Six Things to Consider When Choosing Bedroom Furniture

Unless you’ve done a lot of relocating, chances are you’ve only purchased bedroom furniture once or twice in your lifetime. So when it’s time to update your bedroom furniture, the process can seem downright overwhelming. What exactly is a chifferobe? What’s the difference between a chest and a dresser, or a nightstand and a bedside chest? How do you even begin to choose the right furniture for your bedroom? Here are six things to take into consideration:

1. Space

The most important thing to do before you begin to shop for bedroom furniture is measure your room. For more information about choosing the right size furniture for your home, review our previous blog article here.

2. Style

Next, determine the style you want for your new bedroom furniture. Have you always dreamed of a stately, traditional sleigh bed? Would the simple, clean lines of modern furniture express your trendy style perfectly? Or do you prefer pieces that are more transitional? Consider how the new furniture will blend with the style of your bedroom and any other furniture, fixtures, or decor you plan to keep.

3. Bed Options

Before you fall in love with a particular style of bed, try to think about what kind of headboard and footboard options are best for you. Would a high headboard be blocking a window? Would a low footboard give your long legs more room to stretch? Do you despise having to tuck the blankets in neatly at the foot of your bed, making a high footboard an appealing option? Thinking about these things ahead of time will help narrow your search for furniture.

Buying new bedroom furniture provides the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate not only the style of bed you prefer, but the size as well. If you’ve determined that a different size would better suit your needs, just remember to include a new mattress in your plans.

4. Nightstands and Bedside Chests

Aside from a bed and mattress, nightstands are arguably the most important pieces of bedroom furniture. Think of them as a necessary extension of your bed. Nightstands provide a convenient location for bedside lamps, as well as a place to keep items such as phones, books, or alarm clocks within arm’s reach. You’ll need two nightstands in a master bedroom—one on each side of the bed—so be sure to allow adequate space for both.

While shopping for furniture, you may come across both nightstands and beside chests. What’s the difference? While both are similar in width, nightstands are typically shorter and often include a combination of drawers on top with either cabinet-style doors or open space below. Bedside chests are taller and normally have several single-column drawers for storage.

5. Chests, Dressers, and Armoires

With all these options, how do you know which pieces are best for your room? Many times, it comes down to space and what works best for your storage needs.

Chests

Chests are normally taller than they are wide, making them a great option if you have limited floor space. Varying in height, they normally include between 5-7 drawers stacked in a single column.

Dressers

Dressers are wider than they are tall, and they pair well with a mirror above them. Dressers typically have 2-3 columns of drawers, ranging from 3-4 rows of drawers per column for a total of 6-9 drawers. Dressers work better than chests when they need to be shared by two people, since the columns make them easier to divide (you get this half, I get that half).

Armoires and Chifferobes

Armoires or chifferobes are good options if you need extra space to hang clothes. They typically include a rod for hanging, as well as drawers or shelves for storing and organizing folded clothes. Likewise, gentleman’s chests normally include a combination of hanging space and drawers.

Combining several pieces

If you have the space, individual pieces can sometimes be placed together to form one large unit, as shown in the photo accompanying this article, where a six-drawer chest is flanked by two lingerie chests for a total of 18 drawers.

6. Media Solutions

Media chests are a great solution for bedroom TV storage, and they typically include space for a DVD or Blu-ray player, as well as openings to accommodate cords. Media chests are usually shorter than regular chests, keeping your TV at an ideal viewing height. If you don’t have space for a media chest, another option is to mount a TV above a dresser or media shelf.

Handcrafted hardwood furniture…customized to meet your needs!

One of the many benefits of buying handcrafted hardwood furniture is the ability to customize it. At CVW, we offer a variety of pieces and sizes to fit your specifications. We also offer a variety of wood species, as well as stains and finishes, to create a custom look that suits your personal style! Take a look at all the bedroom furniture options on our site, and then contact us to find a furniture dealer near you!