Where the bed goes when the door is in the way
Walkways, door swings and nightstands in a real-sized bedroom.
The bed is the biggest thing in the room, and in most bedrooms there are only one or two walls it can go on. The door usually decides which.
Keep the door free
A door needs its full swing, plus a step to walk in. The bed — and its nightstands — should sit outside the arc of the door, with about a foot to spare so you aren't edging around the corner of the bed the moment you enter.
Give yourself room to walk
Aim for 3 feet along the sides and foot of the bed. In a small bedroom, 2 feet is acceptable — it's a squeeze, but a livable one — as long as the path to the door stays clear.
| Path | Recommended | Small-room minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Bed sides | 36″ | 24″ |
| Foot of bed | 36″ | 24″ |
| Dresser drawers | 36″ in front | 30″ |
Make space for the nightstands
The wall behind the bed has to fit the bed and its nightstands — usually 20 to 28 inches each, plus a couple of inches of breathing room. A queen with two nightstands needs about 9½ feet of clear wall.
The usual answer
Most often the bed goes on the longest wall that isn't the door's, facing the door or beside it — never with the door opening into it. Under a window works too, if the headboard sits below the sill.
Blank Space checks every layout against the door swing and the walkways, and tells you when a path is the 2-foot minimum rather than the 3 feet we'd recommend.