Bedroom: Encyclopedia II - Bedroom - Bedrooms in North America and Europe

Bedroom - Bedrooms in North America and Europe

Many houses in North America and Europe have at least two bedrooms – usually a master bedroom (dedicated to the heads of the household, such as a husband and wife) and one or more bedrooms for either the children or guests.

In buildings with multiple self-contained housing units (e.g., apartment), the number of bedrooms vary widely. While many such units have at least one bedroom – frequently, these units have at least two – some of these units may not have a specific room dedicated for use as a bedroom.

Furniture and other items in bedrooms vary greatly, depending on taste and local tradition. For instance, a master bedroom may include a bed of a specific size (double, king or queen-sized); one or more dressers (or perhaps, a wardrobe armoire); a nightstand; one or more closets; and carpeting. Built-in closets are less common in Europe than in North America; thus there is greater use of freestanding wardrobes or armoires in Europe.

Bedding used in northern Europe (especially in Scandinavia) is significantly different than that used in North America and other parts of Europe.

Some bedrooms also include such items as a make-up desk, television, air conditioning and various accessories (such as lamps, telephone and an alarm clock).

Sometimes, a master bedroom is connected to a dedicated bathroom.

In addition to a bed (or, if shared by two or more children, a bunk bed), a child's bedroom may include the requisite closets and dressers, plus items such as a toy box, desk and other items.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bedrooms in North America and Europe", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki