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All the buzz in the interior design world about feng shui tips for a better bedroom layout may have you wondering: What is the big deal with bed placement? If you have ever slept in a small one-room apartment or in a small room with a million windows and doors, you know what the deal is.
However, you don’t have to give credence to feng shui principles to examine them and consider how they might be a practical solution for your bedroom layout woes. We have ten ideas for bed placement that may — or may not — gel with ancient design principles but can work for your space.
Looking for more bedroom layout ideas or inspiration? Check out these bedroom layouts and floor plans designed by real Spoak members, use Spoak’s design suite to play with these bedroom floor plan tips, or learn how to design a bedroom that looks as good as your magazine favorites.
Placing your bed where you can lie in it and see the entrance to the room is called the commanding position. The bed is kept out of the direct line of sight from the door. You want to see your entrance but not be sleeping with your feet facing the door. It’s also called the coffin position, but don’t let that scare you!
Stay out of direct view of the entrance and keep the foot of the bed from facing it by placing your bed diagonal to the doorway. Center the bed on the opposite wall of the door and a bit to the side to make a big impact.
When you can’t see the doorway from the head of the bed (or when you don’t really care if you do), place a mirror strategically on the wall opposite the door to reflect the entrance. Whether you’re concerned with the energy flow in your room or not, every small room can benefit from the enlarging and room-brightening effects of a mirror. Plus, it makes getting dressed in the morning easier — who said your home has to be the only one with perfect accessories?
Keeping your bed away from doors so that they all open easily with plenty of room to maneuver is a “rule” everyone agrees with. Sounds like a no-brainer, but many older homes and buildings have a series of small bedrooms with many doors.
A bed may contend with two closet doors, the bedroom door, your bathroom door, and a few windows. Installing a pocket door to replace a swinging door or hanging a curtain in front of the closet may be a solution to the doors-everywhere problem.
Putting the head of the bed in front of a window is not in line with feng shui principles, or anyone else’s for that matter, because windows don’t offer the structural support of a wall (metaphorically and literally.) The headboard can also block natural light during the day — sort of a design no-no.
You can try a low profile headboard against the windows that doesn’t disrupt the windows' view or natural light. Forgo the headboard altogether if you think it will look “off” and block that stream of sunlight that’s imperative for a good night’s sleep.
If having open windows with light pouring in over the bed bothers your sensibilities or your ability to sleep in, hang drapes that can be closed for privacy and room-darkening qualities. Drapes create the feeling of a wall behind your pillows.
Dramatic canopy beds were a hallmark of the Middle Ages. Take advantage of the extra warmth and privacy of 13th-century kings and queens without the drafty castles and rat problems.
Another option in a room with a couple of sets of windows on a wall is to set the bed position between windows. It allows a solid wall behind your headboard and a great canvas for supporting your bedroom design. If your windows are on a side wall, this makes it possible to keep your bed from being in direct line with your doorway.
Feng shui would dictate that you shouldn’t place the head of the bed against a wall that is shared with bathroom plumbing because draining the water could drain away positive energy and wealth. Beyond that, there are other reasons for avoiding this: This is a case of good feng shui and modern family living concerns lining up.
Having your bed against a bathroom wall may mean you’ll hear every drip or flush, even at night. Place your bed opposite walls you share with noisy spaces for a better night’s sleep. Hallways are often noisy as well, especially if you have a family, so try placing your bed on a wall adjacent to the hallway.
Centering your bed on a long stretch of solid wall (with no breaks for windows or doors) is a typical layout for homeowners. It allows for a solid headboard (symbolic of strength) to be backed against the wall and for art or decor over the bed to reinforce your bed as the room's focal point.
Make the most of this bedroom design idea by emphasizing symmetry for added visual weight. You have equal space on each side of the bed and equal room for a nightstand on either side to draw the eye to your focal point.
Off-center bed placement isn’t a faux pas; it just isn’t always as easy to figure out when the location of your windows and doors requires it.
You may have to get creative when deciding what furniture to place beside the bed. Try placing only one nightstand or small dresser on the side of the bed with the most wall space. Your desk could fit in this space perfectly and or you can opt for no bedside table in a smaller room.
If you don’t quite have enough wall space for your headboard on any wall but the wall that your bedroom door shares, you’d be overriding the best feng shui bed placement. However, if the point of your bedroom layout is to support your well-being, not stressing over furniture placement and accepting the space you have is a wise idea.
One way to bring the entrance into view from the head of the bed is to follow the same principle as tip number one. Place a mirror opposite the door to give you a view of it while having a solid wall to rest the bed against.
No one ever plans to put a bed (or baby) in the corner, crammed against a wall; it just happens in small bedrooms with awkward layouts. Good feng shui requires space on both sides of the bed for balance and harmony, so consider these hacks to balance the bed:
With a bed set diagonal in a corner, you may not have enough space for a piece of furniture on each side of the bed. Instead, try using small pedestal cocktail tables or slim floating shelves as nightstands. You now have space for two people to get in and out of bed. Additionally, there’s now an even distance between each side of the bed and the walls. (Yay, symmetry!)
If you leave your bed against the wall, try placing a mirror on this wall to open up your space. You won’t have to wake up feeling boxed in by a plain wall beside your face, and it will give your room the illusion of symmetry.
Practitioners of feng shui would warn you against undue feelings of pressure by having your bed under a sloped ceiling with beams or soffits, though you may love this type of sleeping nook. Enjoy that cozy vibe while doing what you can to create a sense of vertical space. If not for a bed, you might like it as a reading nook locale instead.
Connecting the angled slope of the ceiling with the wall by painting walls and ceilings the same color can alleviate any oppressiveness of the sloped ceiling. Try wallpapering up the side of the wall and continuing to paper over the ceiling. When you are finished, you’ll have the perfect jewel box of a bedroom.
Just like everything in interior design, rules are meant to work as suggestions — starting points for creativity. Consider what brings you joy and what brings you peace. A well-thought-out bedroom design with carefully placed furniture can promote restful sleep and well-being.
Sources: Feng Shui | National Geographic, Fengshui: Science vs. Pseudoscience | Ohio State University, Effects of Light on Circadian Rhythms | CDC, History of Canopy Beds | ThoughtCo
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