Put it to Bed: Could You and Your Partner Sleep Separately?

This social current continued into the 20th century. In fact, from 1930 to 1968 the Motion Picture Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) warned American films against depicting a man and a woman in the same bed, lest such a scandalous act debase the audience’s delicate sense of morality. During this time it was common for married couples to choose twin beds.

But these days, the tide has turned and the vast majority of couples sleep side-by-side. We barely blink when people build ‘his’ and ‘hers’ sinks, a second bathroom, separate wardrobes and man caves if space and budgets permit. However, seeds of doubt about perfectly strong relationships can spread like weeds when people discover that a couple does not share a bed. “I think lots of people do like their own space but not many people discuss it,” reveals one Houzz user whose partner sleeps in a separate room, explaining that it’s often “a bit of a taboo subject”.

And herein lies the crux: being in the same bed and being intimate are too often conflated. One has become symbolic of the other, even though many couples still enjoy a strong intimate bond despite different beds, rooms and homes – remember the passion before you moved in together?

“We have two master bedrooms in our home as my husband has a sleep disorder,” writes one Houzz user. “It works very well as we both designed our own spaces and have different sleeping needs, leaving time together more like dating with more respect for each other. I would recommend this set-up for every home.”

It is this set-up that graces the top level of a residence in Rose Bay, Sydney, shared by a married couple and their two sons. Designed by Tony Legge of Legge & Legge Architects with interiors by Woods & Warner, the top floor houses ‘his’ and ‘hers’ master bedrooms – each with its own ensuite – and a spacious office connected to the husband’s room, pictured here. In a touching architectural gesture, a bridge connects the two wings – a design which is evocative of the neighbouring homes shared by Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

“Having [their] own space meant there were no compromises with colour palettes or finishes,” says Jacinta Woods of interior design firm Woods & Warner. “Each has a mid-century influence, while having their own distinctive male and female design schemes.”

Being able to indulge their distinctive tastes was a luxury made possible by having dual master suites. Glance at the couple’s bedrooms and ensuites and you’ll immediately see the contrast in their styles, colour palettes and finishes.

Here, the masculine master ensuite with its striking ceiling-mounted showerhead is finished with smoke-toned tiles that hark back to those charcoal curtains and the grey accent wall in ‘his’ master bedroom. The overall effect lends these spaces a solemn, masculine atmosphere.