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Apartment Therapy published a report in which four interior designers identified six bedroom choices they dislike: matching furniture sets, overly coordinated bedding, poorly scaled furniture, bedroom clothing racks, beds without headboards and televisions used as focal points. Their recommendations are professional opinions, not universal design rules; the source stresses that personal preference matters.
Apartment Therapy has published a report outlining six bedroom decorating choices that four interior designers say can leave a room feeling impersonal, visually unbalanced or unfinished. The advice covers furniture and bedding coordination, scale, clothing storage, headboards and televisions, offering readers a set of professional opinions rather than binding design rules.
Designer Dorothy McGhee, founder of McGhee Studios, objects to buying a complete matching furniture collection, saying it can make a bedroom look as though it came straight from a catalog. She recommends mixing textures, tones and styles to create a more personal effect. McGhee also says a bed without a headboard can make the space feel unfinished, while noting that a simple upholstered panel or vintage piece can serve the purpose.
Orna Fathers, founder of Grace This Space, advises against bedding packages in which shams, pillows, bedspread and curtains all share one pattern. In her view, the coordinated look can feel stiff; mixing colors and textures can make the bed appear more relaxed. Fathers also cautions against letting a television dominate the room, suggesting that owners use a frame-style TV, conceal it in a cabinet, place art around it or consider a projector.
Lauren Winsor, founder of House of Winsor Interiors, focuses on scale: a large bed can look out of balance with undersized nightstands or a rug that is too small. She suggests nightstands at least 30 inches wide for king- and queen-sized beds when possible, and a rug extending at least two feet beyond the bed on all sides. Natalie Hager, founder of Natalie Hager Interiors, says clothing racks used as overflow storage can clutter a bedroom; she suggests using another closet or storing seasonal clothing in bins instead.
How These Choices Affect a Bedroom
The recommendations address how a bedroom works and feels, not just its appearance. Furniture scale can affect how balanced the room looks, while visible clothing overflow may make a sleeping space feel crowded. A headboard, meanwhile, can help visually anchor the bed, according to McGhee.
The advice may help people planning a room refresh prioritize changes without treating every designer preference as a requirement. Some suggestions involve purchasing furniture or changing storage, but others are alternatives: mixing existing bedding, moving seasonal clothes or changing how a television is displayed. The report does not claim these choices affect sleep or establish a single correct style. Its practical message is to weigh proportion and personal comfort alongside visual coordination.
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Four Designers, Six Room Choices
The report, written by Sarah Lyon for Apartment Therapy, is based on comments from four design professionals asked what they least like to see in bedrooms. It groups their responses into six areas: complete matching furniture sets, fully coordinated bedding, furniture that is out of scale, clothing racks, missing headboards and televisions that become focal points.
Apartment Therapy presents the recommendations as guidance for people decorating or refreshing a bedroom, while acknowledging that readers may disagree. The source also notes that the publication independently selects products and may earn a commission from purchases made through its links; it says prices were accurate when the article was published. The advice is therefore best understood as a design roundup and set of attributed opinions, not a survey of homeowners or a formal industry standard.
“They lack soul.”
— Dorothy McGhee, founder of McGhee Studios
Design Advice, Not a Rulebook
The report does not establish that all designers share these preferences or that following the advice produces a measurable improvement. It provides four designers’ views, without a broader survey, testing or comparison of bedroom outcomes. The recommended dimensions for nightstands and rugs are attributed to Winsor and should not be read as requirements for every room or layout.
Whether a matching set, clothing rack or visible television feels wrong depends on the room and the person using it. The source itself encourages readers to treat opinions they disagree with lightly. It also does not provide a budget comparison or address constraints such as rental rules, limited closet space or accessibility needs.
Applying the Advice at Home
The source reports no scheduled follow-up, product launch or industry decision. Readers considering a bedroom refresh can use the six points as a checklist: compare furniture proportions, assess whether coordinated bedding feels too uniform, review clothing storage and decide whether the television should be less prominent. No single change is presented as essential; the designers’ suggestions can be adapted to the room, available budget and individual taste.
For anyone shopping, the clearest next step is to measure the bed area and existing furniture before choosing a rug or nightstands, then consider whether a headboard or alternative storage would address a specific need. The article’s central caveat remains relevant: a bedroom is personal, and the final choices belong to the person who lives there.
Key Questions
What six bedroom mistakes does the report identify?
The designers point to complete matching furniture sets, overly coordinated bedding, furniture that is out of scale, clothing racks in the bedroom, beds without headboards and televisions that dominate the room.
Do these designers say matching furniture is always wrong?
No. McGhee says matching sets can make a room feel like a catalog and favors mixing pieces. The report presents that as her professional opinion, not a universal rule.
How far should a bedroom rug extend beyond the bed?
Lauren Winsor recommends a rug extending at least two feet on all sides of the bed. That is her design guidance in the report, not a standard that suits every room.
What does the report suggest instead of a bedroom clothing rack?
Natalie Hager suggests using another closet or putting seasonal clothing in storage bins, such as under the bed or in an attic. She also raises a closet clean-out as a possible option.
Does the report say people should remove televisions from bedrooms?
No. Orna Fathers acknowledges that people may want a television in the bedroom. She suggests making it less prominent with a frame-style TV, a cabinet, surrounding art or a projector.
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