The Master Bedroom: is yours a luxurious retreat away from the stresses of life, or simply a place to rest your weary bones?

How important is the decor of your bedroom? Do you want it to be a lavish and hospitable room that encourages romantic interludes? Do you wish to recreate a five star hotel ambience? Is your bedroom just an escape from the kids?

Whatever your desires, the master bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the home to decorate and to get right. No matter how you view your bedroom, you will spend one third of your life there, and it should be at least some sort of haven from the outside world.

In terms of colour psychology, muted tones in lavenders, blues and greens are considered relaxing and nurturing. However, we can increase the intensity of the colours by including deep purples, plums and navy blues as well. These colours give a richer quality and a feeling of lushness and excess. Colours to avoid in bedrooms are reds and oranges (as they raise blood pressure and are definitely not relaxing) and shades of brown (very unromantic!)

Bedroom windows can also have an individual treatment that differs from the rest of the house. In most instances, people won’t be seeing your bedroom, so you can really decorate it individually and not necessarily match it to other windows in the home. Bedroom windows come in all shapes and sizes, so it is imperative to talk to your window covering specialist to determine a style that will suit you.

Whether you have small or large windows, the first consideration for a bedroom should be privacy. Daytime is generally not an issue, but at night, most would prefer not to be visible to their neighbours (unless you are an exhibitionist.) Sheer curtains or blinds will not give the necessary nighttime privacy, as the polarity reverses when the lights are on and anyone can see into the room. You may want to team sheer curtains with blockout blinds. This is a bit more contemporary, but the best of both worlds. A gorgeous floaty sheer curtain is spectacular when billowing in the breeze.

However, if you don’t want a total blockout window treatment, then consider translucent (light filtering) blinds or unlined curtains that are not totally see-through, but gently filter light without making you feel claustrophobic. Of course, fully lined curtains are the way to go, as they turn the bedroom into a cosy cocoon – private, sumptuous, quiet.

Curtains offer many more options in terms of colour and patterns, so the sky is the limit. Opt for maximum fullness and make sure the curtains reach the floor. Pelmets or valances will add an extra dimension, as well as providing maximum insulation. Trimmings such as fringing or tiebacks can also create a luxe look. Fabrics that have a slight sheen appear more glamorous than matte fabrics.

Once again, an all-white scheme is really to be avoided. If the walls are white, then opt for window treatments in a silver or teal, to personalise and romanticise the space. I cannot tell you how many times I have had a client that struggled to sleep in an all-white bedroom, that finally found rest when we changed the window coverings to a subtle colour.

Next time you travel, try and stay in an expensive hotel for a night. Consider why they install sumptuous curtains in all the rooms.