What if you turned your bedroom into a full on relaxation-oriented sleep zone where you could wind down, escape from day-to-day stressors, and efficiently recharge your batteries. It’s important to set yourself up for success, especially when it can mean the difference between a full night of sleep and another day ruined with lethargy. Let’s break down your bedroom and build it back up again! Like Gordon Ramsey fixing a nightmare restaurant, you can change not only how yours looks, but how it feels and functions.
It’s not just a blueprint, though, it’s about understanding how the tetris pieces can fit together. How should a bedroom be set up? We’ll show you!
Step 1: The Focal Point
First off, it’s called the bedroom. Bed. Room. If you can’t find your bed beneath your piles of clothes, you’re probably doing it all wrong. The bed is the centerpiece, and like a vase of flowers on the kitchen table, it should be attractive, fresh, and good-smelling. These bedroom arrangement tips will set you straight.
When designing your bedroom furniture layout, you should always consider the placement of your bed first. Not only is it the main focal point of the entire space, it’ll likely be the largest piece of furniture you’ll have in there and what you use most often. It’s the stage on which you’ll live your dreams!
It’s most common to place the bed opposite the largest wall without windows, so start with that as a first choice, but other options aren’t wrong. If it feels right to put your bed against the window, try it! It might just be perfect. But what factors affect this placement?
– Consider the shape of your room and where the paths naturally wind so as to not obstruct the walkways or restrict your movement once your bed is placed. You don’t want to bump your shins into things every time you go from the window to the dresser.
– Air flows best around a bed that isn’t up against a wall and it’s easier to make your bed (you really should make your bed) when you can access both sides of it.
– Having a line of sight from to the room’s entrance when you’re lying in bed will help put your subconscious at ease. This is referred to in Feng Shui as the “command position”. It’s natural to want to see what’s on the other side of a doorway.
Now, remember — this is your room and it’s important to make the best use of the space you have, so consider how the layout can work for you. These are tips for how to arrange a bedroom, not rules (and if they were rules, they’d be meant for breaking anyway).
And if you’re wondering if it’s bad to sleep with your feet facing the door? It’s called the “coffin position” for Pete’s sake! Don’t do that!
Step 1.5: Treat Yourself to Comfort
Invest in a mattress that’s right for you. You can research online all you want but you’re going to have to sleep it out to know if it’s really the one. Don’t be afraid to ask friends for suggestions. People who have a mattress they love will take the opportunity to rave about it because shopping for mattresses stinks and they’ll want to be the bearer of good news. If you find a mattress that looks great with a money back guarantee, test it out and see how it works. Just make sure you return an underperforming mattress before those trial days are up!
Step 2: Declutter for Calm
Now that the bed’s placed you can lay out the rest of the room. But before you learn how to arrange bedroom furniture it’s important to fight back clutter so you don’t get overwhelmed by stuff when you’re in your wind down zone. You don’t have to Marie Kondo your whole room, just cut down a little until you’re left with the things that help you sleep well. Let the space calm you. Furniture arrangement doesn’t have to be a battle, it can be intuitive and rewarding. Try to limit the amount of furniture in the bedroom because you want it to be peaceful and relaxing and not overbearing; this is where you sleep, not work!
The basics:
– Nightstands on both sides of your bed are ideal, as they can hold lamps, a book, melatonin, and/or photo of your favorite pet. Keep your bed designated for sleeping by avoiding work-related junk nearby and try to use two nightstands to maintain symmetry, which is easier on your overloaded brain.
– If you have the space for it, use a dresser to keep clothes organized in addition to a closet (each drawer gets a garment type, don’t get lazy with the laundry) and if you’re a TV-in-bed-watcher, though it does harm your sleep cycle, you’ll have a place for the monitor to sit, as well as other trinkets and decor. Dressers are great because you can use compartments to keep clutter down inside of each drawer. Optimize!
– If you need to keep things hidden, get a bed with ample space underneath and organized storage bins. If you like having books in the room, consider shelves towards the top of the walls so you have things within reach, but they don’t clutter the limited space of your room. Traditional bookshelves in a bedroom can look cluttered where single shelves across the length of a wall look refined and neat.
Step 3. Set the Tone of Your Room
You can keep your room airy and fresh without being too mystical about it. Simple changes in colors, textures, and lighting all make drastic differences in how a room feels. Think about fluorescent supermarket lights and stainless steel countertops… not super inviting for sleep, huh? Break down these nuances into bite-sized tidbits and you’ll arrive at sleep city in no time.
– Color Theory — A Primer
Your bedroom should have colors that help you relax — it’s the only room you need to design for sleeping in (right?)!
Cool colors (blues, greens, grays) help reduce your heart rate, lower blood pressure, and slow respiration. On the other hand, warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and deepen your respiration, making it difficult to relax.
That isn’t to say you can’t have bright and exciting colors in your bedroom, but it does mean that you should lean toward cool colors as your primary tones! If you use pastels and neutral tones, it’s easier to change the art and decor of your room over time without clashing. Leave those poppin’ colors for accents, like pillows and rugs details.
– Nuanced Lighting
In the most basic way, light keeps your body awake, darkness prepares it for sleep. Your sleep cycle is already being interrupted with lots of light emitting from electronic devices (and, you know, the sun), but you can control the lighting in your room. Use low light for nighttime instead of overhead lights. Sconces, floor lamps, nightstand table lamps, and other low-light options can help the mood. Give yourself the ability to shift from your room to night mode. Leave the blue spectrum behind and go for those low-wattage warm golds and yellows.
– Nice Textures
Different textures break up space in a room without having to create physical barriers. Texture transforms light — rough and coarse textures reflect less light and create shadows and warmth, so adding knotted pillows, a high-pile rug, or even just a textured blanket help make a room more inviting. And don’t forget a good rug (tucked 1/3rd under) at the foot of your bed so your feet don’t have to hit a cold floor first thing in the morning.
And there you have it! With a few simple steps you can optimize your bedroom furniture layout. Now when you ask yourself “how do I arrange bedroom furniture in a small bedroom?”… Hey! You know the answer! Re-position your bed, declutter your sleep zone, and treat yourself like the king/queen/full you are!
