The 22 Most Brilliant Bedroom Staging Tips of All Time

You’re likely to pass over your bedroom if you’re thinking about upgrading your home’s style. But while your living room or kitchen may seem like more worthy candidates for updates, the spot where you sleep is just as—if not more—important. With a little effort, it can become a sanctuary that you’ll treasure spending precious alone time in. And when it comes to selling your home, a well-staged bedroom can go a long way toward a potential buyer imagining themselves living there. 

Not sure where to start? Here are 22 of the most brilliant bedroom staging strategies featured on Apartment Therapy over the years. Try them out, and watch your bedroom reach it’s picture-perfect potential—even if you have no plans to put your place on the market anytime soon.

1. Remember that lighting is essential. A large chandelier or statement fixture supplemented with table or floor lamps will make for a super cozy vibe.
2. Skip a dresser. If you’re short on space, ditching a large dresser in favor of a super-organized closet will give you a bit more breathing room.
3. Use neutral colors. When it comes to paint colors in the bedroom, resist the urge to go bold. A neutral color palette is soothing and easier to decorate around.
4. Freshen up with flowers. Fresh flowers add an instant splash of joy to a bedroom, and they smell good, too.
5. Clean up the clutter. If your bedroom has clothes strewn all over the place and you haven’t seen the floor in months, it’s time to tidy up. A neat bedroom will look larger and more inviting. 
6. Deodorize. Along with looking clean, a bedroom should smell clean. Shampoo carpets, regularly air the room out, and launder all linens.
7. Include extra seating. Yes, the bedroom’s primary purpose is for sleeping, but creating a nook for reading or work is a nice bonus. An accent chair or bench is perfect for this purpose.
8. Don’t forget window treatments. The right curtains or blinds really help tie a bedroom together. 
9. Consider an integrated headboard for a perfect marriage of form and function.
10. Strategically use bolder colors. While an overall neutral color palette is a good choice, a few pops of bolder shades like midnight blue or moss green can provide interest and dimension. Try them with accents and accessories. 
11. DIY a pallet bed. The rustic, industrial vibe pairs with a variety of styles.
12. Put the bed in the corner. This simple move will instantly give your bedroom more square footage.
13. Pull your bed away from the wall to create a faux walk-in closet with garment racks or standing wardrobes in the space between the wall and the headboard.
14. Try a wall-to-wall headboard to make your bedroom look larger and more expensive.
15. Pay attention to the guest bedroom. Especially if you’re selling your home, you’ll want to remove the abandoned exercise equipment and storage bins so the guest room looks more like a room in a quaint B&B and less like a dumping ground.
16. Add a small gold basket next to or behind your bed. Stylish storage touches make all the difference.
17. Use mirrors. Place one above a desk to double as a vanity, or place one above a headboard to crown a bed.
18. Love the look of a perfectly made hotel bed? Make your bed like a pro.
19. Clean up the closet. A stepladder, matching hangers, hooks, and wallpaper are just a few of the things that can make your bedroom closet look put-together.
20. Wash your windows. Even with artificial light and lots of natural sunlight, your bedroom will still seem dark and dreary with dirty windows.
21. Style your dresser top. Make it a full-on getting-ready station, or simply add a few candles and a bottle of perfume for some interest.
22. Use a small-space organizer in lieu of a nightstand if you’re short on space.