The Bedroom of the Past Looks Nothing Like the Bedroom of the Future
February is Bedroom Month on Apartment Therapy! We’re sharing stories all month about bedrooms — from how to decorate them, to the fascinating history of them, and so much more. Head over here to see them all!
I don’t think I truly appreciated my bedroom until I had a child.
Sure, I spent hours of my childhood rearranging my space and saving up babysitting money to buy a papasan chair (the must-have piece of 2000). And, yes, I continue to cherish every moment spent in my extremely comfortable California king bed, but after I had a baby, my relationship with my bedroom changed. Not only did my baby sleep next to me in his bassinet so I could soothe him at any moment for the first three months of his life, but the space itself signaled a safe place for both of us. For him, it meant his parents were right nearby, making sure he had what he needed. For me, it was a place to rest my often tired and sore body for a few hours of fitful sleep until it was time for a feeding. Now, that bedroom is the place where we hang out on weekend mornings, drinking bottles (him) and coffee (us) and snuggling until it’s time to start the day. It’s a place I know he’ll tiptoe in the middle of the night for comfort, a place that feels like rest, love, and home.
Like another very important room, the kitchen, the bedroom space plays a pivotal role in how we go about our day. It’s where we go to unwind from the demands of our schedule, to connect with our partners, to binge our favorite shows, and to get the rest we need to be our best selves. The bedroom has undergone plenty of change over the past 100-plus years, but how did we get from the matching bedroom sets and coordinating curtains and bedspreads of the past to the tech-friendly, luxurious suites we see today?
The Primary Bedroom Begins to Take Shape
The bedroom as we know it today really began to take shape in the 1920s; prior to that, the space may have been a small room with a washbasin or sink for bathing, or, looking further back, simply a part of the main living space.
World War I in the 1920s, followed by the Great Depression in the 1930s, served as catalysts for bedroom design. “This economic downturn was accompanied by technological innovation and a sense of hope and optimism for the future, from the radio to the skyscraper,” explains Dr. Tasoulla Hadjiyanni, a professor of interior design at the University of Minnesota. She explains that women had begun working outside the home, thus requiring interiors that were easier to care for. Both design and decor became more popular, thanks to advertisements and mailers like the Sears catalog, leading to Americans becoming interested in personalizing their homes.
At the time, the main bedroom space was referred to as the master bedroom, though it has since changed to “primary” or “main” bedroom due to racist and sexist undertones.
“The primary bedrooms of the 1920s were associated with sleeping and grooming. Marked by the double bed, they could boast a space to sit and relax, along with grooming and storage furniture such as a chest of drawers with mirrors,” Hadjiyanni says. The main bedroom of the time was all about coordination — window treatments often matched the bedding, and “bedroom sets,” which included a coordinating dresser, bed frame, and vanity, hit department stores.
“Technological innovation in materials, production, and shipping techniques also meant that the bedroom pieces, from furniture to mattresses, were available at more affordable prices,” Hadjiyanni says.
Despite the fact that people were spending more money on their bedrooms, they weren’t a showpiece in the home — unlike living rooms and dining rooms. “In the 1920s, we see a stricter division between public and private spaces in the home,” Hadjiyanni says. The bedroom became a more personal and private space for the home’s owner.
The Suburbs Create the Bedroom as We Know It
After World War II, the economic boom of the ’40s and the expansion of the suburbs gave rise to the primary bedroom as we commonly think of it today, with a larger bed, a dresser or two, nightstands, and a closet. Some married couples slept in separate twin beds in the space — this was often seen in ’50s sitcoms, though the trend didn’t stick around too long. The main bedroom of the ’50s through the ’70s was often decorated according to a theme, similarly to the ’20s, with matching or coordinating bedding, curtains, and carpet, plus matching furniture often sold as a set.
The main bedroom became a place of relaxation and paved the way for grander, larger rooms with features like walk-in closets to an en suite bathroom with double sinks and a large tub — all trends that developed from the late ’40s to the ’80s. TVs and telephones became a fixture in the primary bedroom in the ’80s, when technology became a major facet of everyday life.
Today’s bedrooms are about so much more than just sleep and a place to store your clothes. “Primary bedrooms are now spaces for privacy and relaxation, spaces of self-expression and leisure that add to one’s status and identity,” Hadjiyanni says.
Interior designer Rasheeda Gray also sees the primary bedroom as a space meant for comfort and calm. “Today, the bedroom is a retreat away from everyday life,” she says. “It’s not a utilitarian space to sleep; it’s about creating a retreat.”
The Pandemic Alters Bedrooms — Possibly Permanently
Despite its place as a retreat from daily life, the modern bedroom typically serves as a multi-use space, especially since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some larger bedrooms include a “sitting room” corner for lounging and relaxing on a small couch or chair. Other bedrooms do double duty as a WFH office during the week. Still, no matter how the room is used, technology is a key aspect of the modern bedroom — and sometimes bedrooms are on full display to co-workers and colleagues.
“The pandemic and remote work/Zoom life opened up what once were solely private spaces to the public eye,” Hadjiyanni says. “As many people found themselves having to work from their bedroom, the notion of the bedroom and the bed as ‘global bedquarters’ is now more acceptable.”
According to Gray, even though technological advances offer everything from framed TVs that resemble paintings to nightstands with built-in chargers, the bedroom is still a place of rest — a place where putting your phone down or turning off the tablet is encouraged. “During the pandemic, we’re working more than we ever have before because we’re home. We have to have a zone where that doesn’t exist.”
Technology and design also play important roles in how bedrooms are designed for people with disabilities and mobility issues or those considering how their space will serve them as they age. “The pandemic has changed the conversation on aging in place, and consumers are rethinking how their homes will function not just today but for years to come,” says Mike Peck, an aging in place specialist and vice president of installation at Leaf Home Safety Solutions. Older adults want to stay in their homes longer, driving innovation and renovation to optimize the space for aging bodies.
Peck cites homes being built with the primary bedroom on the first floor and with wider doorways as examples of how bedroom spaces are adapting for aging and accessibility alike. “You can create an inclusive bedroom space with ramps at entry points, vertical lifts, stairlifts, wider doorways, sturdy hand railings, and grab bars throughout the home, including those placed to assist [people] as they get in and out of bed,” he says. Lower or adjustable beds are wheelchair-friendly, and smart lighting makes keeping your space bright and safe as simple as a tap of your phone.
Bedrooms in 2022 and Beyond
Looking ahead, sleep and restoration are becoming more pivotal as people put a premium on their health, and this may occasionally mean veering from tradition when it comes to sleeping arrangements. “The notion of sharing the same bed is also being reconsidered and now it is becoming more acceptable for couples to acknowledge sleeping in separate rooms or separate beds, particularly as differences in sleeping patterns impact well-being,” explains Hadjiyanni. “When one partner snores, for example, the other’s sleep gets severely impacted and interrupted, which can lead to memory deficit and poor cognitive outcomes, as well as heart and other chronic diseases and early death.”
Hadjiyanni predicts that social change will impact how people design and decorate bedrooms in the years to come. “I envision primary bedrooms of the future getting smaller, giving up some of their grandness, and investment in space and amenities to other bedrooms,” she says. “That means that all bedrooms will be more or less ‘equal.’”
That said, she doesn’t see an end to the bedroom as a multi-tasking space — she believes we’ll continue sleeping, working, exercising, and grooming ourselves within the comfort of our bedrooms. “The challenge is how do we infuse this opportunity into affordable house design and apartment living? We need designs that are flexible and adaptable and where bedroom spaces are given more privacy — for example, shared walls can use closets as buffers.”
The environment will also have an impact on how bedrooms are designed and furnished in the future, according to Hadjiyanni. ”Climate change will continue to inform housing development in materials used, energy, and waste, which means the size of spaces will become more streamlined and sustainable,” she says. “The same goes with furniture such as bed frames, mattresses, and bed coverings.”
Meanwhile, Gray is seeing an uptick in color use in the space — often fueled by people testing the waters of color first in their guest rooms, if they have them, and applying those learnings to their primary bedroom. Consumers are also scrolling Instagram and Pinterest for bedroom inspiration and upgrading their spaces to keep up with social trends.
“Because design is very visible… on social media and TV, there are tips and tricks on how to make your bedroom look more luxurious. There’s a lot of designing for comfort — bedding is becoming important again,” she says.
Popular direct-to-consumer brands like Brooklinen and Parachute have made shopping for sheets feel trendy and exciting. Quality bedding has become something of a status symbol, and mattress vendors like Casper, Purple, and Tuft & Needle have made finding the perfect place to sleep easier and more convenient.
As Americans continue to spend increased time at home, many people are more eager to invest in making their space feel as comforting and aesthetically pleasing as possible — something that likely won’t change even as trends and technology do. Even if my bedroom one day becomes a Jetsons-style futuristic paradise and runs entirely on an app, it’ll still be a place in my home that encourages rest, calm, and sweet dreams.