12 Styling Tips to Make the Foot of Your Bed a Functional Space

Benches are a common accompaniment to the foot of the bed, but why settle for standard? Up the wow factor of your bed bench by choosing an interesting silhouette. The X detail on this suede-wrapped seat gives it mega appeal and serves to punctuate the big picture.

A Sleepy Bookshelf

Resist the temptation to treat your end-of-the-bed bench as nothing more than a drop zone for dirty clothes and discarded shoes. Encourage a little intentional order by establishing a specific purpose for your bed's bench. For example, orderly stacks of books transform this seat from a decorative placeholder to a functional bookshelf.

Clear Things Up with Lucite

One of the most common reasons for ignoring the end of the bed is space. If you're grappling with pint-size square footage, know that you can gain style simply by incorporating specific materials and silhouettes. Clear acrylic is a prime example of a finish that suits small spaces because it doesn't impede your sight line. The simple, shallow shape of this particular end table helps to enhance visual space in an otherwise modest bedroom.

Take a Soothing Seat

Whether you're arranging a living room or bedroom, narrow, long spaces can be a challenge. In the case of sleeping quarters, make the most of what would otherwise be dead air by creating a seating area in the center of the room, right at the foot of your bed. Here, a cozy love seat is a natural complement to the width and height of the bed, and it adds an entirely new level of functionality to the room.

Incorporate Multiple Drop Options

If setting up your footboard as a drop zone makes the most sense for your lifestyle, consider adding multiple containers for your storage needs. Situate a simple bench at the end of the bed for folded linens and blankets, place a canvas bucket on the floor for slippers, and arrange a small basket on the end of the bench for everyday odds and ends. By incorporating several drop zones, you can organize strategically as opposed to spontaneously.

Plop Down a Pair of Poufs

When working with a full-, queen-, or king-size bed frame, try two or three accessories or pieces of furniture by the footboard. Rather than letting a bench take up the space all on its own, consider a pair of portable pieces, like lightweight baskets or woven poufs. This setup allows for more mobility as your whims change week to week and affords you more maneuverability when you need to make the bed.

Low Levels Create Laid-Back Luxury

Looking to add a casual, cozy aura to your sleeping space? Establish low-lying levels throughout the room. For example, the easygoing atmosphere of this space is made possible by a platform-style bed under the room's eaves and an ultra-low bench at the foot of the bed. By hugging the floor, the furniture practically invites you to flop down and rest awhile.

Create a Classic Color Scheme

Create cohesion with your end-of-the-bed arrangement by choosing furniture and accessories within the same color palette. Here, coordinating shades of crisp gray, bright white, and cool blue allow your eye to take in the setup all at once. The collection goes together thanks to the common colors, even though each item was chosen separately over time.

Multifunctional Furnishings

Although benches are a natural inclination for foot-of-the-bed furnishings, they aren't the only option. A wooden stool, woven pouf, linen basket, or all three can be used to add functionality to your bedroom. Consider adding a sense of cohesion to the collection through repeated textures and colors.

Nest Your Necessities

Everyone knows that the typical shape of a bench is a long, low seat with a top and two sides. But what you might not notice is the wasted space under that simple seat! Make the most of vertical and horizontal space under your footboard seating by slipping a long, low basket into the recess. This container can be used to corral all of the miscellaneous objects that instinct encourages you to drop on top of the bench. Now those stray items will be out of sight and out of mind!

Set Up an End Table

You have the power to instantly increase the formality of your bedroom by choosing furniture that draws the eye upward. Situating an end table at the foot of your bed, as well as a high-impact headboard against the wall, creates a luxurious tone that reads regal.

Store Things in Ample Style

Let's face it: Sometimes a collection of nightstands, dressers, and closet shelves just doesn't cut it for storing everyday must-haves. Offer a bit of relief to your bedroom organization system by placing an oversize lidded basket or chest at the foot of the bed. A deep container allows you to stow anything from extra linens to your winter wardrobe with ease.

Feast at Your Footboard

There are no rules for footboard styling, so feel free to get creative when laying down your own decorative law in the bedroom. Whether you choose to create a reading nook or even an eating area—as is the case in this luxurious master retreat—the layout is limited only by your imagination. Ditch those pesky preconceived notions, and think outside the box with your functional planning.