How to Arrange Furniture in Your Bedroom: 13 Ideas to Maximize the Space Available

You can learn how to set up your bedroom to meet your needs. These ideas for primary, guest and children's bedrooms can inspire you.

In recent years, bedrooms have become multi-purpose rooms. They are playrooms for the kids, work from home nooks and TV spots, because everyone knows that beds are more comfortable than couches. Our bedrooms should be a haven of storage and (somehow) feel restful.

It can be difficult to figure out how to organize your bedroom furniture so that it serves all these purposes, regardless of the size of your room. With the help of smart design and home experts, we have come up with thirteen layouts that maximize space while promoting comfort.

1. Consult Feng Shui

Feng shui can be achieved by arranging furniture, but it is primarily something that you feel. The harmony will be felt immediately, and in the sleeping area this begins with your mattress. Your frame should be in "command position" with a headboard or wall behind it. There should also be room on both sides to move around and an open view of the front door. Create visual balance by using symmetrical items such as nightstands, lamps and pillows.

2. Vertical Space

Look up if your sleeping quarters seem tight. Anita Yokota, home therapist, says that small living is about maximizing vertical space. Installing attractive wall hooks that can be used for everything and hanging lights and plants from the ceiling are her go-to tricks. Choose furniture that can do double duty, such as a headboard or bed with shelves and drawers. You could also use bookshelves instead of nightstands. Designer Emilie Munroe suggests that if your bedroom doubles as an office you can "swap a small desk on the other side of the bed." It's stylish and functional.

3. Create Zones

Think in zones when arranging large bedroom furniture. Designer Linda Hayslett advises: "First, decide on the bed and then the way you'd like to use the other spaces." Do not limit yourself to just a seating area or reading nook. Why not make a home office or yoga area, or even a corner for crafts? It all depends on your lifestyle and goals. Yokota advises, "Design for your lifestyle." Each zone should have its own accessories, such as rugs and lighting. Munroe warns that "otherwise, they will feel like an afterthought". A color scheme that is consistent will unify the space.

4. Window Wall

The layout of the bedroom will often determine how you arrange your furniture. The best place for your bed may be on a window-filled wall, like in the bedroom shown above. Create "architecture" behind the bed: think columns of curtains with a large headboard to make the bed the focus. The right curtain will provide a barrier between you and the outside world while still letting in light.

5. Asymmetrical Furniture Positioning

No rule says that your bed has to be in the middle of the wall. Furniture arranged on one side can improve traffic flow in a bedroom and allow for more personalization. The asymmetrical arrangement gives a sense of spaciousness to this small bedroom. It also allows for more bold accents, such as the patterned headboard and the tasseled curtains. The symmetrical details in this arrangement, like the yellow lamps and nightstands keep it from appearing unbalanced.

6. Repurposed furniture

Mixing existing furniture with antiques or formal furnishings will give your bedroom a collected look. A gilded headboard and parlor chair are paired in this luxuriously decorated bedroom. An antique trunk can be used as a footboard, and a vintage dining table as a bedside. What's the takeaway? The takeaway? As long as the pieces are functional and pleasing to your eye, this arrangement will work.

7. Additional Seating Space

Make your bedroom a relaxing retreat by arranging furniture that includes comfortable chairs and benches. You have many options: tuck a chair with a floor lamp in a corner for a reading nook, or place a cushioned seat at the foot of the bed to remove and put on your shoes. Set up a pair skirted chairs next to a window for afternoon sun, and cover the footboard bench with a complementary fabric. Add a chair to fill space but only if you will actually use it.

8. Space Planning for Awkward Spaces

These standard bedroom features, such as windows, doorways and closets, can create an unnatural layout, making it difficult to arrange furniture. With a little creativity, you can make awkward layouts work, like this bedroom that has multiple windows and limited space on the walls. The clever homeowners maximized the space by placing two single beds next to a pair windows. One nightstand served both beds. These modern headboards are open, allowing natural light to stream through. The bamboo ladders help balance the height of the beds.

9. Don't forget the lighting

Lighting is important. Lamps, chandeliers and sconces are the jewels that make your furniture sparkle. Place a table either side of your bed and a light source, such as sconces mounted on the wall or lamps, if you have enough space. You don't have to stick to the traditional nightstands. In this peaceful space, homeowners flanked the upholstered bed with an oversized desk and a small dressing table that also doubled as a computer and a variety table. This maximized storage and functionality. A chandelier lights up the space and centers the room.

10. Use bunk beds

A smart arrangement of bedroom furniture is essential for small spaces. Bunk beds are stacked in this beachy, carefree bedroom to fit two people into a small area. These beds can be used for reading, napping or streaming. They are equipped with TVs and cage lights mounted on the wall on either end. Baskets under the lower bunk provide easy-accessible storage for clothes and gear. This is important in small spaces where kids or guests are present.

11. Head-to-Head beds

If you don't have the space for vertical bunks, place two twin beads side-by-side along a wall. This is a great solution for rooms with low or sloped roofs, such as bedrooms in attics. It maximizes the floor space available for activities and play. Choose two bed frames with tall, flat headboards that will create the illusion of wall. You can also separate them using a freestanding bookcase.

12. Create a window seat

Use the wall space under windows for a place to relax (or have a conversation). A banquette with cushions and pillows will provide both storage and seating, and balance out the empty corner next to the tall headboard. This side of the bedroom is a great place to hang out, thanks to the doors that lead outside. A plush rug in a color that matches the other fabrics helps define the space.

13. Double-Duty Room

Bedroom furniture can be arranged to accommodate both sleeping and playing. Imagine armoires filled with scrapbooking materials or library shelves stacked with worn-out books. The homeowner transformed her bedroom into a creative space by placing easels, art supplies and other items near the window and moving the bed on the other side of the room. The gap between the sleeping area, the sunlit studio, and the console table is filled with art pieces and empty frames.