Want to turn your bedroom into a dreamy oasis? Believe it or not, it’s all about location, location, location. Don’t get us wrong: Plush pillows, silky smooth sheets, and a soft-but-supportive mattress will lay the foundation for a good night’s sleep, but where your bed is positioned can be the difference between a mere crash pad and a place you actually want to spend time in.
But while some rooms clue you in on where to place your furniture—for example, a fireplace is an excellent anchor for living room furniture—the bedroom is a little different. More times than not, it can feel like a big, blank box of mystery. So, really, where does the bed actually go? According to interior designers, symmetry is always your friend.
“In a primary bedroom, the move is always to center the bed as a statement in the space,” says Jennifer Wilson, who runs her eponymous design firm in Boston. “After all, it is by definition, a bedroom!” She typically likes to place the bed against the long stretch of blank wall or between two walls.
Speaking of windows, Wilson’s begging you not to make a “cringe-worthy” mistake by blocking a window with your bed frame. “Unless there is no other option available to you,” she counters. “We should always be seeking to invite and maximize natural light, not impede it.”
Plus, it can make a night in bed a little less restful. “Drafts, hardware, and morning light all interfere with sleep, and it limits your options for window treatments,” says Cathleen Gruver of Gruver Cooley in Northern Virginia.
Have a few walls to choose from? Let the room’s bones inform your placement. “We treat the bed itself as the focal point in a primary bedroom, which often means placing it on the wall opposite the best architectural moment,” says Stuart Pumpelly of Four Brothers Design + Build in Washington, D.C. “A fireplace, a window with a view, a run of paneled millwork. That way, the room reads as a composition the moment you walk in.”
Dorothy Parker agrees and stresses the importance of symmetry. According to the Durango, Colorado-based designer, there should be at least 24 inches of clearance between the wall and each side of the bed. In a perfect world, there’d also be 36 inches of space at the base of the bed.
“Ideally, I would include a bench or pair of two ottomans at the foot of a bed,” Wilson adds. “It introduces a seating element, which is functional to either sit down and put your shoes on, or throw clothes on as you plan your outfit for the day or change for something else.”
While designers almost always opt for symmetry, there is one exception: Children’s bedrooms. “You can absolutely place a bed along a wall or in a corner as you’re often striving to create multiple zones for the different activities that may take place in their space,” Wilson reasons. “Sleeping, playing, or a desk for doing homework as we are often trying to fit multiple aspects into a child’s room.”
Your bed might look best in the center of an empty wall, but Parker says it’s important that the rest of your decor follows suit. “Be sure to place your rug first, since that will help you visualize where the bed is going to go,” she says. Meanwhile, Gruver encourages you to play up the “calm and serenity” of a primary bedroom by having nightstands on each side of the bed. Add some great lamps and ta da: You’ll have personal quarters that are downright dreamy.
While most designers are all about finding a central, symmetrical spot, Pumpelly says there are some exceptions. “The real question is what the bed is facing,” he says. “We'll happily slide off-center or onto a shorter wall if the room rewards it.”
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance journalist who has over a decade of experience in print and digital media. She covers interior design and lifestyle content for a breadth of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Country Living, House Beautiful, Veranda, and more. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
