Between sleeping, reading and, quite simply, relaxing, it’s likely you spend a lot of time in your bedroom. It makes sense, then, that you’ve also spent a significant amount of time turning it into your own personal oasis.
Now that you have your (sweet) dream bedding, wall decor and furniture, it’s time to take a serious look at how it’s all arranged.
Meet home stager-trainer, interior designer and Emmy Award-winning television host Cathy Hobbs. Here, she offers four simple layouts (think of them as your cheat sheets) for organizing a comfortable retreat.
Whether your bedroom is small, large or shared, read on to learn the four go-to designs for a practical and well-styled room.
A conventional bedroom layout is anchored by a bed with a nightstand on either side. Across from the foot of the bed, a dresser should be situated below a mirror.
Resist the temptation to add more furniture. You don’t need it.
“Some people buy two nightstands, the chest, the dresser, the mirror and a low table, but that becomes too much,” says Hobbs.
For a simple, clean design, stick to the golden rule:
One bed + two nightstands + dresser + mirror = success.
If your room has ample space, however, consider creating a lounge-like atmosphere.
“A cavernous room ideally lends itself to an opportunity to have a sleep zone and a lounge zone,” says Hobbs. “A lot of people use the lounge zone for reading, morning tea and relaxation in general.”
To create a separate space for daytime relaxation in your bedroom, situate two lounge chairs across from the foot of the bed with a side table in between them. If you have a particularly large amount of space to work with, consider a small sofa with a coffee table in front of it.
Keep the rest of the bedroom as you would in a conventional space, anchored by a bed between two nightstands. Rather than situating the dresser across from the foot of the bed, however, arrange it on a side wall with a mirror above it.
In tiny bedrooms, perhaps a child’s room or a guest room, it’s especially important to make use of the side walls and mirrors to open up the space.
“One space-saving technique is to put the bed against the wall, with a single nightstand,” says Hobbs. “Some people even use built-ins to create a captain’s bed or Murphy bed.”
Mirrors are particularly crucial in small bedrooms.
“Mirrors can act as windows, so as a stager, I use them to widen the room, especially if it doesn’t have a lot of windows or light,” says Hobbs. “You’ll definitely want to use the opportunity to have that reflective surface above a dresser.”
One handy technique: Hang vertical mirrors in a series to resemble windows.
The goal with a shared space should be to create separate “zones” so your children — or whoever else is sharing the bedroom — can feel as though they have an area of their own.
To do this, arrange two beds with a single nightstand in between. Allow for space against the wall for a bookshelf or built-in that each child can decorate and personalize to make it their own.
“This arrangement is a little more private than the option of just, say, bunk beds,” says Hobbs. “Each child has their own private side of the room, a good configuration for sharing.”
