The bedroom gets considerably less wear than the other main rooms in the home, so the choice of wall and floor finishes is extremely broad. Delicately colored walls and floors are just as suitable for the bedroom as more durable products and finishes, allowing you to create whatever style or atmosphere you desire in this most personal of spaces.

Walls

The style of wall covering you choose will depend on the room’s decorative scheme.

Moral wall coverings, for example, will undoubtedly enhance a country or traditional scheme, and there is now a wide range of floral wall coverings entering the market that look wonderful as part of a more modern color scheme.

Plain ivory-painted walls can provide the ideal background for a calming, neutral and textural scheme. The correct blend of lone, texture and design detail can lead to a very stylish, unfussy bedroom, although it may feel cold.

You could also paint your bedroom in colors that have specific psychological effects – soft blue and blue/greens actually reduce the heart rate, for example, making them ideal for creating a truly relaxing environment. On the other hand, you may opt for red to create a more passionate selling or orange for a stimulating bedroom – these may be the perfect colors for introducing a little bit of excitement to the master bedroom!

Flooring

Many people like to step out of bed onto a soft, warm carpet: others prefer the natural texture and mellow character of timber flooring. Whichever type of flooring you choose, however, it needs to enhance your decorative style.

Carpets work well in both traditional and contemporary schemes, and color and pattern are important elements to consider when making your final choice. Plain, modern colors provide the ideal background for contemporary furniture and furnishings; trellises and motifs, however, work better in a traditional interior, as do floral designs and delicately bordered carpets.

Textured flooring, such as sisal and coir, will imbue the bedroom with a rustic ambience, but try walking on these products barefoot before purchasing – you may decide to opt for one of the softer looped wool and sisal blends. There is also a wide range of textured carpets featuring looped wooden fibres that may be a good Compromise it you want the rustic appeal of textured flooring but the sumptuous silliness of a carpet.

Natural timber looks good in most decorative schemes, and is a good option for those who suffer from dust-induced allergies. The wide range of natural colors and textural grains makes wooden flooring a preferred choice for many. You can also color the wood using stains, stencils and paint, broadening its decorative possibilities. Laminated wooden flooring is also a good option for the bedroom. As with natural timber, it can be dressed up or down with the use of rugs. One advantage of laminated flooring over natural wood is that there is no danger of splintering or draughts.