A good professional home stager and most Realtors know how important bedrooms are to buyers. You'll want your bedrooms to look great in online photos, and even better in person.
Make it easy for buyers to picture themselves retreating and relaxing there, especially if it is the primary bedroom. Since the bed is the focal point of any bedroom, let's start there. It's not difficult if you follow these tips.
Layer it
The staged bed should look layered and interesting. It should look large and accommodating, even if it is just a twin bed. Here are some ways to get that look. |
| A simple bed staging doesn't have to look boring. The oversized artwork here helps this bed look more look important and high style. Photo: Emily Henderson via Domino |
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| A big and bold pattern like this Duvet cover from Pottery Barn makes a bedroom look comfy and casual, especially when the sheets are visible. |
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| I love how basic and still invitingly this bed is arranged. How the bedroom is staged should match your home's style. Photo: BHG |
Soften it
The bed should look comfortable. That means no sharp corners or edges. I often see MLS photos of beds that look like plywood draped with a bedspread and topped with two sad pillows. A duvet will soften those edges and give that illusion of ultra-comfort.
Study color
The bedding should coordinate with the room’s color scheme. Although it’s the focal point, it needn’t shout. Pick up the colors you see elsewhere in the room – in the window treatments, wall color, carpeting, rugs, artwork, or furniture pieces.Location, location
Unless your room is L-shaped, make the bed visible as one enters the room. The bed grounds the room, and the other elements “spin” off it. Make it easy for buyers to immediately connect with the function of the room.Formula bedding
If you’re decorating-challenged, bedding comes in sets so creating a beautifully made bed is as simple as making one purchase that includes the duvet, bed skirt, pillow shams, sheets, and decorative pillows.Neatness counts
Even though you want the look of a fluffy bed, it can’t look messy. Synthetic comforters are more likely to be smooth, while some down comforters can look lumpy and a little too casual.Be practical
Avoid too many pillows. Counting the actual sleeping pillows, three is the absolute minimum, and six is the maximum number of pillows. People distrust overly staged homes and a bed full of fancy pillows looks artificial and contrived.Crowning glory
Always have a headboard. It should be visible. If you can’t see the headboard or you are missing one, there is no shortage of headboard styles and DIY headboard ideas. I can show you how to make an inexpensive headboard perfect for staging here.Finishing touches
A bedskirt will let you hide storage boxes under the bed, and gives the bed a finished look. I like a tailored skirt that always looks neat, instead of a dust ruffle that tends to be too feminine and cute for home staging. |
| A color scheme of neutrals with touches of black makes this room look calm and sophisticated. Photo: BHG |
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| Letting coordinated linens like sheets and sleeping pillows peek from under the covers creates a coordinated and honest look. Photo: Real Simple |
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| Repeating a design and certain colors makes a bed look designed rather than thrown together. Photo: House Beautiful |
Every bedroom needs
What’s essential for a bedroom that wins the hearts of buyers? It should look and feel luxurious, comfortable, neat, and private. At center stage, beds can convey all of these qualities if you give them the attention they deserve.
I wrote about bedrooms and how to appeal to what buyers want in my homestaging eBook,eDIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar. Be sure you’re not missing the opportunity to win buyers by dressing your bedrooms to address all their senses.
Top Photo: BHG