It’s moving day, and you can’t wait to sleep in your new bedroom! It’s freshly painted and just waiting for your furniture to complete the picture.
Finding the right place for all our furniture is a challenge we all face when making new nests. And you may not have noticed the new home’s quirks when putting your million-dollar signature on the dotted line. Did you pick up that the bedroom window was off-center?
Here are some of the best off-center window behind-bed ideas. Our aim is to have balance in the bedroom. You can disguise the asymmetry, trick the eyes with an illusion, or embrace the imbalance and make it a feature. Using cleverly positioned art or furniture can create a balanced room.
Sometimes placing your bed against a wall with an off-center window is unavoidable. But a few clever tricks can help create some balance. Your bedroom won’t solve its own décor problems, so let’s find out how to make it into your perfect haven.
Disguise The Off-Center Window
One way to hide the problem is to cover the entire wall with draperies or curtains. This could help to bring a pretty pattern and softer texture to the bedroom.
Using a luxurious fabric for the curtains will also create a glamorous vibe and distract one from the awkward window.
Of course, you might still want to get some natural light into the room. But when you open the curtains, pull them just to the edges of the window. This will create the impression that the window extends across the whole wall.
Exposing the window may cause the curtains to look unevenly opened. But only the astute would notice that the window is off-center.
Center The Bed Beneath The Window
Instead of placing the bed in the center of the wall, shift it to sit directly under the window. This won’t look odd if you add some extras to the empty space.
You can add extra furniture, wall hangings, or a standing lamp. Now the room’s bed and window side won’t look visually weightier than the other side.
To bulk up the empty side of the room, you could:
- Add a high chest of drawers, a chunky vase, and a tall arrangement.
- Include a standing lamp and comfy reading chair.
- Put up a tall L-shaped bookshelf, and perhaps add an ottoman.
- For a narrow room, put a small bedside table next to the bed. Add some art or photo frames above it on the wall.
Make The Wall Appear Narrower
If the wall is much wider on one side of the window, remove some of the open space. You can balance out the difference by putting in a built-in cabinet or bookshelf.
Doing a bit of simple math can help to balance the room nicely. Say there is a six-foot space on one side of the window and a four-foot on the other. Extend the cabinet or bookshelf two feet from the corner on the broader wall. Now you will have the same wall width on either side.
Embrace The Asymmetrical Design
Although many of us get twitchy when faced with asymmetry, you can also make it work in the room. Asymmetry can create a more informal, less fussy atmosphere with its flow and movement.
You can visually balance the room without centering the bed under the window. Arranging furniture and art in empty spaces will create this balance. The off-center window may even end up as the focus feature.
You could place the bed flush against the wall, with only part of the headboard under the window. Hanging art or photo frames above the bed and coordinating it with cushions and accessories will help balance the appearance.
A bedside cabinet with a lamp on the other side may be all that’s necessary to finish off the look.
Turn The Bed Sideways
If there’s a lovely view through your window, you preferably want to see it. If the bedroom is spacious enough, place the bed parallel to the window with the headboard against the other wall. This will create space in the middle of the room, but you can then enjoy the view from your bed.
You could add some soft furnishings to create some life in the room’s empty space. A chunky rug, a boho pouf for the floor, and a small sofa could do the trick.
Use The Windowsill As A Nightstand
If you position the bed parallel to the window, making the windowsill a feature could add charm to the room. It might make a quirky nightstand, or you could decorate it with plants or creative items.
Feng Shui And Beds Under The Window
Under feng shui guidelines, placing the bed under a window is not ideal. The window is more fragile and provides less security. The theory is that it could make the sleeper feel unsafe, especially if the bedroom is on the ground floor.
Sometimes placing the bed elsewhere in the room is impossible, and you must work with what you have. Choosing a sturdy headboard that is solidly attached to the bed is essential in this case. It will give you the support that the window wall does not provide.
The best feng shui headboards have no perforations or bars but are solid, sturdy, and supportive.
Covering the window entirely can help provide the support and reinforcement you need while sleeping. Curtains and blinds work well for this.
But choose window accessories that are easy to clean. The last thing you need in your peaceful private space is dust collecting in your sleeping area.
If the window is a safety risk, secure them with bars, locks, or other devices. Added security will give you a more restful sleep and optimize the feng shui. Alternatively, you could add an alarm to your home.
The Final Curtain
Off-center windows are probably designed to stretch those of us who struggle with asymmetry. But whatever the reason for their existence, sometimes our beds have to go beneath them. We can disguise the awkward window, accentuate the emptier side with other items, or have fun with the asymmetry.
Ultimately though, our bedrooms should be our private havens, where we can relax and let it all hang out. So, if asymmetry is not your thing, try using the feng shui principles to create a peaceful place to rest. Sleep tight!
