Master Bedroom

People in high-density urban residential settings face social pressure in their living environments, so they prefer a particular space to remain alone when they return home [12]. A master bedroom's primary function is relaxation, rest and healthy sleep for adults or parents, where privacy is essential for confirming harmony in family life [12]. The definition of sleeping space changes over time and usually identifies a bedroom as one of the most private areas in a domestic environment, where freedom from excessive noise is desired [34]. It is a space where the occupant can take a step back from various in-house activities and enjoy privacy and noiselessness [48]. The bedroom also responds to human circadian rhythms [56]. According to Hendrassukma, the bedroom, for adults or parents, has the primary purpose of calming activities such as resting or sleeping, where the indoor environment strongly influences these activities [45].

The bedroom relates to occupants' feelings of comfort at home. Madsen explained that when a person becomes sick, the bedroom is the only homely spot in the domestic environment where the occupant feels comfort and relaxed. The author further described that suitable sounds and smells also make it a homelier place. If anyone changes the same bed to a different location, he/she may not feel the same comfort, with space security and belongingness influencing occupants' psychology [44]. This is because occupant habits such as lying, reading, relaxing, watching and other activities before going to sleep are closely correlated with existing bedroom scenarios. Consequently, the bedroom indicates an image of comfort, warmth and relaxation, with the bed as a prominent factor in that homely spot [44].

On the other hand, room shape and size influence the occupants psychologically in master bedrooms. A square room seems to be more crowded than a rectangle shape within an equal area. Not only that, but longitude direction may create vision rigidity and have a psychological impact [12]. According to Mridha, most developers generally prioritise making the master bedroom more comfortable and attractive than other domestic spaces within the apartment unit to attract local clients. In that case, the rooms' location, size and shape are essential to design factors in ensuring occupants' comfort in a master bedroom [57].

Indoor environmental elements, such as proper daylight, noise level, color and ventilation are essential for occupants' mental wellbeing in a master bedroom. According to Kennedy et al., noise at night in a bedroom is not desirable and another vital factor to consider for occupants' wellbeing. It is directly related to the quality of sound sleep. The author also recommended well-ventilated bedrooms for sleep health, whereas having a balcony creates extra facilities for the occupants' refreshment [67].

For daylight, window location is the most significant criterion for a bedroom. Not only the wall between the bedroom and balcony, but window louvers and height, and window glass type and opening system are correlated with ensuring natural ventilation, daylight and the external vision of a bedroom [41,57]. A room with outer vision seems more spacious than rooms without such an image—a window connected to the bedroom to guide people's sight [12]. Hendrassukma also mentioned that color significantly impacts occupants' psychology in personal spaces like a master bedroom [45].

Besides these, several studies emphasised the psychological comfort of familiar objects and pictures in bedrooms that may retell past events and positive memories. According to the literature, displaying memories and photographs is an integral part of visual relief and establishing personal spaces within the domestic setting. Bao also mentioned that the photos and mirrors on the wall could transfer vision and provide a sense of space expansion [12]. In personal spaces like bedrooms, occupants have different choices based on their sex, age and behavior. In general, women tend to beautify or decorate their private rooms more than men do in their domestic settings. Gosling elaborated that women have various choices, such as photos, lotions, jewelry, candles and others.

**Figure 8.** Relationship between spatial and environmental factors of master bedroom. (Illustration: Author, based on literature).

In contrast, men tend towards CDs, sports equipment and achievement-related items in personal spaces like bedrooms [68]. Finally, in 2015, Graham mapped occupants' desired psychological ambiance in their master bedrooms. According to the authors, romance, privacy, comfort, relaxation and love are the most prominent and frequent psychological ambiances of occupants for their master bedrooms [9]. The overall relationship between the spatial and environmental design factors of the master bedroom is illustrated in Figure 8.
