These 8 mistakes are ruining your bedroom
You’ve got the bed, the lamps, and the curtains, but something’s still not right.
You can’t put your finger on it, but the space feels harsh. Clinical.
From harsh downlights to soul-sucking furniture sets, these mistakes are killing your bedroom vibe without you even realising it.
But here’s the thing—for every mistake, there’s a simple fix.
1. The Downlight Disaster
Let’s start with the biggest culprit I see everywhere: harsh ceiling downlights blasting down on your bed.
They’re basically surgical lights.
Not ideal for winding down or waking up.
👉 FIX IT: Layer in ambient lighting like lamps and wall sconces with 3000K bulbs (or under) for a warm glow. Bonus points if you use smart bulbs or install dimmers to adjust the brightness.
Credit: Angelica Squire (left) & Studio DB (right)
They’ve layered in multiple light sources in these bedrooms. The bedroom on the left has a table lamp and a wall sconce, while the one on the right uses a pendant as a nightstand lamp to free up space.
2. Bad Bedding Fit
Ever experienced fitted sheets that pop off or loose sheets that bunch up?
What about a bed with millions of pillows that you have to take on and off every day?
👉 FIX IT: Buy sheets with the right pocket depth for your mattress and style your bed for your climate and lifestyle. Simple (you only need 1-3 decorative pillows) still looks stunning!
Credit: Amber Interior Design
3. Bare Windows
I’m all for natural light. It’s brilliant… until it wakes you up at 5 am on a Saturday morning.
(Unless you’re an early bird, in which case, carry on.)
👉 FIX IT: Layer your window treatments. Sheers for daytime glow. Blockouts for sleep-ins.
Oak & Orange
They’ve layered block-out blinds behind the sheer curtains in this bedroom.
Need more help? Watch the Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Window Treatments to get all the options in one place.
4. Too Few Power Outlets
Yikes, if you’ve only got one outlet for both sides of the bed.
We live in an age where we own millions of devices - phones, tablets, electric blankets, Kindles, lamps.
One outlet isn’t going to cut it.
👉 FIX IT: Upgrade to a quad outlet or at least add USB ports to both sides of the bed!
Pro Tip: Skip the plastic white boxes. Sleek, matte, and brass cover plates are available today, and they’re stunning.
5. Double-Ensemble Beds
You know those bulky box bases with stubby little legs?
Major dust magnets. Too low to vacuum under. And they’re just… bland.
👉 FIX IT: Get a bed frame that’s raised with clearance or sits all the way to the floor.
Credit: Boxwood Avenue
6. Out Of Scale Nightstands
Giant beds with tiny nightstands look ridiculous.
Tables that are too tall for your mattress height make you feel like you’re reaching up to a bar.
👉 FIX IT: Your nightstand should match or be roughly (up to) 5” higher or lower than your bed.
Credit: Nickey Kehoe (left) & De Rosee Sa (right)
7. Tiny Walk-Ins
A walk-in wardrobe sounds luxurious, but extremely tiny ones are just glorified closets with awkward angles and wasted corners.
👉 FIX IT: Ditch the dream if you don’t have the room (you practically need a whole room's worth of space for one). A built-in along a wall will give you much more usable space.
Realistically, this is how much space you need for a ‘small’ walk-in wardrobe.
8. Matchy-Matchy Sets
You know when you go buy the IKEA Malm bed, Malm drawers, and the Malm bedside tables?
Seems like one-stop shop short cut to a well-designed room, right?
Wrong.
That’s a matching furniture set and it’ll suck the soul out of your bedroom faster than you can say “flat-pack furniture.”
👉 FIX IT: Mix it up. Variation = visual interest.
Here’s the full video if you prefer to watch it.