Interiors
By Katherine Sorrell
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Create a cosy retreat Warm and quiet, dark and comfortable – ensure your bedroom has all the ingredients for a great night’s sleep. Lack of sleep has a profound effect on our physical and mental health, and as many as one in three of us – according to the NHS – suffer from poor sleep. It’s wise to make your bedroom as sleep-friendly as possible – dark, quiet, tidy and comfortably warm. Start with the mattress Choosing a mattress can seem highly confusing but start by deciding whether you would prefer a sprung or non-sprung version. Sprung mattresses are literally filled with lots of springs, but while open-spring mattresses are cheaper, they should be used for guest rooms or children’s beds; the best ones are individually ‘pocket’ sprung, with a large number of small springs each in their own pocket of fabric and working independently from each other, so they adjust to the body and eliminate ‘roll-together’. Calico pockets, hand nested in a honeycomb pattern and centre-tied with linen cord, are the best quality. You might find it beneficial to have a sprung mattress that is ‘zoned’ across the middle to give extra support for heavier
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hips and shoulders, or made ‘half and half’, to provide different tensions on each side of the bed. Another solution for sleeping partners who are very different weights is a ‘zip and lock’ system of two different mattresses that fasten together in the centre. Sprung mattresses can be filled with a variety of materials, including cotton, wool, coir, foam and horsehair, with additional mohair, cashmere and silk in luxury versions. Tufted construction is generally considered better than quilting, as it prevents loose fillings from being dislodged. In cheaper mattresses, fillings usually come in compact pads, while in better quality mattresses there will be layers of loose fillings in greater volumes. Always look for a high-quality mattress cover (known as ‘ticking’), while hand stitching on the sides keeps the mattress in good condition for longer, and sturdy handles help with turning (which should be done regularly to even out the wear and thus prolong the life of the mattress). Non-traditionalists may be interested a non-sprung
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