As well as a place of rest, the bedroom provides an escape from stress and worry - a haven from the everyday comings and goings of family life. It's the most private room in the house and, unlike other areas of a family home, belongs exclusively to the individual or couple who sleep there. With the right furnishings and planning, it can become an idyllic refuge that offers a great deal of comfort and relaxation.

The choice of bed is of course a main consideration when decorating a bedroom. The average person spends over a third of their life in a bed so it's important that the right kind is chosen. Symptoms such as back-pain and lack of sleep are often attributed to a poor bed and merely buying a new mattress will not necessarily alleviate these problems. The best solution is to purchase a divan and mattress together, considering that both are designed to work with each other. The big furniture retailers sell them individually or in sets.

Brass beds can prove a very attractive centre-piece and are relatively inexpensive nowadays. They offer a more traditional ambience and are suited to most styles of bedding, due to their practical design. The same is true of four-poster beds. These can provide added privacy as well as enhancing the look and feel of a bedroom. However, they are more suited to larger, high-ceiling bedrooms so careful consideration is advised if you're thinking about buying one.

The placement of a bed is often influenced by space. The standard practice is to place it in the centre of the room, with the headboard pushed against a wall. Although this method can save space, if your bedroom is spacious it might be worth considering other layouts. The positioning of a bed might enable you to include other furniture pieces such as a desk or table. It can also provide more storage space.

A bedroom's space is often divided between two people. Therefore, it's worth considering the allocation of storage furniture to each person - it can help bring order and organisation to a bedroom's living space. Wardrobes and cupboards are a popular means of storage and can often bring character and charm. Wardrobes with sliding doors are a more space-effective alternative to hinged versions and are available in a variety of designs. It is worth paying a bit extra if you want the sliding-door feature as budget versions often suffer from sticking runners. Chests of drawers provide a further storage option and come in the form of tall-boys and standard three-door varieties. If you don't have enough hanging space for cloths then this type of furniture can offer an effective solution to clothes storage.