Emily's bedroom dilemma
Tue, 5 Jan 2010I mentionned in my post on Christmas Eve that Emily was looking for some help with her bedroom but that things were too nuts at the time for me to go through my vast photo stash. Well, things are slightly less nuts now so I thought I'd finally help her out. Here's what she wrote us: "Here's my dilemma...my bedroom is set up where the best place for the bed is in front of a window. The window is about the exact width of the bed. I would really like to have a headboard on my bed and drapes on the window, but I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to do that. I need ideas!! Could you possibly post a group of shots showcasing beds with headboards in front of windows?" I found quite a few images that should help provide a bit of inspiration. Personally I think headboards are overrated, especially in the case when the bed sits in front of a window which acts as a headboard. I think hanging flowy drapes and hooking them on each side frames a bed-in-a-window quite nicely and omits the need for a headboard. But that's just me. Or do nothing but stick your bed in place. As you'll see below, that works too.
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| Bolig Magasinet | design*sponge |
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| Turquoise | |
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| House of Pictures | Kishani Perera |
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| Michael Graydon | Michael Partenio |
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| Erin Martin | Eric Roth |
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| Mark Williams | Margaret Mulligan |
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| Jodi Macklin | Domino |
Speaking of bedrooms, a premium memory foam mattress is a great addition that will potentially deliver real benefits across your day-to-day life.
Reader Comments (22)
I like the idea of using an open metal bed frame in front of the window. It is sort of the best of both worlds you still have a form of headboard so you wouldn't feel as if you were going to slide out of bed and out the window and you dont have a solid "wall" in front of the window blocking all of that natural light that would otherwise come into the room.
Lots of great ideas here! I hope when Emily is done with her bedroom she will "reveal" to you to share!
I'm having the same dilemma--the perfect spot for the bed is in front of the window. The window doesn't bother me at all--as your pix show it can be beautiful. Unfortunately, I have a rad in front of my window. Advice--should I or shouldn't I put the bed there regardless?
p.s. this blog never disappoints! thank you!!!
I loved this post and I am so glad that I found your blog. I have an issue too! What are your thoughts on putting a king bed in between two windows and both sides covering some of the window. IS that a bad idea? I think the area would be perfect for a queen bed, but I have a king. Thanks.
I agree elaine.
LSB, I don't see why not (but if your radiators can get really hot keep a bit of distance because your bedding catching fire would suck). You could install a shelf over it (or put a sofa table over it) and use it to display items if you don't have a headboard. This could eliminate side tables too as you could prop a clock/books/small lamps on it.
Ashley, if the wall isn't too long then maybe hanging sheers along the whole wall and thicker drapes at the ends (like the Tracey Butler photo) would somewhat hide the fact that you are semi-blocking the windows.
Just as I was rearranging a guest room with a bed in front of a window, and wanting some inspiration, BAM. Can't say desiretoinspire doesn't deliver!!! Thanks!
The Tracy Butler bedroom was truly horrible. Awful. Yuk. Was this a joke?
This post makes me want to drag our bed across the floor and place it below the large windows! Just because I got so inspired (but what's new!). Happy new decade to you fabulous Kim & Jo! Ox, Mon
IDEAS: Since the bed and the window are the same size, Emily may want to purchase a basic white roll down blind or Roman shade (fairly good quality though) and screen print/paint a headboard on it (it can be faux wood, mural, artwork, a quote,or something simple like nail heads along the edges to make it look like an upholstered headboard) During the day you open it for light and at night it becomes a headboard. Just make sure the shade lays flat when open. Or for a more feminine option you can do a roman shade that is tiered (the kind that doesn't roll all the way up) and add chiffon ruffles or even tissue paper ruffles (you make them the same way you made flowers as a kid with the eraser of a pencil, but will look better if you cut tissue paper into circles instead of squares), so when closed (down) it is a ruffle headboard which is really high fashion right now.- This option will also work well if you fix the ruffles (in a multi-colored tissue paper) to a thin material and leave it down allowing light to stream through. Just some ideas from a former interior designer. Hope they help! BTW if you try any of these, please email me a photo, I would love to see how it comes out :)
Good Luck!
Where did the bed pictured in the Eric Roth and Tracey Butler picture come from? Love it! I'm currently looking for a fabric bed/headboard for our room. It will sit under a window, but it's a weird high window from the 50's. Not low enough to act like a headboad.
I used to sleep with my bed against a window and no headboard. I used to wake up with an ice cold head during the winter - probably not too healthy! I guess double-paned windows would help but we didn't have them. I would even sleep with a hooded sweatshirt!
Thanks for all the inspiration. I think I have a good idea of how to work it now.
Imagine waking up every morning as the sun comes up (which you would have to do if sleeping under the window). How refreshing! I love the idea, thanks for some seriously inspiring and inviting photos.
What an awesome stash of photos. THANK YOU!
Curtains never did it for me. There was the crawling up onto the pillows to open or close them, and the dust factor bothered me. The Coop drama -- oh, that is nice! A bold dark print and a seriously contrasting shade gives you light control AND a wonderful focal point. There's something to be said for going asymmetrical -- even highlighting the move with a narrow highboy -- or some other unforgiving bit of furniture -- that takes over some of the window space. For that, you would sweep the curtains to the other side, and let them dangle behind the headboard. An anchoring art piece on the bed-side wall would help balance the whole thing.
Otherwise, you have to go pretty, get a 5-foot curly iron bedstead, double up on the gauzy curtains and hang a chandelier. What else could you do!?
Ashley: Can you continue the line of the bed with side tables? Make it one straight, dramatic line across the wall?
I love Michael Graydon's photo. I live in a Victorian terrace house in the UK and I never thought about putting my bed in front of the windows. Thanks for sharing this inspiring picture and thank you for all your lovely posts. I really enjoy your blog. MB
The downside is that windows can be drafty (I live in a cold climate, so for me this is an issue). Also, do you like to sit up in bed to read? If so, leaning back against a window isn't very comfy. A headboard would really help, even if it does block a bit of light.
Awesome stash of photos :) Good luck Emily!
gorgeous! we can enjoy many peaceful sleeps here!
These pictures are great but all the windows are in the middle of the wall so that the bed can also be centered in the middle of the wall. My problem is our bedroom has two closet doors and a door to the bathroom on one wall, a door to the hall way and a door to the sitting room on another wall, a door the porch and a window and radiator on another wall and the only reasonable place for a bed is the fourth wall and it has a window but it's not centered on the wall - it is on the right side and you can't put the bed in the corner as there is a radiator (huge) on the other wall. Any help at all! We are thinking an iron bed centered on the wall and part of it will have to be in front of the window. Or a very low platform bed that will cover the window a little.
Help.
What I think of as a solution is purchase a blind since the window is of the same size as Emily's bed. Well, it surely is not a big deal for me if I have my bed placed in front of the window. Not unless I work in the evening and need to get some sleep at daytime, the light will affect my quality of sleep.
Jenny T