By Jude Njoku

The bed which is the key piece of furniture in any bedroom is naturally the room’s focal point. Bedroom furniture is traditionally arranged according to a few general rules.

Writing on “arranging your bedroom in www.dummies.com   Katharine Kaye McMillan and Patricia Hart McMillan observed that “traditionally, many people place a double, queen-sized, or king-sized bed against the center of the wall opposite the main door to the room”.

According to them, with this arrangement, the headboard is the center of attention as you enter the room. “If the dimensions of your room prevent you from positioning your bed on the wall across from the door, other possible choices depend on which walls are long enough to accommodate the bed. Diagonal placement works well when you have the space”.

You should not place a bed under a window, if the window will frequently be open. Open windows can create uncomfortable drafts. Positioning a bed between two windows, however, works well.

If your home is air-conditioned and the windows are seldom open, you may be able to ignore this rule. Do not place the bed where it obstructs a door into the room or a walkway through the room.

You should consider nontraditional furniture arrangements if doing so will free up space or use space in a more interesting way.

For example, a bed may look dramatic placed in front of a secure window; on a diagonal, which takes up extra space; sideways along a wall, to maximise floor space.

If your closet is large enough and you want to free-up floor space, you should put your chest of drawers inside your walk-in closet. Doing this will let you add additional pieces of furniture, such as a writing desk, a seating group, or a big screen TV, to transform any bedroom into a luxury suite.

In the case of a master bedroom, you should note that it (master bedroom) does n’t have to be huge, but it must have the amenities you need. Assuming your space is less masterful, Katharine Kaye McMillan and Patricia Hart McMillan advised that you try out the following suggestions.

Make the bedroom look larger by eliminating clutter. You should endeavour to use only necessary furniture. If you can, push a chest of drawers into a walk-in closet to free up floor space. Keep the bed visually low.

Use a headboard, but don’t use a footboard, and opt for something other than a four-poster bed, all of which tend to take up space visually, making the room seem smaller.

Keep all your furniture like the rest of your colour scheme — light. Light colored furniture, walls, floors, window treatments, and bedding make a room seem bigger.

Regardless of the size of your master bedroom, you can make it as comfortable as possible by adding bedside tables that are as big as space will allow. If you read or watch TV in bed, you will find these tables helpful.

Endeavour to make room for at least one comfortable chair. Chairs are great for company on a sick day, for daytime resting, or for reading. You may wish to consider carpeting all bedroom floors to reduce noise in the room.