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Our Expert Rules For Putting A Bed In Front Of A Window
Usually, when a bed is placed in front of a window, it’s because that was well, the only logical option. And while it’s usually not the most ideal placement because it can cause some headboard limitations, window treatment trickiness, etc., it doesn’t mean it can’t look awesome. Actually, I am currently helping two dear friends put together their new room, and placing the bed in front of the window was our only choice. This means I have been thinking about this whole “bed in front of a window” topic A TON, and figured I might as well put it to use and write a whole post about the things to think about and some general rules of thumb.
I broke it down into different types of window situations – a standard window, a floor-to-ceiling window, an off-centered window, flanking windows that are too close together, and finally, an elevated height window. Let’s get into it…
The “Standard” Height Window
“Standard” is likely is subjective term with new build codes vs older homes that are all different, but it’s a window that has a decent amount of wall above and below it (but is too low for a headboard to sit under it), sits in the center of the wall, and requires you to really think about the height of your headboard to make sure you don’t block all of your precious light.
What Emily did in her old LA primary bedroom was pretty perfect. She chose a low spindle bed, which lets all the pretty light through (and as you know, she wants ALL the pretty light, all the time). But if you want an upholstered bedframe, that’s ok too! But here’s our rules of thumb for this situation:
- Don’t cover more than the bottom third of the window, even better if it only blocks the bottom quarter.
- The standard height for the low headboard is 14 to 24 inches, measuring from the top of the mattress.
Of course, every window is different, so the ideal measurements will likely vary for each of you. Another thing to consider is if your window doesn’t actually bring in a ton of light, like in my friend’s place. We went a little higher (covering about a third of the window) since there’s not a ton of light that comes in, and they want it to feel really cozy and almost cave-like. It’s your home, so design it to work for how you want to really live!
I wanted to add this example because it was a really fun and creative way to frame the window without blocking it…all you need is a custom bed. Easy breezy:)
The Floor-to-Ceiling Window
Tall ceilings with tall windows obviously give you some more headboard height flexibility. However, with big windows like that, they are naturally the center of attention! So you also probably don’t want to block a ton of it with a really tall headboard. I would still consider keeping the headboard height to the bottom third. It will make your room feel taller, too!
HOT TIP: If you love the look of drapes behind your bed, make sure you have enough to pull your bed out from the wall to give those curtains some room to open and close easily. You’ll both be happier.
The Off-Center Window
Ah, yes. The dreaded off-center window. Why not make designing a little more challenging, right? I actually had the pleasure of designing the bedroom above for my other friends/neighbors, and the off-center window was tricky to deal with. If you look, the windows are fairly low to the ground, so covering at least part of the window was unavoidable. But what worked about this setup was that the headboard only blocked the bottom third, and since we had a double window situation, the second window let in a lot more light. Had it just been that single window behind the bed, I would have chosen a lower headboard since they loved all the natural light.
If you want more ideas to deal with off-center windows, Arlyn wrote this great post!
But then here is another off-center, but smaller window, with a tall headboard. But here, the shape of the headboard is what really makes it work. The side that’s over the window is slanted, so it blocks less of the window. It looks so intentional and whimsical, but then again, this is a Pierce & Ward design, so of course it’s incredibly special:) But luckily, more and more unique headboards like this are coming onto the market. Have you seen this one by Jeremiah Brent yet??
The Overlapping “Framing” Windows
The more windows, the better, right? Well, if your bedroom requires you to place your bed between two slightly oversized ones, there’s just more to consider in the headboard department. First off, it depends on how much a headboard would overlap them. Maybe it’s no big deal, and drapes would cover just as much as a headboard would, width-wise. If that’s the case, the height doesn’t matter! However, if you’re headboard is wider, you have a couple of options:
- Choose a low-height headboard…easy.
- Choose a headboard with a shape that comes in on the side (ie, arches, pyramids, etc.)
This is a slight example of choosing a non-rectangular shape. Even that little curve cutout gives the illusion of a less bulky headboard and lets in a teeny bit more light. Hey, every little bit counts. It’s all in the details.
Or remember Em’s custom bed she designed for the farmhouse guest room? She purposely chose an arch to get the height she wanted, but without blocking the windows on either side too much.
But maybe you just want to go for a spindle. The way Reath Design played with the bedframe scale is really fun, and the headboard could be as tall as they wanted because so much light comes through those metal poles.
Another option, if you have enough space, is to more or less ignore the space in between the windows entirely and go more “dramatic” with a long, low headboard that spans both windows. Always make sure you’re not blocking the majority of the window, and you’ll have a stunning statement bed. But again, pull that bed far enough away from the window wall to give room for any window treatments.
The Slightly Elevated Window
Lastly, we have the “high off the ground” window. This can be the best of all the situations because you might not need to block your window at all. Above, Brady DIY an incredible headboard so that it could perfectly sit under his window while also spanning the width of the wall. It’s so good.
Something to consider, though, are your window treatments with this kind of look. A Roman shade is likely the move. Given where his bathroom door is, he couldn’t have brought his bed forward enough for drapes. It’s perfect as is, but it’s also a reminder that a pretty roman shade is a great option when beds are in front of windows. I think that’s what my friends are going to do…because I said so:)
My last example is a really awesome one that was recently published in Domino. I love this bedroom and love how they made a wall of drapes to make it feel more custom (this home is a rental). I also love the super low headboard that hardly comes above the room’s window sills. It gives the maximum amount of light and undoubtedly makes the room feel even taller. Plus, let’s be honest, I’m sure once the summer hits, there’s an AC unit in one of those windows, so this lower headboard is ideal for having the space for that. Nothing like that sweet NYC no-central air living:)
This is where I leave you. Hope this was helpful. Hope this makes you even excited to have to put your bed in front of a window. And if you have any questions, just comment below.
Love you, mean it.
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Veronica Crawford | From: Our Bedroom Update (Also How I Feel About Having A TV In The Bedroom)
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