by Daniel B

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: November 28, 2011

Although it seems simple on the surface, furnishing a bedroom probably involves more choices than furnishing any other room in the house.

Some choices will be guided by the nature of the room itself. Is it large or small? Does it have closet space or not? How high is the ceiling? Where are the windows? Obviously, furniture must fit into the space.

Other choices will be guided by how the room is expected to be used. The simplest bedroom is, as its name implies, a room with a bed and nothing more. In fact, a bed can even be built into a wall between storage units, hidden behind louvered doors, in which case "bedroom" and "bed" are identical. But many bedrooms also serve as dressing rooms, libraries, play areas, home offices, and exercise spaces. The planned uses of the room will influence furnishings, as well as how they are arranged.

Finally, there are personal factors. Whose bedroom is it, and what sort of person are they? What's their personal style?

Arriving at a general idea of how the room should be may answer some questions about specific furnishing elements, but if not, each of these tends to present choices as well.

A bedroom, by nature, must include a bed, or at least something which approximates one. But beds and bed analogues are among the most diverse furnishing elements. Conventional come in numerous sizes and heights, and bunk beds, canopy beds or loft beds may also be options. There are also futons, sofa beds and day beds to consider. An infant's bedroom would probably include a crib, cradle or bassinet. A bedroom in the tropics with screened windows could contain a hammock without drawing too many stares, and several cultures sleep on padded mats on the floor. And some people can sleep comfortably on a conventional sofa or lounge chair.

So the first choice, of course, is what to sleep on.

Storage is probably of second importance. Many bedrooms have closets, but some don't. If extra linens or blankets are to be kept in the room, they have to go somewhere. That "somewhere" might be a closet, a chest of drawers, a steamer trunk or hope chest, a storage unit with shelves, or drawers or boxes that slide under the bed. If the bedroom is to be used as a dressing room, similar choices must be considered for storing clothes.

Other intended uses will determine most of the remaining furnishings. For a child's room, furniture should be arranged to provide room for playing if possible, and storage should be provided for toys and books. A student's room will likely feature a writing desk or computer desk, along with a chair and some shelves for books, as will a bedroom that also serves as a professional's home office.

Bibliophiles might put bookshelves along any conveniently empty walls, as was the case in the house where I grew up, and add a comfortable chair and reading lamp. Practitioners of yoga, tai chi, martial arts or dance might like to leave a large open area in the center of the room for use as a personal practice space, and perhaps put mirrors on one wall for checking their posture and positions.

Finally, personal style must be considered. The room should be to the liking of its occupant or occupants - neither too cluttered nor too sparse, neither too simple nor too ornate, neither too ascetic nor too opulent. This presents even more choices in fabrics, woods, colors, wall coverings, lighting, window treatments, and decorations.

So, furnishing a bedroom probably involves more choices than furnishing any other room in the house. Making all these choices may be time-consuming, but the result can be - forgive my pun - the room of your dreams!

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