Float Your Bed for a Great New Look
Step outside the box and get that bed away from the wall; your room will feel luxurious and balanced
I'm a freelance writer and design enthusiast who believes the best design is collected, not decorated, and that homes should always be as comfortable and functional as they are chic. In addition to writing for Houzz, I work as the Head Copywriter for Layla Grayce and Zinc Door.
I'm a freelance writer and design enthusiast who believes the best design... More »
When you’re determining your bedroom’s floor plan, it’s usually second nature to place the bed against a wall. It just seems to be its natural place, right? Well, perhaps it’s time to expand your thinking and consider floating the bed. “Floating” the bed is design code for placing it smack in the middle of the room and, though it seems contrary to typical layouts, it can actually have its benefits. With the bed in the center of the room, you may find the traffic flow of your space improves, or that you earn yourself a better view of the outdoors. Plus, you can’t beat the ease of making a bed when a wall doesn’t interfere. Check out these examples to see whether floating the bed will benefit your space.
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If your sloping ceilings and canopy frame aren’t seeing eye to eye, move the bed into the center. You’ll find the frame will fit much more appropriately and will create more of a visual equilibrium in the space.
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| A daybed has a similar width as a couch, so why not treat it like one in your bedroom’s layout? By floating this daybed, the room feels balanced and super chic. |
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| Had this designer pushed the bed against the wall, this footpath would have been interrupted. Floating the bed in the center keeps the footpath open and improves the flow of the space. |
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| Here’s another example where traffic flow benefitted by floating the bed, while also avoiding interference with the glass wall into the bathroom. |
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Help a floating bed feel more grounded by adding a headboard. It will give the bed a better sense of place.
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| This room has an incredible view, but the side window view would have been constricted with the bed against the wall. Floating it creates a great vantage point from the bed. |
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| Dying for extra storage but don’t know where to put it? Float the bed and add a console or some type of shelving behind it. It will provide that storage you were missing and will double as a headboard. |
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| Or, use a chest of drawers to act as your floating bed’s headboard. You'll likely have one in the bedroom anyway, so place it where it will maximize functionality. |
Another idea for a headboard on a floating bed is a larger wall partition. This helps to create more distinct areas, like a hallway for the closet space in this photo.
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Here’s another example where a floating bed with a wall partition acts as a separator between the closet and sleeping areas. Plus, the entrance to the room is not obstructed, creating an easy walkway.
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by Diego Bortolato
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| Make a long, narrow space clean and contemporary by floating the bed. The wall partition in this example lends the bed a sense of cozy privacy from the entrance. More: Float the Bed for a Loft-Style Look Browse more bedrooms |
Ideabook updated on Dec. 2, 2011.
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It does look cool and edgy to float the bed with the entrance to the room behind you, but I'd rather avoid any subconscious feeling of exposure when I'm settling in for the night!