Because most bedrooms are isolated from the living areas of the home, storage is an important part of the design. Devine recommends incorporating lots of room for bulky folded items such as sweaters and fleece pullovers. There is a large closet in Leavitt's bedroom, another in the adjoining bathroom, a chest of drawers, a night stand, a lingerie chest and two bookcases. "I don't want to be running up and down stairs to get everything I need," Leavitt says.         Despite the practicality of the space, it appears streamlined and uncrowded, each piece chosen for its good looks as well as its function. But no matter how large -- or small -- the room, Devine offers a few tips for making the most of it.         Consider tall pieces, rather than long, low bureaus that consume a lot of floor space. His-and-hers armoires or a pair of highboys provide much more storage than a low-boy dresser. Even the humble nightstand offers an opportunity to serve a higher purpose. "If it only has one drawer, if it's raised on legs, you're giving space that could be captured for storage," she says.         The focal point of the bedroom should be the bed. In Leavitt's townhouse, the bed is positioned to provide a dramatic view, the first thing she sees when she climbs the stairs. The coverlet is a deep plum and green floral print, the only assertive color in the space. (It reverses to match the soft natural shade of the walls and rug.) And the headboard of natural cherry boards forms a lean grid. "It's a fairly spare piece, but the cutouts make it interesting," she says.         Cangin notes that the enormous master suites in may new, upscale homes call for equally grand beds. "Big estate beds with massive carvings can really carry it off in these very large rooms," she says. "They have a definite wow factor." One of her favorites is a reproduction of a bed from a 19th-century plantation in Natchez, Mississippi. Crafted from matched panels of crotch mahogany, the headboard stands more than 6 feet high.         Upscale mattresses are gaining as much respect as fine furnishings. Leavitt sleeps happily on a Tempur-Pedic, a Swedish mattress crafted from the same temperature-sensitive, pressure-relieving material developed by NASA to ease the stress of liftoff for astronauts. Cangin recently indulged in a Shifman mattress stuffed with cotton instead of foam. The box spring boasts the same eight-way, hand-tied springs as a high-end sofa. "And it's all wrapped in a layer of pashmina," she sighs. "It's quite dreamy."         Such opulence carries a high price tag. A top-of-the-line queen set retails for $3,349. "Think of it as a luxury car," Cangin says, "except you'll be enjoying it for a long, long time."
	MAIN LINE TODAY November 2002