Home Sweet Home

In our modern Western culture, sleeping is a private activity, the bedroom a retreat. But in those cultures that have stronger ties with their past, people often sleep in groups. The comfort, warmth, security, and companionship that this offers seem to them more natural and beneficial than sleeping alone. The architect Christopher Alexander acknowledges that while adults in Western societies do need bedrooms of their own, the isolation of a small child in a private room can be incompatible with healthy development. Children, he suggests, might prefer a bed cluster arrangement similar to the raised bed alcoves of many ethnic cultures.

But as children grow into their teens, they will usually want their own space as an expression of their growing sense of independence and maturity. The teenage years are often a period of rejection of family lifestyle and habits; the need to express such rebellion can cause violent conflicts unless provision can be made for some kind of private refuge. The bedroom usually fulfils this role and it is essential that individual design ideas and creativity are given the opportunity to flourish there. Even better than a bedroom, and more exciting, would be a quite separate part of the house - an attic, perhaps, or a basement or garage. Such spaces effectively grow into multipurpose rooms: living/sleeping/study/ entertaining all rolled into one.

It requires some ingenuity to squeeze so many functions into a small space, but the bed could be raised on a platform, for example, leaving floor space for a worktop, storage area, or den. It could also be folded away in a cupboard, or be exchanged for a sofa-bed or a roll-up futon. The noise from stereos and TVs can be reduced with soundproofing, beginning with the windows. You can also soundproof the door, or it may be possible to fit another door on the inside of the frame or even to build a lobby with space for coats, shoes, and sports gear. Absorbent wall finishes, curtains, and furnishings in natural materials also lower noise levels_..

Young people experiment, quickly exchanging one fashion for another, so the layout of their rooms should be flexible and adaptable. Furniture that can be moved or folded out of the way is best, while decoration is less important than walls lined with cork or pinboards for posters and other paraphernalia. Recycled old furniture can be adapted for a variety of purposes and then painted or stained. It is often a better option than buying new items. But you should spend money on a firm bed that ensures good posture, and on bedding of natural materials. Flooring should be hardwearing - ideally plain timber boards, untreated cork, or linoleum, covered with scatter rugs and cushions to create a warm, informal atmosphere.

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