From Storage to Style: 9 Bedroom Blunders & How to Solve Them

Redoing your bedroom? Keep an eye on these 10 common pitfalls to make sure your space has optimal calm

Katie Levell 5 September 2021

Houzz Contributor

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When you’re designing a new bedroom, it’s important to look at how the space, storage and design can help to create a calm, tranquil retreat. Before you start your planning, check out these nine common design clangers and find out how to prevent them from disturbing your sleep.

French Connection Home

1. The bed’s too large
Large beds are certainly luxurious and one could well be on your bedroom wish list, but make sure you check exactly how much space that super king is going to take up. A bed that looms too large in the room might cause footboards or posts to get in the way. Remember that you’ll probably need to fit other storage and seating furniture in the room as well.

How can you solve it? If you’re currently collecting bruises as you collide with the bed, you’ll need to carefully consider the size of your new bed. The passageways to either side of the bed should be comfortable to walk in without having to squeeze sideways, and the area at the end of the bed should also have plenty of room to move in, too. The key is to be realistic about the size of your room, and choose the largest bed that fits in proportion with the space.

Contemporary Bedroom Contemporary Bedroom

2. The space doesn’t flow
If there’s more than one of you sharing the bedroom, you will certainly know where your high-traffic areas are. If one of you is always hopping past while the other has the wardrobe door open, you probably need to rethink your space. Open doors and drawers are the most common culprits, but even large curtains bunching out into the small corridor between wall and bed can also make the space feel crowded.

How can you solve it? Think about the flow of walkways around the room, and whether it’s possible to ensure that these aren’t obstructed. You may decide to opt for sliding doors on your wardrobe like they’ve done here, or move more frequently accessed doors to a quieter corner spot.

Chris Snook

3. There isn’t enough clothes storage
When you’re planning your bedroom storage, you will probably have two conflicting requirements to reconcile. One is for a specific and attractive item of furniture to use as a wardrobe, and the other is creating enough storage space for all your clothes, shoes, bags or even hats. An elegant armoire might match the bed style perfectly, but it could lack capacity for all the items you’d realistically like it to house.

How can you solve it? Before you make an impulsive purchase, take the time to check the physical space of the clothing you need to store. Use a tape measure and note down the hanging space you need, and don’t forget to think through how you will store shoes as well.

Fitted wardrobes can solve a lot of storage problems, with hanging space, shelving and potentially even drawers. You can either get them made bespoke to the room, in which case you’d have the option to take them right up to the ceiling, or seek out some modular furniture that you can design and assemble yourself.

Now is a good time to talk to a decorator to make your bedroom a true sanctuary. Find a reviewed, local interiors expert on Houzz.

SxS Design & Build Ltd

4. You can never find a plug socket
A lack of electrical points is an extremely frustrating design flaw in many bedrooms, especially because most of us now have a significant number of gadgets that need frequent charging. The traditional double socket behind the bed was at one time sufficient, but now it can become overloaded with multi-plugs and sprout a messy tangle of leads.

How can you solve it? If you’re planning a renovation, make a list of all the gadgets you’ll be regularly plugging in and make sure you have enough electrical points for all of them.

Even if you are not planning a large-scale project, you could get advice from a qualified electrician on the viability of running a couple of extra sockets around the room. Anything that is adjacent to, or on the same wall as existing sockets shouldn’t be too complicated – it depends where your existing sockets are located. Remember, though, that once the wiring has been channelled in you will have to replaster and paint these sections, so you’ll need to factor some redecorating into the job as well.

Renata Boruch Photography

5. You’ve played it too safe
We might often shy away from bold design in the bedroom, as we want the space to feel calm and restful. However, it is possible to hold back too much. Any well-designed room will have some element of character, even if it’s the gentle kind.

How can you solve it? If you’re going to keep your walls white and the floor bare, make sure you introduce interest somewhere else in the room. This geometric carved headboard, together with the splashes of yellow and purple, all make a lovely statement in an otherwise simple room.

Wilding & Wolfe

6. Some areas haven’t been used
Many bedrooms have lots of seemingly useless nooks and crannies, especially if they’re located in the loft. The challenge for this type of bedroom is to recognise the opportunities for storage in awkward spaces below a sloping ceiling or beside a structural post.

How can you solve it? Take a closer look at an area of the room that at first glance seems unusable. Chances are you can fit some neat storage in. You could build in low-eaves storage, or have a fitted wardrobe slotted in with the doors cut on the diagonal to maximise space.

Make the most of a stud wall by creating some recessed shelving, as they’ve done here in this clever design where the cubbyhole shelf is fulfilling the function of a bedside table.

Black and Milk | Interior Design | London

7. The desk is cluttering the room
Often the bedroom will be the only space available in the home for a desk. However, an unattractive office area with work piled up is not the best recipe for relaxation.

How can you solve it? Your desk doesn’t have to clutter up your sleep space – choose a stylish design, like this one, that fits in with your bedroom’s scheme and provides plenty of storage for papers so that you can hide everything away at the end of the day.

Wickenden Hutley

8. The lighting is too stark
It’s very easy for bedrooms to end up looking stark and bare, with just one central ceiling light. Avoid the mistake of having only bright and generalised lighting in the bedroom, and aim for a cosy mood instead.

How can you solve it? Most bedrooms benefit from some bedside lamps, and maybe even a couple of wall lights or hidden LEDs. Wall lamps usually have to be planned and installed by an electrician, but it’s possible to find wall lights that can be plugged in to a socket. Opt for warm-toned light bulbs and LEDs in a bedroom space for a more restful feel.

Rendall & Wright

9. There’s nowhere to sit
Of course not every bedroom has the space for an extra piece of furniture, but having a spot to perch while getting dressed can be very handy.

How can you solve it? A neat armchair in the corner or a bench at the foot of the bed will provide great seating. An end-of-bed ottoman chest, like the one here, can also double up as storage.

Your turn
What do you love (and recommend) about your own bedroom? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.

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For inspiration, a look at how this French couple created clever spaces in their small apartment: France Houzz Tour: A Historical Apartment in Bordeaux Geared Up