Since beds are the focal point in most bedrooms, it’s essential to put a lot of thought into staging a bed when you’re trying to sell your home.
When making a bed for staging purposes, the main objective is to create a clean, comfortable, and luxurious space where buyers will feel invited to relax and imagine themselves having a restful night’s sleep.
Use the following guidelines to explore your options and find the best staging solution for your room and bedding.
These tips will help you show potential buyers just how restful and luxurious your bedroom can be.
Staging a Bed
When you’re trying to sell your house, making a beautiful bed is probably pretty low on your list of priorities.
However, staging a bed well is essential for listing photos and showing the home.
When staging the bedroom, especially the focal point, the goal is to entice buyers to linger and absorb the comfort and luxury the room exudes.
The first and most important thing you should do is replace worn-out bedding with linens in soft, neutral colors.
If you need to get new ones, a “bed in a bag” set offers a quick and affordable option. These sets can be found online and in most department stores. They come complete with most of the bed-making essentials you’ll need, including sheets, a bed skirt, a comforter, pillow shams, and sometimes decorative pillows.
Since it’s a coordinated set, it takes the guesswork out of putting together colors and patterns on your own.
What You’ll Need to Stage a Bed
Whether looking at “bed in a bag” sets or going through your own linens, you can use the following list to ensure you have everything you need to make a luxurious bed.
- One fitted sheet
- One flat sheet
- Pillows (two king for a king-size bed, two standard for full and queen-size beds, or one standard pillow for a twin-size bed)
- Standard/Euro-style square pillows with shams (three for a king-size bed, two for full and queen-size beds, or one for a twin-size bed)
- An odd number of assorted decorative pillows in a variety of shapes and sizes
- One blanket or bedspread (optional)
- One plush comforter
- One duvet cover for the comforter (white, ivory, grey, green, blue, or any soft neutral color)
- One throw, shawl, or coverlet for the end of the bed (Learn how to place a throw on a bed here)
- One bed skirt
The Process of Staging a Bed
Follow this simple seven-step process to make a perfect bed for staging.
- Get a simple, tailored bed skirt with clean lines. Iron it and place it on the bed.
- Put the fitted sheet on the mattress as usual.
- Next, put the flat sheet face-down and tuck in the sides, leaving a couple of feet untucked near the head of the bed.
- Spread the bedspread or blanket (if using one) across the bed, leaving a one-foot space between the top edge and the headboard. Fold the flat sheet back across the top of this blanket.
- Fold the comforter in thirds and spread it across the bottom of the bed. Alternatively, if you’re not using a blanket or bedspread, you can place a duvet-covered comforter as the blanket in step four above.
- Next, place the pillows in the proper order:
- Euro-style pillows in the back, against the headboard
- Standard pillows next
- 1 to 3 decorative throw pillows in the front
- Lastly, drape a throw, shawl, or coverlet across the foot of the bed to add some extra color or contrast. Remember to choose a color and texture that complements the room – these accessories are meant to enhance the space, not steal the show.
Quick Tips for Staging a Bed
Follow the three quick tips below to complete your perfect bed staging.
Tip 1: Choose a Color
Like a canvas provides a base for a painting, the bed can be considered the canvas of the bedroom.
Classic white is the cleanest and most luxurious base color for a staged bed. It feels clean and elegant and allows you to build on the look by adding whatever additional colors you like.
With white as a base, you can add layers of color and texture using throws and pillows.
If you’re not sure which colors to add to your bed to complement the room’s interior, choose something like a rug or an art print in the room and use it as color inspiration.
You can also look at color palette pairs from interior design trends. Industrial, bohemian, and contemporary are among the top style trends in America.
For your reference, here are some examples of color combinations for each:
- Industrial: White, gray, rust
- Bohemian: White, sage, terracotta
- Contemporary: White, black, tan
Earth tones are a classic and timeless option that appeals to most buyers. Look for soft neutral colors like green, gray, brown, and blue.
Tip 2: Build the Base and Headboard
Another good staging tip for the bed is to build an attractive base and headboard.
If the bed is the room’s canvas, the base and headboard can be considered the frame.
If you have a plain wood or metal mattress platform, you’ll want to soften the look with a bed frame wrap or a bed skirt. Either option will give the bed a more polished look and help hide storage stowed underneath.
A bed skirt is a traditional essential, while a bed frame wrap has a more contemporary appearance.
When selecting a headboard for your staged bed, consider the following options:
- Patterned: Patterned headboards are a popular and elegant choice that can inject personality into any space.
- Fabric: Upholstered headboards are another popular option that suits most bedrooms. Go modern with a gray or navy linen headboard, or give the bed a retro aesthetic with a vibrant velvet headboard.
- Cane or rattan: The boho look is very trendy, and if that’s the look you’re going for, try using organic material like cane or rattan for your bed frame.
- Canopy: A canopy bed frame is an excellent way to elevate the bed in any large bedroom. Not only does it look luxurious, but it draws the eye up to visually enhance the height of the ceiling.
- Metal: If vintage or industrial is the aesthetic of your room, consider a metal bed frame with detail.
While the headboard is an essential detail you won’t want to overlook, a new one can be pricey.
If you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, you can create a headboard-style illusion with shelving or artwork. Here are some additional money-saving alternatives to consider:
- Hang a tapestry or curtains behind the bed on either side
- Hang one large art piece or a set of three matching pictures above the bed
- Use shiplap or wallpaper to create an accent wall behind the bed
- Hang decorative floating shelves over the bed
Tip 3: Create Layers
Creating layers on your staged bed is crucial. Layers add interest, aesthetic appeal, and an extra element of comfort to any sized bed. Even if you’re staging a twin bed, it should look large and accommodating; layers can help achieve that.
Rows of pillows, a sheet folded over a bedspread, and a casual throw are all elements that add a level of sophistication to any bedroom design. Layering evokes a luxurious feeling where the bed would fall flat without it.
