I'm moving to a house with a similarly situated bedroom, so I'm looking forward to the hive's response to this question. My thoughts have been to hang a swath of cloth behind the bed that's the width of the bed and create a headboard look with that and maybe hanging lamps on either side. One could still have light from the window if the cloth was in two pieces.

http://makingitlovely.com/2010/06/14/this-is-what-our-bedroom-looks-like/

There is a lot you can do...But first.. COLOR and DRAMA

I have two ideas one a simpleton.. the other .. a drama queen idea

1) the simpler one...Hang curtains to create a tall headboard add table lamps and a runner on the bed .

2) The Drama queen idea...

Think four poster bed.. No pls don't go out and buy a new bed.. just create the look of one by hanging drapes like this pic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashminvijay/5393011136/

Here the four corners have a thick drape and the window has a sheer curtain.

Then for bed side lamps hand the lamps from the ceiling on both sides of the bed over the table

if you want more drama.. wallpaper the wall behind the tables and then hang mirrors on the wall just behind the shade .

This will give you more space on the table top

hope this helps .. i will look up ideas for wallpaper and drapes .

PS: I don't remember the site from which i got the picture from.

I would certainly try to celebrate the window rather than hide it. For that size window with that size bed (the bed being much wider than the window) I would seek to fill up the empty space on the wall. But in a way that balances the window W/ the bed.

I would use a roller blind inside the window and put two large (close to the same size as the window) pictures on either side. You could pick a picture that represents you and one that represents your partner. Or (be a little quirky) and use pictures of windows with romantic views.

Alternatively putting up some nice wall paper and wall sconces could nice. Best of luck.

We have a window behind our bed and I don't mind it at all. Just put up whatever style of window treatment you like and embrace it! I suggest a low headboard, too, like in the link sassamadoo posted above. That's on my apartment wishlist.

Curtains! Get a rod the length of the bed, not the window. It'll balance out the room but still let in natural light.

Young House Love did something similar in their nursery: http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/02/nursery-progress-getting-the-hang-of-it/.

I've always had windows behind my bed! I never really considered it a challenge. I just get big, dramatic floor to (almost) ceiling curtains. I like double rods so I get a sheer curtain under the regular one. Like another poster said, I run almost the whole length of the bed. I think it looks romantic!

We have the exact same layout in our bedroom, however our window behind the bed looks out onto a mudroom addition, so it really doesn't serve much purpose in the way of light (luckily we have a huge bank of windows on another wall). I really want to cut it out and reframe it so it's not there, but our budget and DIY skills are not up for removing part of an exterior plaster wall in an old house. I was planning to DIY a wood headboard to paint/wallpaper/cover that will sit in front of the window, it won't block all of the window, but it will help protect our heads from the hard sill that is right above sleeping heads, with a curtain on the window.

I think you should check out YHL's old master bedroom, and also Jane @ The Borrowed Abode did a nice job with the curtains behind the bed in her master: http://theborrowedabode.com/new-abode-tour/

Another vote for big window treatments - in addition to balancing the bed, it will add some height to the room, always a nice thing in a cozy bungalow!

Honestly I love sleeping next to the window. Our bed is currently situated like above I haven't gotten around to decorating anything yet but I love being able to get the breeze in Spring and fall and hear outdoor noises, its very calming to me

I love what Kara Paslay did to this room: http://karapaslaydesigns.com/?p=21

DON'T hide the window! The easiest thing would be to hang curtains that run the length of the bed, not just the window. You can still get sun and close them when you want privacy and it create's a headboard of sorts.

Another idea would be to make some upholstered panels, one for behind the bed on each side of the window. Then either do another panel over the window and to the ends of both other panels so it's like a big headboard with a cut out, or do a valance over the window.

Also, you could create the illusion of a headboard by buying some wood trim and running it up the wall on each side of the bed and then over to the top trim on the window. Paint the bed trim and the window trim the same color so it looks like one big sort of modern headboard. You could even create patterns with trim within the trim frame a la West Elm style headboards/furniture--
http://www.westelm.com/products/window-headboard-g007/?pkey=cheadboards-bed-frames

Rashmi's "dramatic" idea is just beautiful!

Agree with all of the advice to put curtains that run the width of the bed. We have two windows behind our bed and I found some great long drapes that are sort of a nature toile pattern. I think of that space as an oversized headboard!

How about hanging a set of drapes to cover the entire wall behind the bed? Place the bed with headboard in front of the drapes. I have seen this done and it is very luxurious. Also, it eliminates drafts from the window on your head.

I too have windows behind my bed. I love the look. I do have a wrought iron head board. I think it works because it lets the light shine through. I have roller shades in the window that I pull down at night. On the window I have white sheer curtains down to the floor. When the sun in shining through them during the day, it gives the room a really dreamy look.

I agree - curtains the width of the bed would be nice. This would be a great room to do something that's more about texture than color - I would use a bamboo blind and curtains in an off-white or natural color. You could layer white paper lanterns in front of them for mood lighting.

Definitely hang curtains at least the width of the bed - more if you want more drama. No matter what, make sure the curtains are floor length.

Also hang the curtain rod as high as possible - should be a few inches down from the ceiling. Do not hang the rod under the railing - it will make the room look stunted.

You can also look at younghouselove.com at their old master bedroom.

No,no,no curtains!
How can you have curtains behind the bed? Your king bed fits nicely against the wall right? Curtains to the floor would not work for obvious reasons and curtains to the bottom of the window would chop it up too much and look odd. Check out the great products at The Shade Store.

http://www.theshadestore.com/

My friends have this exact issue and they have beautiful roller shades behind their bed that fit nicely into the window frame.
Add some artwork on either side of the bed, a nightstand and table lamp, and perhaps a colorful throw pillow and you're done.

Please don't ruin the effect with curtains. I have curtains throughout my house and I love the look of them, but in your case they just won't work.

Floor-to-ceiling draperies run wall-to-wall around both window-walls - layered over woven wood shades or sheers.

I have a large window behind my bed, and did the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall curtains thing behind my bed (which I now see from reading the comments is very unoriginal, lol). Used white curtains that let in and scatter light, so when the light comes in through the window, it looks like the whole wall is backlit.

At first I thought it made the room look like I was trying too hard to be "design-y", but after a couple of weeks and some furniture rearranging it is really growing on me!

I know this isn't an answer to your question, but I'm from CA and I was always told that putting your bed under a window was a HUGE no-no, because if there is an earthquake, you might have shards of glass falling on you while asleep. I lived in Berkeley for awhile, and a small earthquake (<5.0) once cracked the window in my bedroom (it was a really run-down apartment that was pretty much right on a fault line, but still!). I'm not telling you not to put your bed where you want to put it, and maybe you prefer to live life on the edge, but I wanted to mention it just in case you didn't know!

I know this isn't an answer to your question, but I'm from CA and I was always told that putting your bed under a window was a HUGE no-no, because if there is an earthquake, you might have shards of glass falling on you while asleep. I lived in Berkeley for awhile, and a small earthquake (<5.0) once cracked the window in my bedroom (it was a really run-down apartment that was pretty much right on a fault line, but still!). I'm not telling you not to put your bed where you want to put it, and maybe you prefer to live life on the edge, but I wanted to mention it just in case you didn't know!

I actually just watched Sarah 101 last night and they were working with a similar problem. I think she said the window sills were 30" from the floor which was too low to have a headboard. Her solution was to make a headboard 36" and then scooped out the corners down to 30" so they were flush with the window sill. It looked amazing and the transition to the window sill height fit perfectly. Here is the link http://www.hgtv.ca/sarah101/episodes.aspx?sectionid=432&categoryid=5261061198326435961&postid=195859

Why bit put the bed across between the two windows.

Embrace the window. We lived in a 1913 wood cottage, and the only placement we could manage in our very small bedroom was under the window. We hung floor to ceiling sheers as our "headboard", and didn't use any other draperies/window coverings at all. Very simple, pretty, practical (but I also don't need to have complete darkness when I sleep).

As for "living on the edge", we're in CA and lived with that window above our heads as we slept for 10 years. No worries. Now for me, all framed art, especially with glass, heavy wall art/sculpture, or bookshelves, never.

Just last weekend, I solved the same problem in my house, though I was stuck with an off-center window over my bed. After a quick trip the local Ikea, I installed a blackout shade over the window itself, a curtain wire the width of the bed + 4" on each side, as close to the ceiling as I could get it, then hung drapes. The look is much more luxe than I expected, but in a good way! The drapes add height and dimension to the room. Eventually I'll get an upholstered headboard, so I can safely lean back in bed to read, etc. but for now I'm just being careful.

Another California native adding to Geckotoes1's comment... bed under the window is a big earthquake no-no; yes, most of us have safely slept under a window at some point but nonetheless broken glass is the most common cause of injury during earthquakes. Since your bed pretty much has to go under a window with this room set-up, I'd get some security film for the glass. If you rent your landlord might even be willing to buy it since you basically have no choice but to be under the window.

I had the same question when I moved into my place in November. I decided to get simple, sleek brass cafe rods and mounted the one over the window behind the head of my bead at the very top of the wall. I hung white sheers that were doubled so no one could peep into my room but still let light in during the day and no need for adjust it, since it's kind of an awkward reach with bedside tables and a bed in the way.

I then extended the idea and ran the rods around my bed on the ceiling and made sort of canopy with the same white sheers, reaching to the floor. I know that goes beyond what you're asking, but it's a thought.

A more low-key version would also be to get very long curtains instead of a short one that only extends between the top of the wall and the window sill or wherever is clear of your pillows, is to mount a rod about halfway down your bed so that it makes a partial canopy and can swag back to the rod against the wall, doubling as a curtain over your window. As seen here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/atimg/1063070/08canopies11910_rect540.jpg

You might need a heavier fabric for this, since I didn't like it with the sheers.

I vote for a translucent film (like Wallpaper for Windows) for the window, maybe a window treatment that has a long bar along the top the width of the bed, and something filmy or dangly from the bar in the area beside the window, but still within the confines of the bed width.

I have a similar issue except my window is up higher, long and narrow. As others have suggested, I got floor length curtains the width of the bed and I like the look. I found I had to use a traverse rod so I didn't have to stand up in the middle of the bed to open and close them.

I did the same thing in my bedroom as many commenters have suggested. Floor to ceiling curtains coming out wider than the bed with shears in front of the window. I think the key is, pulling the bed (and nights stands on either side) away from the window an inch or two and getting bed with a simple headboard, like the room and board parson bed, which won't block the window.

I would built a picture-frame out of molding around it. If you want to get really creative, you can get wide paneled wooden blinds and paint a picture on it so that when they're closed it looks like a picture in a frame. Ok, I know what my next project is now. I just inspired myself!

I've always had my bed under a window, and I actually love it because it lets it some great light, and means that I never have to worry about what kind of art to hang above my bed. The view is better than anything I could buy, anyway.

I agree with what everyone else has said: curtains to frame the window. One of the users above pointed out that curtains would be tricky with your bed flush against the wall, and that's very true. My solutuion was to get a headboard (actually an entire bed frame) that was slatted, so that it didn't block the window and let the light shine through. Then, because I didn't have to worry about my pillows falling into the crack while I slept, I pulled the bedframe a few inches away from the wall, which allowed the sheers to hang naturally, and look grea with my new headboard!

I have two bedrooms like this. In both are inside-mounted blockout pleated shades under inside-mounted wood routeless horizontal blinds. These have been the best of the many treatments I've tried for these windows in my 22 years here.

Make a "head board"—and the window seem wider—by putting curtains on either side of the window. A la

Hm, my link didn't work. Like Young House Love did: http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/02/over-our-heads/

As another commenter mentioned, I was in the same situation, and hung curtains behind the bed.
http://theborrowedabode.com/new-abode-tour/

I would add that we are now planning to build a new bed with a headboard to also better define the space, and I would recommend anyone else with a window behind the bed do the same.

My bed is against the window as well. I would rather have it against a wall, but my room is small and i don't have any other options.
I have curtains running almost the whole length of the wall and I'm going ti be installing a roman shade as well to block out light. I also plan on getting a four poster bed and i think that, combined with the curtains will go really well together.

I have a similar predicament: my window is off-centered above my bed. I have a one-piece platform bed that includes headboard/night stands and is about 36" tall. It takes up about 70% of one wall. What to do with the off-centered window covering?

We are also dealing with an off-centered window behind the bed. Now way to get around it as it is on the only wall big enough for our king bed. I don't want to eliminate the window all together though as it overlooks the rose garden. Any suggestions?

My bedroom looks identical to yours except my windows are wider. I have 2in wide white wooden blinds in both windows. After 3years I've decided to embrace the windows and get over not having a headboard. I keep just 3 pillows (2 have a bold print case) on my bed, flat and not against the wall. I life in Highland Park, CA and the view is like living in a tree house. Nothing grand or dramatic, just simple!