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Rooms 4 Min Read

15+ Minimalist Bedrooms That Prove Less Is More

By Wendy Jacob On

The self-making bed isn’t a reality — yet — but we are inching further away from the days when making the bed required shifting a mountain of toss pillows and Euro shams, fluffing fussy bedskirts, and smoothing and folding coverlets.

The beauty of the minimalist bedroom is that it’s often dressed in linen sheets (which actually look better rumpled) and cleared of dust magnets like heavy drapery and piles of clutter. Scroll down for tips on creating your own minimalist bedroom!

Embrace Wrinkles

This bed almost looks better unmade; the rumpled bed linens have a tranquil, get-under-the-covers effect in this Vancouver bedroom. The trick? Use linen to play up the textural appeal and choose a range of pastel hues in pink, stone and lavender for warmth.

  • Photographer Heather Ross

House & Home November 2018

Install Sconces

Clear the top of side tables with a swing-arm sconce instead. It’s easy to adjust, and in this principal bedroom by designer Nam Dang-Mitchell, it picks up the black accents.

  • Photographer Colin Way
  • Designer Nam Dang-Mitchell

House & Home September 2020

Pick A Cool Palette

Minimalism doesn’t equate to blandness. A pale blue feature wall of box molding adds visual interest without busyness. Coordinating the wall color to the pale blue pillows creates a subtle two-tone effect, and is the decorating equivalent of a cooling ice cream sundae.

  • Photographer Angus Fergusson
  • Designer Alex Arnott

House & Home August 2017

Rethink The Headboard

Headboards help ensure beds are the focal point of the room, but it’s not a must-have in a minimal space. Here, it allows a large-scale piece of art to take center stage.

  • Photographer Janis Nicolay
  • Designer Marianne Amodio

House & Home March 2015

Skip The Drapery

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Not every window needs to be obscured for privacy. Cut down on the fabric (and the vacuuming and washing of drapery) and let the sun shine in.

  • Photographer Tracey Ayton
  • Designer Architecture by Jennifer Heath

House & Home May 2019

Roll With It

For those that relish sleeping in, hidden motorized roller shades block the bright rays and don’t obscure the windows, or an incredible cottage view.

  • Photographer Alex Lukey
  • Designer Margot Bell & Dasha Ricci, Peaks & Rafters

House & Home July 2019

Find A New Platform

In this ski chalet’s principal bedroom, a built-in platform bed echoes the clean look of the floor-to-ceiling white cedar built-ins to keep the serene space clutter-free.

  • Photographer Maxime Desbiens
  • Designer Sacha & Melissa Leclair, Leclair Decor

House & Home February 2018

Paint It Black

Black paint (in this case, Farrow & Ball’s Railings) makes crisp white bedding pop and look even fresher. A black sconce doesn’t pull attention away from the striking copper bowl.

  • Photographer Alex Lukey
  • Designer Jackie Di Cara

House & Home October 2019

Choose Bold Graphics

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Minimal doesn’t equal boring! The color-blocked bedding in this room echoes the art and adds graphic impact. We love how the white bed frame just melts into the flooring, making the bed look like it’s floating.

  • Photographer Janis Nicolay
  • Designer Sophie Burke

House & Home April 2017

Breezy Styling

An impactful grouping of woven pieces over this bed makes it easy to take a more laid-back, lax approach to making a bed. A nubby throw and matching striped pillows give white linens a dose of personality. Bonus: they don’t need to be perfectly staged.

  • Photographer Stacey Brandford
  • Designer Architecture & Design by Jodi & Andrew Batay-Csorba

House & Home February 2020

Update The Canopy Bed

For those who love the romance of a four-poster bed, take a look at this update. Curtain rods mounted to the ceiling are a breezy way to recreate the draped look without the bulk.

  • Photographer Lauren Miller
  • Designer Shauna Walton

House & Home October 2020

Swap Out Rugs

The beauty of this wide plank flooring really shines in this bedroom, so there’s no need to cover it up. Crisp quilted bedding adds textural interest to white linens.

  • Photographer Alex Lukey
  • Designer Daniel Harland, Roundabout Studio

House & Home May 2020

Get Leggy

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This multifunctional East Coast bedroom is populated by furniture with plenty of breathing room. Instead of solid pieces, a desk (that doesn’t block the amazing view) and slat bench looks airy and allows the light to flow through.

  • Photographer Alex Lukey
  • Designer Architecture by David Lopes

House & Home July 2019

Go Back To Nature

Natural materials create a calming effect. The softness of black lambswool accents, a wood headboard and cotton bedding are timeless and clean looking.

  • Photographer Donna Griffith
  • Designer Alison Milne

House & Home December 2020

Try An Enveloping Headboard

As an update to the tall tufted headboard, this snuggle-friendly option creates an equally cozy feel with angled arms for reading in bed.

  • Photographer Tracey Ayton
  • Designer Ben Leavitt, Plaidfox Studio

House & Home September 2020

Consider A Murphy Bed

When an entire bed completely tucks away, it’s the ultimate clean sweep. The all-white palette is another zen note in this rustic bedroom.

  • Photographer Maxime Desbiens
  • Designer Lysanne Pepin

House & Home July 2018

Go All In

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A headboard and frame upholstered in the same linen fabric make a seamless backdrop for nubbly neutral bedding in this treehouse-like West Coast home.

  • Photographer Janis Nicolay
  • Designer McCarthy Hinder

House & Home May 2014