If the hearth or the kitchen is the heart of a home, then the bedroom must surely be its soul. For it is there that we retreat at the end of a long day, seeking rest, rejuvenation, solace and comfort. It is there that we are who we are, without artifice. However, this retreat to a private room as we know the bedroom today was not always possible in the past.

The idea of separate rooms to sleep in was not universally accepted in ordinary homes until the 19^th century. Prior to that time, beds were often simple straw pallets that were tucked out of sight during the day, and brought out every evening and placed by the warmth of the fire for everyone to sleep. Once raised beds became more common, it was not unusual to have an entire family sleep in the same bed. Even more astonishing was the practice of sleeping in the same bed with total strangers as was the custom in the public inns of the day! Modesty was not important – warmth was. Wealthy was the traveler who could afford a private room.

Due to the fact that beds were built to suit the inhabitants of the home, it comes as no surprise that the beds were not of standard dimensions. Not until the latter part of the 19^th century when suites of furniture were developed for this room was standardization of beds introduced.

Bedroom suites consisted of any combination of the following: a bed, a chiffonier or bureau, a shirt cupboard (comprising several shallow drawers to store ironed folded shirts), a wardrobe, a washstand for daily ablutions, bedside tables with a cupboard for the chamber pot, and that most feminine of all pieces of bedroom furniture, the vanity or dressing table. This article of furniture held pride of place in the bedroom. Generally made of wood, it featured either an attached mirror, or in some cases, a gilt three- part folding mirror. Lace, crystal, sterling silver or porcelain – no material was too precious for the fashionable dressing table of the last century.

The room might also have contained a writing desk for the lady of the house to write the many letters that Victorians were so fond of writing. These suites were offered in styles that appealed to masculine tastes such as those featuring Renaissance Revival detailing with its heavy carving, dark woods and marble tops. The more feminine styles such as Rococo Revival were lighter in feeling, always curved, often gilt and painted in pale colors. Choice was important because wealthy married couples preferred to have separate bedrooms. The term “master bedroom” was coined during this time period.

Children often slept in open bureau drawers when small, and with their parents as they grew older. The 19th century ushered in the idea of nurseries and separate rooms for children.

The earliest bedrooms were simply an adjacent room on the main floor next to the main kitchen / living area. The fireplace from that room radiated some of its heat to the attached room. During cold spells however, frigid air would settle on the floor making the idea of walking barefoot on the cold floorboards an unpleasant one. Thus beds were raised onto a platform, requiring steps or a stool to “climb” into bed. Today, the notion of such a bed is considered romantic.

As bedrooms moved to the second floor, they often took advantage of the warm air rising from the main floor by installing open grates on the floor. Wealthier homes had a fireplace in each room, and it was the servants’ task to tend to these fires. The invention of the furnace changed all that, making the small bedroom fireplace eventually obsolete.

Interior decoration in bedrooms was much simpler than that of the rest of the house. Millwork was often made of a secondary wood, and often painted. Wallpaper in overall patterns was very popular. Some rooms were fortunate to have a bay window – perfect for lounging on a chaise longue.

Summer heat and the new notion that fresh air was good for the constitution led to the development of the sleeping porch. The understanding of germs and how diseases are spread led to the popularity of the metal bed. Once a staple in hospital rooms, the painted iron bed made its way into private homes. Brass plated or solid brass beds became available to those who could afford them.

As separate bedrooms for the members of a household became ingrained in domestic architecture, the concept of the guest bedroom grew. Travelers spent an inordinate amount of time travelling from one place to another, given the modes of transportation of the day. Thus, extended stays were expected. Either the master and mistress of the home gave up their room, or the children did, but eventually the idea of a separate room for company became the norm.

Today’s bedroom is a result of the evolution of this most private of all rooms in the home. It is easy to recreate the nostalgia of the past simply by incorporating some of its elements. However beautifully it is appointed however, it is necessary that it be functional and comfortable, but most important of all that it stands as a very personal expression of who you really are.

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