Design Psychology: Beds and Emotional Well-Being

The bed represents the beginning and ending of life. In the past, people were conceived, born, and died in the same bed. You spend more time in your bed than on any other piece of furniture. Design Psychology offers new bedroom makeover ideas concerning your bed for supporting your emotional well-being.

Bed Placement for Secure Feelings

Position the headboard directly opposite the doorway up against a wall. This creates the visual expansion of the room and underscores the bed's importance. As the main attraction, the bed represents the focal point of the room.

A greater reason to place the bed so that it faces the doorway is for a feeling of security. People feel safe with a clear view of the door. With the door behind your vision, you feel like someone can sneak up behind you. However, some bedrooms with a separate entry space coming into the main area present a dilemma; positioning a mirror in a way that reflects the blind spot corrects this problem. Convex mirrors, those that curves or bulge outward, help you to see down the hallway.

Beds and Enclosure

Totally enclosed beds, those with full canopies of voluptuous fabrics, sustain the comforting feeling of a personal sanctuary. Canopies and testers, originally hung to protect sleepers from drafts, give a secure sense of enclosure. Partial canopies or beds with both headboards and footboards provide a suggestion of enclosure. Partially enclosed beds allow views of the room. A footboard adds a semi enclosed womb-like feeling of comfort.

Some sleepers feel most comfortable with a barrier-free bed with nothing to clutter the end space. Decide what makes you feel secure, a peaceful, expansive bed without enclosure, a semi-enclosure with a bare framework, or total enclosure with abundant fabric on all sides.

Padded headboards, easy to assemble and more comfortable than the more expensive brass, iron, or wood headboards, offer great support for reading. Construct a marvelous and unusual headboard with an antique oversized fireplace surround. Fabricate a padded insert for the fireplace opening space.

A bed footrest, love seat, or padded old chest at the foot of the bed offers more functions than a footboard.

Bed Dressings

Black sheets not only look seductive, they also help keep the morning light from disturbing sleep. Because forest green evokes feelings of deep serenity, this color is another good choice for bed linen. High-thread count, white cotton contributes the impression of a luxury hotel. White bed linens give you refreshingly cool emotional support during hot summer nights. If you want an easy bed to make, then use a bedspread that touches the floor instead of a comforter and dust ruffle.

Forget all the pillows! They get in the way, make it hard to make the bed, and add needless clutter.

Giving thought to your emotional needs when designing your bed placement and enhancements helps you create a bedroom for joyous living.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

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