Handy advice on how to spruce up that all-important room:

1. Create a focal point with a padded headboard

Fit a tall cushioned headboard to your bed. Not only is it comfortable to lean against while reading, watching TV or drinking your morning cuppa, it adds height and even a sense of drama to the room.

2. Go deep pile on carpets

If there’s one room in the house that should have deep pile carpet, it’s the master bedroom. As well as helping to absorb noise, it keeps the room warm and feels soft and comforting to walk on.

3. Swap a bedroom chair for an ottoman

Place a classic ottoman – a storage bench or box – at the foot of your bed. As well as being practical for storing items like towels, blankets and sheets, it looks stylish too. Try placing cushions or folded coloured blankets on the top.

4. Keep bed linen neutral

If you want to rest easy, stay away from patterned bed linen. Opt instead for plain and classic shades such as white, taupe, grey and charcoal. You can liven things up with colourful cushions, throws and accessories. It’s worth splashing out on luxurious textures here, such as silks and velvets.

5. Small windows? Fit blinds rather than curtains

Natural light tends to be in short supply if you have small windows. Make the most of what you do have with blinds that fit flush to the window frames. Even when they are open, curtains can block out a lot of light and, on small windows, run the risk of looking fussy.

6. Opt for versatile lights

Lights in the master bedroom need to serve various functions – illuminate all corners of the room, provide extra ‘task’ light for reading and be dimmable for ambience. Make sure you organise switches so you can control all lighting – without having to get out of bed.