We Redesigned Our Entire Bedroom Around a Mattress—and It Changed Everything

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Most people design their master bedroom around aesthetics or a special feature—maybe a fireplace, a statement wall, or perhaps a cozy window seat. My husband and I, however, based our entire renovation around a mattress. Our story begins with a queen-size bed in a small city apartment. But a bedroom should feel like a haven of comfort and promote a good night’s rest. Once we became homeowners, my six-and-a-half-foot-tall husband and I dreamed of stretching out like kings—California kings, that is.

Our Dream

We envisioned our master bedroom with a sprawling mattress adorned with Pottery Barn bedding and fluffy, down-filled pillows. The furniture would be cottage-coastal style to fit the vibe of our home, and lots of windows would make our oasis light, bright, and airy. Last but not least? Tons of storage space would accommodate my overflowing wardrobe.

So we planned our layout to make it happen. We had big goals, a not-so-big bedroom, and plenty of work ahead of us.

The Original Layout

Our new 1980s home had an uninviting master bedroom with a less-than-favorable layout. Not to mention, the dark Ethan Allen furniture from my husband’s bachelor days totally cramped my interior design inspiration.

Wall number one is where you enter the room—and the only spot our apartment bed and one tiny nightstand would fit. Wall two barely accommodated our tall dresser, which was squeezed between the corner of the room and a poorly-placed window.

Wall three? Home to a window located smack-dab in the center of said wall, looking out to our neighbor’s brightly lit patio and kitchen, relentlessly imposing on our privacy.

Wall four consists of a large closet and the door to our master bath.

The design was a disaster—and don’t get me started on the feng shui.

Although it was far from our dream cozy oasis, we decided to live in the space for a bit to carefully consider what layout and furniture would work best. Although our master bedroom is a decent size—12 by 12 feet—it isn’t huge. A California king has presence, so we opted for minimal furniture and maximum storage.

Once the rest of our home renovations were complete, we were ready to design our master bedroom around our new Cali king mattress—and it completely changed the space.

Why We Chose a California King vs. A Standard King

We opted for Layla Sleep’s California King Hybrid Mattress ($1,500) rather than a standard king, because of its longer, narrower design (84 by 72 inches versus 80 by 76 inches). The narrow width gave us room for a larger nightstand—the SUGIFT 3-Drawer Dresser Chest from Macy’s ($130)—on each side of the bed, providing six extra drawers for storage and surface space for each of us. Plus, the extra length was essential for my husband to stretch out comfortably.

Repositioning Windows Made Our Space Brighter and More Private

Although the mattress was the “king” of our renovation—pardon the pun—the biggest expense was removing and adding new Anderson windows. While not everyone’s master bedroom remodel would involve this added expense, we deemed it essential for ours.

We started by removing the two windows in the room, replacing them with four brand-new ones. The approximate $3,500 cost of this part of the project was the biggest and costliest part of our renovation, but worth every penny.

Our “Cali king wall” now houses two tall, narrow crank-out windows centered over each nightstand. This provides a ton of natural sunlight while resolving the privacy issue.

The adjacent wall now has two large double windows with a sunny southern exposure.

Our New Storage Bed Completely Opens Up the Room

We purchased the Trulani California King Panel Storage Bed from Ashley Furniture ($1,300) for several reasons. The bed’s tall headboard makes a statement and boasts the cottage-coastal aesthetic we were going for. But most importantly, the spacious roll-out drawers underneath replaced the need for a dresser. Less furniture maximized our floor space and made the room appear large and open. We designed our closet system with shelves, cubbies, and hanging sections for plenty of room.

Finding the right bed was challenging—but worth the diligent search. We wanted drawers that opened at the base of the bed rather than the sides, which would interfere with our nightstands. There were also more king options than California king available to choose from.

Takeaways

Our master bedroom is now everything we wanted it to be and so much more. A design based around our mattress was the best decision for us.

We now have the large mattress of our dreams, and because of our decisions, it does not overpower the room. Although it was a major expense, changing out the original windows added tons of natural light that pours into the room from dawn ’til just before dusk, and we have more privacy. Carefully planned storage alternatives replaced our need for additional furniture.

Our master bedroom is open, clean, and crisp—and we both sleep like kings.