a night. He attributes decision-making clarity to quality rest. He has noted that he structures his morning around waking up naturally and suggests the use of design items around circadian support, discussing the darkness, quiet, and comfort of his bedroom.

The founder of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, is an advocate of what she calls successful sleep after collapsing from exhaustion. She even published a book on how a well-designed bedroom transformed her productivity and health. Her book is linked here: “ The Sleep Revolution”

LeBron James uses cooling technology in his bedroom, using a climate-controlled system and a smart mattress. He has also optimized his room for the proper darkness, airflow, and temperature. He attributes his longevity and his edge in recovery to sleeping eight to ten hours a night plus naps.

THE REST IS SCIENCE

As a research-based interior designer, I don’t just create a checklist of the common furnishings in each space, but outline, through the HABITUS rubric that I created, the aspects of health we intend to improve with each room. Without going in-depth, H = H20, A = Air, B = Beat or Sound, I = Illumination, T = Temperature, U = Urban, S = Standard. Below, I will outline a portion of evidence-based research concerning bedrooms and sleep quality.

H for H20

While a bedroom is not thought of as a place for hydration, it has more to do with your hydration levels than you think.

Research shows that people who sleep less than six hours a night are 16-60% more likely to be dehydrated the next day. Your body works to regulate many hormones while you sleep, including vasopressin, which controls water balance. If your sleep cycles are cut short, vasopressin release can be disrupted, leading to overnight dehydration.

Poor sleep also elevates cortisol, which affects electrolyte balance and water retention. Think puffiness, dry mouth, and brain fog.

The humidity levels in your bedroom also affect your sleep quality. Bedrooms often experience humidity fluctuations overnight from human respiration, lack of circulation from closed windows, and HVAC cycles. Finding balance here is key. Low humidity, especially in colder months, dries out skin, eyes, and airways. High humidity increases the risk of mold and dust mites, which put strain on the respiratory system and disturb sleep, leaning into the next HABITUS category of Air.

Photos are from Intrepid Interior Design. Project: Modern Southwestern

A for Air

In our modern life, we spend one-third of our lives breathing in our bedroom. We spend more of our time in our bedroom than in any other single room in our house. Unlike the more public areas in our homes, bedrooms are typically closed off for quiet and darkness, making air quality risks more concentrated.

According to the WHO, household indoor air pollution causes 3.2 million premature deaths per year globally.

While most of the air quality problems with mortality are associated with indoor cooking and heating, many other health implications are tied to our bedrooms specifically.

Without fresh air exchange and proper ventilation, CO2 levels rise overnight, often leading to morning grogginess and poor sleep depth. Poor air filtration of dust, pet dander, and pollen accumulates in soft materials such as drapery, bedding, and carpets. Without regular cleaning, these pollutants continuously cycle in the air. Bedrooms can be breeding grounds for mold and dust mites, creating an allergic reaction in the occupant without them even knowing why they might be reacting.

Even physical materials we use in our bedrooms play a key role in detoxification while we rest as well. I will cover this in-depth in the articles to come as we explore more aspects of the most important room of the house and the design solutions that can take you from exhaustion to well-being.

I will leave you with the following questions: Are naps normal? Is sleeping through the night normal?

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