I have spent the last eleven years doing a job that required me to be at my desk by 8.30am at the absolute latest, which often meant I was up at 6am and out of the door by 7am. To me, my bed was for sleeping, not for enjoying, as I just never got the chance. Yes, there were the weekends, but I was so strung out by that point I was never, ever able to sleep-in or relax.
Since leaving my teaching job, I have reclaimed the mornings as my own. I never set an alarm (I can feel the daggers from my ex-collegaues as I type this!) and I spend at least an hour in bed every morning checking social media and browsing other blogs, drinking tea. My bed has become a place to relax for the first time. Therefore, I have made some changes to my bedroom to make it more conducive to relaxation, rather than somewhere I hurriedly put my clothes on, whilst scrabbling in the dark to make sure I can leave the house by 7am and not wake Jules.
First and foremost, I have beautiful new bedlinen from Christy. For anyone, wanting to make one change to their room to help lift it, I would always, always advise a new set of bedlinen. But it has to be good bedlinen; it is one of those things that I would never scrimp on. Pure, crisp cotton, soft pillows and a scrumptious duvet. This new set is called Chantilly; I always go for white bedlinen as it’s fresh and light and you can add colour with a throw and cushions if you want to, so it’s very easy to change your scheme without having to buy more. The delicate embroidery is so pretty, but subtle enough not to alienate Jules. This week I went to bed an hour early to enjoy it (and I may have had an afternoon nap or two!).
I have added this soft, snuggly Oslo blanket, also by Christy. Extra layers, especially at this time of year, add a feeling of cosiness and comfort that make the mornings so much more enjoyable. I also now take this blanket around the house with me when it’s cold – it’s on my lap whilst I work and I have it on the sofa in the evenings. It really is the cosiest blanket I have ever owned. Cushions and the large large square pillows are a must for sitting up in bed, too.
The radio is my new best friend. As soon as I wake I switch it on so I can catch up on the news and I love the dulcet tones of Radio 4 in the morning – yes, I did just say that, I must be 102 years old!
I’ve updated a plain lampshade with a length of lace tape, which took about two minutes but it now looks prettier and ties in perfectly with my new bedlinen. You MUST have a good bedside lamp – there is surely nothing worse than a blaring overhead light.
As you may have seen on this month’s Styling the Seasons post, I started updating my bedroom by styling my bedside table to make it cosier, including a candle and flowers. It is so heavenly lighting that candle in the morning as soon as I wake because it smells delicious and is very calming. Having flowers also makes the space that much more special although sadly the blue of this Hydrangea that has lasted for a month is now starting to fade.
So, those are my reasons for staying in bed, probably longer than I should. If you need me, you know where to find me!
Katy x
Disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with Christy but the views and opinions are my own.
