When you’re designing a bedroom, there’s no piece of furniture more important than the bed.
“It’s everything,” said Jake Arnold, a British interior designer based in West Hollywood. “I always focus on what the finish, materials and proportions of the bed are before developing the rest of the space, because it dictates what happens with the night stands, the rug and the rest of the decorative items.”
So which bed to choose? That depends on the architecture of the room and your personal tastes, Mr. Arnold said. But he’s a firm believer that bigger is better, even in small spaces.
“If you have a tight space and want things to look a little more minimal and sophisticated, it’s nice to just fill most of the bed wall with the headboard,” he said. “I’ve had people use four-poster beds in tiny rooms, and it does make the space feel more dramatic.”
Just watch out for high footboards. “There’s nothing worse,” he noted, “than jumping on the bed and whacking your leg.”
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Should a bed be upholstered? Mr. Arnold frequently uses upholstered beds and headboards “so it’s really cozy and comfortable,” he said. “But I might use a wood bed frame in a more modern space.”
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How high should the mattress be? “Typically, the finished height for the mattress should range from 24 to 28 inches,” he said, especially if you plan to have a bench at the foot of the bed. But you can go much lower in a more casual room.
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What if the bed is so large that there’s not enough space left for a dresser? No problem, Mr. Arnold said: “You can add under-bed storage.”
Handmade Wood Bed Frame
Walnut- or ebony-finish bed by Chris Earl
From $2,500 at Parachute: 888-967-8832 or parachutehome.com
Ophelia Bed
Upholstered bed with headboard
From $1,749 at Rove Concepts: 800-705-6217 or roveconcepts.com
Low Fuji Attic Platform Bed
Bed available in numerous wood finishes with optional bedside shelf
From $525 at Get Laid Beds: 646-851-2943 or getlaidbeds.com
Anaise Cane Bed
Wood bed with woven-cane headboard
From $1,799 at Crate and Barrel: 800-967-6696 or crateandbarrel.com
19th C. French Iron Canopy Fabric Bed
Iron canopy bed with upholstered headboard inspired by 19th-century designs
From $2,495 at Restoration Hardware: 800-762-1005 or rh.com
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