As we mentioned, when designing a bedroom layout you first need to think about what your goals are for the space. You also need to be realistic with yourself about how much space is available. Here are some factors to consider when planning a bedroom layout:

1. Start with the bed - the biggest piece of furniture. Go for the biggest size you can afford in terms of space and also budget.

2. Bedside tables are crucial for somewhere to pop your tea and book while in bed. But how much space do you really need? Have a good clear out and make sure you’re not storing anything there that should be in another room like paperwork. This area should be clean and uncluttered.

3. You might then find that you only need a small bedside table - perhaps even just a shelf will do the trick? A great space saving tip is to mount your bedside lights on the wall. There are many plug in options too so no need to hire an electrician!

4. Would you like a seating area? Unless you're blessed with a cavernous space, once the bed is in there won’t be space leftover for a whole sitting room! Try a couple of comfy armchairs instead and position them so that there’s still plenty of room to walk around. Or perhaps just the one chair and a slim side table next the window would work well for you?

5. Do you plan to apply makeup and get ready in your bedroom? If so, having natural light in front of you is the best lighting for this.

6. Don’t leave lighting as an afterthought! If your sockets are already in place then you’ll need to factor that into the layout of your furniture.

Try to only bring in the furniture you absolutely need in the room. Your bedroom should feel relaxing and not cluttered.

Start with the largest and most expensive items of bedroom furniture first, most obviously - the bed. Next, depending on the space either side of the bed you can think about your bedside tables.

Your wardrobe and other clothes storage should go next as this will take up a large portion of space. Think about fitted bespoke options to make the most of the space available.

You can then get a feel for whether you can add any other pieces of furniture to your bedroom like a desk or seating area. Try not to cram too much in - you don’t want to feel cramped.

Clever storage is key to a successful bedroom design. Take a look at your current system...which areas do you find the hardest to keep tidy? If drawers just aren’t working for you and they just become a dumping ground, then perhaps allow for more hanging space in your new room?

Is there anything that typically gets flung about and doesn’t have a designated place? Make sure to find these items a home in the new design.

Once you have a wish list for your storage solutions start to think about where you could add in fitted storage to your bedroom. Do you have any alcoves that could fit a wardrobe or desk perhaps?

Have a read of our dedicated fitted furniture guide here if you’re considering this approach.

The space under your bed is prime real estate for storage. Choose a bed on legs so that you can fit storage boxes underneath or choose an ottoman with storage if you’d prefer to have it all out of site.

Shelves are your best friend to store bits and bobs and get them off the floor. Make sure to be curated about what you put there though as it will be on display. Opt for opaque boxes to hide items that need to be in easy reach but aren’t pretty enough to display.

As always with colour, our advice is to not follow trends but to choose colours that give you a positive emotional response...if that happens to not be this year's colour then so what!?

Having said that, there’s a lot of psychology behind colour and different hues have been proven to put you in a different mood. For a calming space then neutral paint colours always work well. Add interest to the scheme using different textures and tones of your chosen neutral so that it doesn’t look flat.

If you’d like to go for a bolder colour scheme in your bedroom design then look to muted, softer hues that have warmer undertones like sage or moss green or a dusky pink.

Get creative with paint in your bedroom by painting in a headboard! Have a look at our painting guide specifically for bedrooms to get inspired.

Lighting is crucial to creating the right mood in your bedroom. Make use of different levels of light so that you can adjust depending on whether you’re carrying out a task like putting on makeup, (where you’ll need a crisper, cleaner light) or whether you’re wanting a relaxing warmer light for falling asleep.

For a relaxing mood, colour temperature is key: opt for warm white (<2700K) for your bedroom. This will replicate the soft calming atmosphere, similar to candlelight.

Table lamps are no longer the only option for bedside lighting. Sometimes they might not actually be feasible if you have limited space on your bedside table. There are many wonderful and creative alternatives to try instead, and you don’t even need an electrician!

Have a read of our dedicated lighting guide here for tips and ideas.

Small bedrooms can be wonderful and many actually prefer to have a smaller space that feels much cosier and warmer.

There’s a lot you can do with a small room, it just requires a bit more creativity and thinking.

Storage is key so that you’re not making the small bedroom feel even smaller with clutter!

Scale down the furniture so that the space isn’t swamped by large clumpy pieces. Also opt for furniture with legs and perhaps even glass tops so that the eye can see through them giving the illusion of space.

When painting a small bedroom it can be tempting to paint it all white to make it feel larger, and yes of course this can work well to give the illusion of space. However there are times where it works well to embrace the intimate size of a small room, particularly in a bedroom where you want to feel comfortable and snug. Embrace dark and bold colours to achieve this.

If you can’t go out - go up! Use full height storage as well as shelves to make the most of this unused space for storage.