what to do with a window behind the bed?

This post is for my sister. Hey, Tara! She wants to rearrange her bedroom, and moving the bed will gain her a ton of floor space, but she's leery of moving it to the only other place it can go in the room—directly in front of a window. While at first glance this move seems like it'd be a negative (less light, headboard awkwardly covering up half a window), I assured her that it could be a real asset (who really wants more light in a bedroom anyway? and this could be a chance to create a great focal point in the room).

bhg

I've seen the window-behind-the-bed handled in so many wonderful ways. And one of my favorite ways to treat it is to cover the wall, in part or in whole, with curtains, creating a lovely soft backdrop and disguising the window in full, or just in part. I love these ideas below.

pinterest


bower power

red element design studio


But she could leave the window open too, and let the light in. The window in her room is pretty much centered on the wall, so there's no reason it could not be left exposed with the bed centered on it and the window dressed up with some curtains.

via little green notebook

jeff andrews

isabella & max rooms

lonny

domino

the lettered cottage

And sheers are a great way to both cover and let the light in.

design*sponge

I'll keep you posted on what she decides. Have you done this in a bedroom—or seen it done well?

9 comments

Unknown said...

Great plan Casey! I hope your sister goes for it as I have seen it done and even though it is not the intuitive thing to do, it works.

Cathy

Jen said...

My husband and I have been contemplating the exact same thing for our master bedroom. I love the images you provided! I think if we do it, we will go for some heavy curtains on each side of the windows that hit right at the edge of our king size bed (its a tri-window). :)

Jen
www.1creativemomma.blogspot.com

Ashley said...

There's nothing wrong with breaking rules every now and then, and I say the "don't block a window" rule to be one that should be broken! I love all of the pictures you've offered Casey, and still love the DIY folding screen Jenny used as a headboard/in front of an awkward window in her former home:

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/02/diy-folding-screen.html

Samantha said...

We did this recently in our bedroom, inspired in part by Nick Olson's room in House Beautiful. We like it.

Some semi-lousy photos here:

http://bromeliadliving.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-diy-partial-tentative-bedroom.html

The Vintique Object said...

Great post, Casey! I really want to do this in our bedroom, but in the Bay Area, no one has air conditioning. So we need to have the windows open in the summer time. My issue is with finding a headboard that will keep the pillows off of the window but still let air circulate.
Camille

Karen said...

Love the idea of a wall of panels, but if that's too expensive a great patterned drapery would make a nice focal point.

Carrie Garvin said...

Love the pictures!!! We have our bed partly under a window- it's worked out well.

I LOVE the blue bedspread shown in the picture with the glass doors. Wow!

Holly Gruszka said...

I love the idea and would do it in our room. All of these images are gorgeous - I think your sister has to be on board now with how great it could look. I think my favorite look is with the curtains as the back drop - knowing that you could close or open for more/less light is a nice option.

René said...

I read this yesterday & was pulled away before leaving a comment. Thank you for this. I am constantly looking for images for beds in front of windows and many of these I have never seen. Upholstered headboards work better here I think - darn-it, I have a four post bed :(