styling room by room: bedroom

As I write more and more of these posts on styling rooms, some of the same things pop up again and again.

So check out one of my previous posts on what to consider when styling for a photo shoot. Here you’ll find the basics rules that apply to every room. Keep things clean. Think of the purpose of the room etc.

For each room, while there are many styling similarities, and lots of the same rules apply, there are still a number of differences. For example, when I looked at kitchens an important aspect of that is breaking up the horizontal lines of the kitchen worktops and units by using height in the frame.

What do we need to consider for bedrooms then?

First of all, you need to think about what will be photographed. In a bedroom, the bed is more often than not, the main feature. Below I have examples of when this isn’t the case – it might be that there is an interesting feature in the room like an unusual exposed beam or a really extraordinary piece of furniture. In these shots, the bed will only be a part of the whole picture. Maybe just one section of the bedstead might be caught in the frame, or a reflection of the bed in a mirror. But more commonly, the bed is the focus.

So when styling for a bedroom, you want the bed to be a consideration regardless of whether it is the main feature of the room. And what do we do here? Well in my opinion, this is all about texture. A bedroom needs to be inviting. And bedrooms are more inviting when the bed is inviting. There are situations when clean lines and pure white sheets are the only thing that’s needed (mainly because of the style of the room) but in most circumstances, this is not the image you want to create. Beds can have duvets, cushions, pillows, throws and blankets – all at once if you want – and this just cries out for a number of different textures. It makes it interesting, gives it depth, and becomes an inviting space.

Other considerations might present themselves when it comes to actually taking the photos. You might find unexpected angles you want to shoot from, and so you have to alter what you plan to do when you look through the lens. Also, before I forget, a door is usually VERY present in a bedroom. Because of the layout of the room, they are often in the shot, and so finding the perfect angle for the door to be open at is key. It might be closed, it might be fully open because of an interesting feature on the landing. Just make sure it’s part of the thought process, and not an after-thought.

There are differing opinions in the styling world about making the bed. Some people feel that in photo shoots, the bed must be perfect. For a hotel website, yes this should definitely be the case. Some people hate things to be too ‘perfect’ and they prefer an unmade bed. I have thrown in an example of this below that I believe is just too much. It’s so unmade it looks messy. But that’s my opinion. I like them to either be perfectly made, or a teeny bit out of place. Depending on what the photos are for.

I think if the bed is the main feature, the styling of the rest of the room should be minimal. Just a few items on the beside tables, a couple of things hanging on the back of the door and only one cushion on the arm chair. You don’t want it to look cluttered.

Apart from that, bedrooms are fairly easy to style. Keep the surfaces simple, and put on them only things that make sense to be in a bedroom. Make the bed, but don’t be too particular about it unless you’re shooting for a hotel or holiday home. Make it personal – a bedroom is a personal space after all. And finally, make it inviting.

Below are examples of where beds are the main feature and also when they’re not. Where the beds are made and also the opposite end of the spectrum. But in all of them, similar rules will apply. Textured and not too cluttered. The jury’s out on whether it’s ok to have a tray of breakfast food on the bed. I’m not convinced…