The Case For The Corner Bed

Recently, we toured this adorable waterside cottage in Connecticut. Cottages, especially those that are quite old, often have quirky rooms that present design challenges for even the most seasoned decorator. (If you missed this wonderful cottage, you’ll find the tour here: Tour a Charming Connecticut Dream Cottage)

Adorable Waterside Connecticut Cottage

 

You’ll occasionally run into tricky situations, especially in bedrooms where it’s not uncommon to find slanted ceilings and dormer windows. The wonderful (much coveted by me) fireplace in this room added even more to the design challenge of the room. Plus, this room has not one, but two doors leading out to a fabulous two-story deck. Finding a spot for a full or queen-size bed would leave almost any decorator scratching her head.

Cottage Bedroom in Blue and White

 

I like where the bed ended up because it appears as you walk into the room, your view is either the one above or the one below. Over the years, I’ve discovered where you place the bed in a bedroom makes a huge difference in the overall feel and look of the room. It also has a tremendous influence on how the rest of the space in the room can be used.

In a perfect world, we would probably prefer the bed not be quite as close to the door on the right as it appears below. But, I noticed there’s still plenty enough room to open that door since it’s hinged on the right. Plus, there’s another door leading out to the deck, as well. I wonder if the second door was added later after the placement of the bed was decided. Either way, it all works!

Blue and White Cottage Bedroom

 

As you may have guessed by now, I’m a big fan of putting beds in corners. The original bed I had in my guest room was against the wall to the right. At that time, it was the only thing in the room. Once my son took that bed off to college for his first college apartment, I went in search of another bed for the room. I’ve always loved the old-fashioned brass beds so when I found this painted one while antiquing, I added it to the room. I gradually began filling in around it with no real design plan in mind. Sometimes when decorating a room, you just need a starting point and the bed is a good one for any bedroom.

Blue and White Guest Room

 

The trunk on the left was purchased at an auction back in 1981 and it eventually found its way to this room. As I began thinking about what pieces I wanted in this room, I realized everything worked better and allowed for more natural movement and flow of traffic if the bed was placed on an angle instead of against the right wall.

An aside: My general rule of thumb is I try to avoid placing a bed where upon entering a room you are looking directly into the side of the bed. That definitely ruled out placing it on the left wall where the trunk/dollhouse reside. Placing it on the right wall would have been okay since the view would have been a foot/side view of the bed (not directly into the side) but I discovered having the bed in the corner was much more pleasing to the eye.

A round side table for the bed fit in nicely with the angle of the bed. A comfy reading chair on angle in the other corner also worked great, the only negative being it left no room for its matching ottoman in front. In the end that actually worked out okay because I like how the ottoman looks at the foot of the bed where it makes a great place for guests to sit while putting on socks/shoes, or just a great spot for a suit case.

Blue and White Guest Room

 

The arrangement of the room left plenty of space for a dresser and a little upholstered seat/stool on the other side near the door. I definitely would not have put the bed on that wall because that would not have been a great look when walking into the room and it would have necessitated walking all the way around the bed to get to the closet.

Sorry about the dark picture below, it was taken with a much older camera. If at any point during the process when I was buying/adding furniture to the room, I had discovered the angled bed didn’t work, I could have always changed it. But somehow it continued working and in the end, it felt like this was the way it should have always been. Plus, this arrangement gave the room some much-needed personality.

Tea in Blue and White Bedroom

 

I went in search of some more “corner-angled-beds” and found some fun ones online to share. Wish we could see the rest of this room to see why this turned out to be the best placement for the bed. It appears you can still access the armoire behind it by walking behind the side table.

Bed on Angle In Corner of Bedroom

Source

Anita from the blog, Far Above Rubies placed a beautiful antique spool bed in the corner of one of her bedrooms. Notice how she filled in the area behind the bed with a plant. When putting a bed on an angle in a room, you can add something behind it or leave it open, whatever you prefer. I’ve had it both ways in my guest room and liked them both.

Spool Bed In Corner of Room

 

I never thought about placing a daybed in the corner of room, but this is really cute! I bet if we could see the rest of the room, the bed probably faces the doorway leading into the room. Love the sweet dollhouse peeking out from behind and the adorable tole chandelier. Darling little girl’s room!

Daybed On Angle In Corner of Room

 Pictures above and below are from Nicola’s

Here’s another example of placing a bed in the corner. It appears there may have even been room on the wall for the bed, so I think this may have been a deliberate design decision and not one made due to lack of space or the shape of the room.

Truthfully, the only way I’m ever able to determine where I really want a bed in a room is by dragging it over to the spots I’m considering to see how it looks. One weekend, many years ago, I moved the 4-poster bed in my master bedroom around, trying it in various corners of my bedroom. It looked terrible in all of them so back to the wall it went. My master bedroom is a “one-spot-only-for-the-bed” kind of bedroom, if you know what I mean. Do you have a bedroom like that, too?

Update: Another way to test the idea of placing your bed in the corner of a room is to measure the bed, then place masking or painters tape on the floor in the shape/footprint of the bed. That way you can see just how much space the bed would take up before actually moving it. You can do that with the other pieces of furniture in the room, as well.

Bed placed on angle in corner of room

 

Screens are a popular choice for decorating behind the corner-angled bed. This room would have felt so regimented and stale with the bed crammed up against the right wall. The corner placement of the bed with the screen behind it gives this room some personality and playfulness.

Decorate Behind Bed In Corner on Angle

Source

Here’s another challenging room with windows and openings everywhere. A corner placement works well here, too! I’ve often found, the rooms that give us the biggest headache and challenges are often the ones we love the most once we figure them out. They definitely end up being the rooms with the most personality!

Cottage Bed On Angle In Corner of RoomSource

 Do you have a bedroom with a corner bed placement? If so, did you place the bed there out of necessity or for better design of the room? How do  you like a corner placement for a bed? Is it something you would ever consider doing in your home?

 

Love a beautiful bedroom? You’ll find some gorgeous inspiration in this post: Dreaming of Beautiful Bed

Remember when we had some fun trying to figure out the purpose of having a chair bedside?  Do you know why it’s there?  Not to spoil the fun, you’ll find the answer in the comments of this post: The Mystery Chair

Bunny-Williams-Bedroom

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Comments

  1. Peggy Thal says

    I am a big fan of the angled bed. I looks great. I tried to do it in one of my bedrooms but it did not work out so well with a king size bed. Also, each bedroom has a large flat TV and did not work for TV watching. One of my friends even has her dining room table angled in the room. It looks great- I just need it straight to seat 12 people. It is fun to move furniture around!

    • My dining room is so tiny, there’s only way for the table to go…but that’s an interesting idea! Good point about the TV, that adds another angle in the design.

  2. Hi Susan. I too love placing the bed in the corner, however, I find that unless the room is large, it takes up too much floor space. Have you had this problem? How did you get around it?
    Valerie

    • My guest bedroom is actually pretty small, just 11 1/2 feet by 13 feet, but it worked on okay based on where the windows and closet were. I was able to get all the furniture I needed/wanted in there. Valerie, you may want to take some painter’s tape or masking tape and after measuring the bed, place tape on the floor to see what the footprint of the bed would be, to determine how much space it would take up. That might be easier than moving it. I think I’ll add that idea to the post.

  3. I think you’ve inspired me to try this….just have to have my honey agree to make the switch!

  4. Hi Susan,

    Thirty years ago, when I was married, I placed our queen brass bed in a corner. No one ever did that in those days. As I remember, I think I just liked the placement as it gave the room more interest. We had plenty of wall room, but I just liked it better. Also, in another home, when we had our first child, I placed the crib on an angle and loved it. It was a Jenny Lind and allowed my daughter to have a more interesting view. So I’m with you, LOVE angled beds. However, my present MBR has a bay window and placement doesn’t allow for it in this home.

    Love your blog and look forward to it every day.

    Trish

  5. Susan, I have 2 guest rooms with corner beds. One looks something like your guest room. The bed is a 4 poster. It opened up a room that I always though was just too lined up looking and always made the room look like a over fulll square room. The other room had the same problem, but I had all these asian deco items handed down from a missionary grandparent. I can really show off the pieces much easier. The oriental furniture is now noticed when one walks into the room.

    • What lovely items to display. I know they would be so proud to see you carrying for them now. I found that to be true, too Doris…how you notice things more when they are on an angle facing out into the room…great point!

  6. I have to tell you that I think all of the bedrooms in my house are “one spot” bed locations. Old houses did not have closets…so maybe there were more choices. But with windows, doors, and closets there are hard decisions. Our master closet is through the master bath…but there is still only one place for that big ole bed! It is a king size…but no matter for my room. Only one wall for any bed size.Ha!
    Sheila

  7. Yes, I do have a corner bed. It was really the only option in our old house Master Bedroom, and I didn’t know if I’d like it. Other than being hard to clean behind, I absolutely love the look! See it here: http://myplacetoyours.com/2014/02/the-master-suite-old-house-renovation-story.html

  8. Whoa…what IS it about beds today…I just ordered a new bed after thirty years!! It’s a canopy and…like many…it’s a “one spot only” room. franki

  9. I really like beds placed on an angle in the corner of a room; in some bedrooms that placement can really maximize the usable space. My sister and I recently updated our Mom’s house and, after painting her bedroom, repositioned the bed to the corner so that she could see the ocean out the window from the bed. It just made the most sense and ended up looking really good. It also provides unexpected space behind the bed for storage and display. Love the photos you shared. I’m originally from Connecticut so especially enjoyed the photos from there. ~Cheryl

  10. I love the angled bed! I have had our bed in the corner and it really looked much more dramatic that way. My only problem is I like a chilly room to sleep in and my side was ‘behind’ the air vents in the ceiling. I also felt just a little corned in by facing the wall when I turned over. Picky me!

  11. I love the look but, personally, I don’t think I could live with it. I’m one of those people who has to straighten every crooked hanging picture I see.

  12. I like angled beds too, and love the idea of a screen behind them (or a plant). Can’t do that in my bedroom, but I have angled my dining room table and it’s perfect like that. I really like the angled bed in the large room you posted, with the washboard walls. So airy and refreshing and relaxing too. Am giving my bedroom a bit of a new look and your post here today has inspired me to get at it even sooner! Thank you once again for your lovely and informative posts. (And I want to say am so sorry you lost your wonderful sister. I dread the day if my sisters go before I do.) xxoo

  13. Susan, I, too, like the look of an angled bed. The concept doesn’t work in any of our rooms though. Wish it did!
    Love the examples you’ve shown. Your guest room looks comfy and inviting!

  14. I too love the angled bed. But I see the spot in the corner as wasted space at that point. I put my brass bed in the corner, but first put a nite stand in the corner with a radio on it. I love listening to music when I go to bed, and with the brass headboard I found I could reach thru the headboard and turn the radio on, etc. loved all the pictures. Thanks for sharing. May go change my room around now.

  15. Sandra Speer says

    One reference to the chair by the bed is a story out of Ireland in which an ailing man has told his friend that he doesn’t know how to pray…the friend advises him to just talk to his maker as he would with a friend…to place a chair by his bed, in which his maker could sit, and to spend whatever time he needed to each day just “talking” with his friend. The story is expanded but the gist of it is that this is a “meditation chair”. I found this on http://www.moytura.com, “The Empty Chair”. Not too far from the suggestion that it is a chair for a visitor…

  16. Susan: I love angled furniture. In my dining room I have angled my dining table. I have two corner hutches and an old fashioned desk/bookshelf that I have placed a tea set and various glass bowls/dishes on the small shelves. I love the way you angled the bed in your guest room. I actually have the same bed in one of my bedrooms. At work I have angled a filing cabinet in my office……so yes I love to angle furniture too. Love your posts…..they are so up lifting.

  17. bobbi duncan says

    Hi, Susan. I love your guest bedroom design but, then, I better because ours is almost identical to it (chuckle). We’re still working on colors. Where you have the secretary, we have a lowboy with antiqued gold mirror above, and we have a highboy where you have your chair, tucked into an alcove that looks like it was made for the piece. A settee sits across from the footboard on the wall opposite the two windows. Seems I’ve had a corner bed in some room most of my life. My Mom and I designed my teenage bedroom, and she came up with the angled bed idea (it was 1963 and the first time I saw a bed placed like that, and I loved it). Mom was always moving furniture around to give our home a different prospective–never knew what I’d be coming home to lol! She really had an eye for design, which really helped me when I married and set up our home. I wanted to have that corner bed look for our master bedroom, too, but I think the room is just too long–I didn’t like how one wall was left with so much wall space. It also meant our two French chairs with table between couldn’t be placed in front of the window where they look the nicest. It’s so pleasing, after moving furniture all over the place, to finally get it just right for the lay-out you have to work with, isn’t it? Your house is beautiful–love every room!

  18. Linda S. in NE says

    Not many readers have mentioned turning other pieces of furniture at an angle. Several years ago my sister came for a visit, (from CA), and on a rainy dreary day she asked if I would mind if she moved a couple of pieces of furniture around. I said, “Knock yourself out”! Her only request was that I not peek until she was finished. When she called me to look at her handiwork, I was flabergasted. What a difference putting my couch at an angle made. She also angled a wingback chair and small table w/lamp to face the newly placed couch. With an area rug between the two, and my coffee table as well, it makes a lovely, comfortable seating area. Not content with all that change, she then placed my kitchen table at an angle. Wonderful changes,…wonderful sister.

  19. I like every example you showed us. Especially the one that is almost last with the tree in the corner. It is funny that you did this post: our new dining room is so tiny it is making us crazy. Just yesterday Joe was talking to me about moving the furniture around and even mentioned putting the table on an angle! We just may try that!

  20. I’ve had beds both ways and, appearance aside, it sure is easier to make the bed when it isn’t pushed up against a wall! This can often be the deal breaker when trying to get a kid to make (or even change the sheets on) a bed. It’s hard to make a bed if you have to actually climb on it it do so. Hooray for angling it!

  21. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Susan, I was so glad to see the picture of your guest room from that different angle. I’ve never seen that view so it was lovely to see that beautiful dresser and mirror. Gorgeous.

    And you mentioned Anita. If I’m not mistaken, that is the Anita with THE most AMAZING and beautiful voice. I’ve never heard anyone with her range! I looked up her video of, “Oh Holy Night,” on youtube and was gobsmacked. You need to see it. Absolutely stunning!

    That canopy dressed in blue and white is one of the most gorgeous beds I have ever seen. The blue is so soft and easy on the eye. The whole decor so inviting. I have you and that picture to thank for introducing me to Mario Buata – esque canopy bed designs.

    I am definitely willing to try a corner bed if the situation presents itself. I liked the way Anita softened the corner with the plant, and that day bed was adorable. I think it had a doll’s house behind it. I loved that white paneled room! That one would be fun to decorate.

    Hoping you’re having a wonderful day, Susan.

  22. I love angled furniture – in our last my dining room table was angled ( which allowed me to seat more people actually )
    I’ve had angled living rooms and bedrooms as well – sadly this house won’t accommodate angled beds at all !
    Beautiful photos Susan
    xoxo

  23. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    I just noticed how the curves in the mirror mimic the curves in your guest bed. 🙂

  24. Thank you Susan for featuring my bed!! I love that arrangement in your room! What a difference that can make. I am a big fan of everything on the angle and opened up my narrow living room space by putting my large couch on the angle. It really does open things up. Funny, because now that we have done some work in the bedroom the bed is not on the angle, and I’ve been thinking of putting it that way again!

  25. Hi Susan. I just loved this post! My bedroom has always been the achilles heel of our home and now, thanks to your post, I may have a solution. Thanks a bunch!

  26. virginia Holmes says

    I placed a chest and dresser at angle of each other, and it leaves a space in the corner of the room where I angled these two pieces. What can I use in this corner space to offset the height of the chest and add some interest to the room?

    • When I first placed the guest bed at an angle in my guest room, I had a tall faux tree standing behind it. That was back when faux plants were still being used a lot in decor. Actually, a real, tall plant/tree may have work there since that spot gets a fair amount of light. Anyway, I ended up removing the faux tree after a year or two.
      You don’t have to put anything behind the chest but one idea would be a really pretty/decorative folding screen. I’ve seen some folks place pedestals with plants atop them. You’d probably have to go with a faux plant unless the area gets a lot of sun.

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