Robert J Morton

Fantasy Bedroom A 4½ metre diameter round bedroom that features a central feather upholstered dohyo 2 metres square.

The central feature of our fantasy bedroom is a feather upholstered dohyo. This is based on a grid of 2cm wide by 5cm deep pine slats with 2cm spacing between adjacent slats. The total size of the grid is 2 metres by 2 metres. It is surrounded by a pine flange 15cm wide padded with dyed leather. The flange is angled at 45° to act as a retainer for bedding and pillows. The pine grid is supported on top of a pine plinth, which contains large drawers for storing spare bedding.

Upon the pine grid is placed a very thick 2 metre by 2 metre feather mattress that is quilted to form separate feather-filled compartments so that the feathers do not gather into large unwieldy humps. The mattress is encased in a thick patterned velvet over-casing that can be changed and washed. The over-bedding is a 2 metre by 2 metre covered duvet of a weight appropriate to the season with 6 to 8 matching covered pillows.

The main reason the dohyo bed is so wide is that 2 metres square give a couple adequate room to make love in the sideways position, which is a very intimate position where neither partner puts any weight or unproductive physical pressure upon the other. For this purpose, pillows can be arranged along adjacent sides of the dohyo so each partner can lie comfortably at right-angles to the other.

Instead of a headboard and bedside tables, the dohyo has a bed-height table 100cm by 50cm at its head for things such as cups of tea and bottles of massage oil that have to be reached from the bed. Like the angled flange around the bed, the table too is covered in dyed leather. Each side of the dohyo is a dressing table unit set into the circular wall.

Each of the inset units is lit by a small skylight which is also inset beyond the circular boundary of the bedroom. Natural light for the main part of the bedroom is from a central circular or rounded square skylight above the bed. Further natural light is provided by a window in the outer wall beyond the head of the bed whose light is softly diffused by the circular section of inner wall, beyond the bed-head table, which is fabricated of framed waxed paper like those found in Japanese houses.

Both music and soothing natural sounds are provided by a stereo pair of 4-element array speakers set each side of the central door.

The bedroom has 3 doors. The left-hand door leads to an adjoining laundry, sewing and dressing room. The right-hand door leads to the bathroom. The central door leads to a small intermediate space from which another door leads to the large central dining-room/kitchen.