Dear Laurel,
Thank you for the beautiful post about masculine bedrooms. Or, at least bedrooms that both men and women will love.
Well, you’re half-way there.
But, before I tell you my dilemma which I’m hoping you can turn into a blog post, I just need to say this.
My husband and I have one of those marriages that I guess is pretty rare. I mean, whenever he walks into the room, I still get a thrill. How many people can say that after 35 years?
Plus, this is funny. But, I could probably do the bedroom in pink rose buds and lace everywhere and he would be absolutely fine with it.
However, no worries. That is definitely not our style.
Okay, here’s the problem.
It’s important to note that we enjoy doing so many things together like hiking to antiquing, gardening, cooking… on and on.
But, there’s one activity that I find impossible to carry out with him.
Sleeping.
And, I don’t mean intimacy. I mean– literally SLEEPING.
Seriously, sleeping with my husband is dangerous.
Get this; one time he kicked me so hard in his sleep, my knee blew up to twice its normal size!
Then, there’s the temperature differential. And, mattress/bedding preferences.
On and on… Laurel.
Well, I don’t need to go on. I could, but I won’t.
Suffice it to say. Sleeping in the same bed with him is out of the question.
Well, not if I’m to get a decent amount of sleep. And, not get maimed in the process!
That means it’s twin beds.
Is it possible to have a bedroom with sophisticated twin beds?
I mean, I don’t want it to look like a kid’s bedroom.
Sincerely,
Beddie Tyme
***
A penny for your thoughts. hehehe
Hi Guys,
Well, someone did write in wanting a post on this topic of sophisticated twin beds, but forgive me, I don’t remember who. So, Beddie, it is.
Therefore, let’s dive in because I have a lot to share with you.
First of all, let’s talk about kids’ bedrooms for a sec.
I have a board on pinterest called Kids rooms that can grow with them.
And some of these bedrooms would be perfectly fine for adults to live in.
The second thing on my mind is what is the difference between a master bedroom with one big bed or two twin beds?
In a regular master bedroom, we have one bed that’s large enough to accommodate two people. Even if there’s only one person in the bed. Usually, it’s at least a queen-size bed.
But, like I said the other day, the vast majority of my clients opted for king-size beds. The only exception might be if they don’t like the way a king size bed looks. Or, the bedroom is just too small to fit one in.
So, the difference is that in a bedroom with one bed, it’s usually flanked by two night tables.
And, in a master bedroom with twin beds, There is a storage piece in the middle. It could be a chest, dresser, desk, single nightstand, or console table.
If the table or chest is large enough, there can be two lamps. But, if the table is small, it should be one lamp.
There can also be a combination of a lamp and individual sconces over each twin bed.
The good news is that in the market-place there are dozens of gorgeous, sophisticated twin beds.
After all, a bed is a bed.
That is, unless you’re doing some weird thing, like this $35,000 van bed.
Uh huh, you read that correctly. It is not a typo.
And, yes, it also comes in pink. ;]
I wonder if you need a license to sleep in it?
I dunno. Can’t you get a real van for less than 35k?
How do you get it into the house?
Or, do you build the house around the bed-van?
Oh, never mind. I think it’s hideous.
Is there anything else we need to know about twin beds?
Well, yes, as a matter of fact, there is. And, it has to do with the height of the headboard. But, that is also in relation to the height of the mattress.
However, most of the time, the highest I like to see a twin headboard is at about 50″. And, if the mattress is about 24″ high, then, 45″-50″ should be good.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Anthropologie discontinued this bed. In fact, I always thought it was one of the best things they sold. But, I adore this charming bedroom by India Hicks.
To begin with in our quest for sophisticated twin beds (and bedrooms) let’s stick with those beds that are either four poster and/or canopy beds
Architectural Digest – Designer Bruce Budd
Gerrie Bremmermann
Tara Shaw manufactures some gorgeous furnishings. In fact, she has designed a few different iron beds. And, they are all gorgeous and come in a twin size.
Do we HAVE to do a twin bed if we want two beds in the master bedroom?
That’s a very good question. Thank you. :]
Well, I think that in the case of a four poster bed in a very tall and good-sized room that it’s absolutely fine. And, of course, some people might want more bed to roll around in. Therefore, the answer is yes, I think it’s fine to do a full sized bed.
However, if the bed gets larger than that, and it has a low boring headboard, it could begin to look like a hotel room.
Amelia Handegan
This image is several years old if not more than that. But, I remember it well. I couldn’t find one that has a better res. That’s one indication that it’s from a while back.
I love the elegant minimalist aspect of this bedroom by Mimmi O’Connell
Photography by Robert Benson – New England Home
Classic four poster twin beds. But, beautifully composed.
And, that’s it for the four posters and canopy sophisticated twin beds
Next up are some beds with canopies
Amelia Handegan
Boho beach twin beds
Beautiful, sophisticated design.
A word of caution about beds with frames and things protruding. I would not put them in a guest bedroom unless you want your guests to leave quickly. And, especially if there are two beds, close together, with things protruding and sharp corners.
It’s fine if it’s your own bedroom. But, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Potomoc River House, Alana Woerpel residence, upstairs bedroom
How charming is this! And, I adore the slipcover on the desk chair.
Traditional – Jenny Lind style sophisticated twin beds – original source unknown
Crate and Barrel makes this bed. You’ll find it in the widget below.
Serena and Lily makes a similar bed called the Webster that comes in black or white.
It also comes in larger sizes.
Serena and Lily that was featured on Sunday does make most of their beds in a twin size. However, they don’t picture most of them in that size. So, that’s why you’re seeing the majority of them in a larger size.
Serena and Lily Balboa Bed also comes in a twin size
However, I found the Balboa twin beds in this lovely tropical room by Gray Malin
And to finish off this series of sophisticated twin bed ideas for grownup kids.
Andrew Brown Interiors – sophisticated twin beds
Below is a widget of mostly sophisticated twin beds.
But, a couple are full-sized beds. One is the wonderful canopy bed from Pottery Barn TEEN. Yes! And, it’s something to consider.
While I was working on this post, I saw many twin beds that are marketed as children’s beds and I think it’s a mistake in some cases. There is nothing about these beds that says “juvenile.”
Therefore, it seems to me that those brands are losing a share of the marketplace. And, it’s a pretty large one. Those folks might not want to buy something that’s supposed to be for someone 50 or more years younger.
Well, I hope that gave y’all some good ideas about sophisticated twin beds for grownups.
xo,
PS: Please check out the newly updated hot sales!
PPS: It’s true that a decade or two ago, it was difficult to find wonderful sophisticated bed linens for twin beds.
Well, not anymore. Please check out the bed and bath sales pages for some of my favorite bed linens. I can’t promise that every style will be available in a twin size. Sometimes they sell out of sizes.
Boll and Branch – Sublime brand of organic bed linens
But, also you can check out – One Kings Lane. The promo code OKL20CARD works for their Matouk linens and some of the other brands. But Matouk is my favorite brand they carry.
Pottery Barn. And, not kids or teen, but regular adult PB has fabulous linens. At the moment they’re on sale with code: FALL
Serena and Lily. – Superb collection of linens, throws and pillows. Some are on sale and most are available in twin bed sizes.
Of course, there’s a lot more, but that should probably suffice for most people’s needs, for the time being.
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54 Responses
There may be a bathroom on the other side of the wall with the door in the middle. We used to own a house that had a few access panels for the plumbing.
Hi Elisabeth,
It is probably something like that.
My daughter sent me this link because my husband and I sleep in separate beds, too. I could not sleep with him since he is the worst cover hog!
To solve the problem of twin beds being too short, we opted for twin XL mattresses and frames from Saatva. We already had twin headboards.
Sounds terrific Patricia! I think it’s probably pretty common.
Quilts instead of comforters. Easier to wash. There are a lot of really nice ones available now.
Back in the day, wealthy families didn’t just have separate beds, they had separate bedrooms. If I remember correctly, the Pabst Mansion in Milwaukee had nearly identical his and her bedrooms, each outfitted with a twin and a full bed, plus a sitting area. Thought that was a practical arrangement with a lot of possibilities, and room to board a sick child or a nurse if needed.
For only $32,000, you could have this cool canopy paneled bed with two twin mattresses. Never seen anything like it before, but I’m sure you could hire a carpenter to fabricate something similar for much less.
Oh my, that is pretty intense. And one would need a ten foot ceiling, minimum.
Laurel, could you write about tile layouts? If you could recommend any book/ website or anything it would be more than enough. When I look at Michael Smith’s tile layout options I just can’t get how he did… tile rules…
Hi Lils,
I’m not sure what you’re referring to. It’s quite a vast subject, actually. I would look on pinterest for ideas that will suit your particular home and style you’re going for.
my folks also had what is called a ” dual king.” it is actually two TWIN frames ( complete with casters) and one headboard. There was no foot board. The headboard was attached to the wall with brackets. The beds were easy to separate as they were in indiv frames. They used a king bedspread so that when the bed was made it looked like a king.
Thanks Barbara. Sounds good.
Beautiful rooms and great choice of topic, Laurel. I also like the comment about always having a room with two twins if possible. And if space is a concern, doesn’t it seem like two twins with a chest in between can come up less wide than a king with a bedside table on each side? Yet each guest still has room they need.
Also, regarding any European hotel at which I’ve ever stayed, if they advertised a king or queen, it’s usually two twins pushed together, sometimes with the box spring (if there were any) rotated 90 degrees to keep them together. Two-queen rooms are rare as hen’s teeth there- family rooms were usually a double with a twin. Rarely, two doubles. We are spoiled by space, I think. But more and bigger is not always the right option, as these gorgeous rooms show!
Hi Danielle,
I think in all things, more and bigger is not always better. That is, unless it’s something like love. :]
I love twin beds. They’re elegant and opulent, especially when decorated like the James Farmer via House Beautiful one.
Agreed!
Hi Laurel,
My husband & I can’t sleep together either. He snores. So he goes to the guest room at night.
I loved the picture you showed in the beginning of your post of the old ad for North Star blankets. I haven’t seen blankets with the satin binding for so long. Boy did that
bring back memories. Thanks! 😘
Hi Mary,
My solution for snoring is a loud fan. But, a different room works too, if one is available.
Thank you Charlene for confirming my memory. I was concerned that people might think that the poor old dear(me) is truly losing her mind. I wonder what every happened to the idea of two twin beds with a king headboard.
What a wonderful post! Thank you for all the inspiration. I’ve been looking back at some of your previous posts to see if I could find the answer to my question so I didn’t have to bother you.
I have always used a king sized duvet or coverlet on our queen sized bed. We are thinking of buying a king sized mattress, and am now wondering what to do for a spread? I don’t have the patience to tuck in all the blankets each time I make the bed so they don’t show! Yes, I know, I guess I’m lazy, or wait, I’ll just say that I want to spend my time on more exciting projects!
Thank you for all the inspiration!
Hi Jane,
You could have custom bedding made.
Unfortunately, I have a full size bed in our guest room and it is too short for our son-in-law! I’m short and it never occurred to me that full mattresses are shorter than queen & king!
Hi Cheryl,
Sorry it took me so long to moderate your comment. Sometimes, I wish there was two of me. My son makes do nicely with 67″ of sleeping space on my sofa and he’s 6′-3″. I mean, can’t your S-I-L simply bend his legs a little? Better for his back, too. Problem solved.
Yes! When my sister and I were teens (about 60 years ago), she and I shared a bedroom, and we had a king size headboard with twin beds and some kind of louver mechanism that allowed you to pull them apart for making them up, cleaning under them, etc. Oh, but we were proud of that furniture, French provincial, all the rage then. Our mother made the bedspreads and curtains in a pink roses print. Still feel a bit sad when I think of that room. My sister died when she was only 16, but the three of us shopping for and decorating that room is one of my favorite memories.
Hi Charlene,
Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss and so many years ago. I too, shared a room with my sister between the ages of three and a half and eight and a half when she went off to college. But, of course, she came home sometimes. My mom also sewed our curtains and dust ruffles. She might’ve made the bedspreads too.
It’s funny, but by the time I was six, wasn’t too fond of the material for the curtains. It was a rainbow hombre of pastels; just not my thing. And the walls were an insipid pale, pale gray blue. The furniture was a blond oak? I never cared much for that either.
So, when I was 14 and we were visiting my uncle in Wisconsin who had a furniture store, she let me pick out some new furniture.
It was darker and “early American” NOT. HAHA. But, I was as happy as can be, at the time. Thinking back on it now, it makes me cringe.
I loved this post. Gorgeous examples of beautiful decorating. So inspiring. Thank you!
Thank you too Emily!
The elegant minimalist bedroom with plaid blankets is : “Beautiful canopy beds at the Tuscan home of interior designer Mimmi O’Connell.”
Thank you so much Anne! I’m going to add the credit in, right now.
What a great post. I love that room by Bruce Budd. I have an older house that was built when people lived quite differently than they do now. There is an upstairs bedroom that was surely designed as a children’s bedroom, with space for two twin beds. I’ve often wondered how to tackle this room so that it can double as a children’s room, but also as a pretty, functional guest room. Thanks, as always, for the wonderful post, Laurel.
Hi Lisa,
I love that room too. I recognize the pillow cases in front from Biscuit Home. But am wondering where the sheets are from. They are similar to the ones at Matouk at OKL, but have one less ribbon border.
Oh wait! I found it! Matouk does make it but on their own website. It comes in ten colorways including the lovely blue. And, they have free samples, one can order; up to ten.
However, if one gets the OKL version (Collana Duvet set) which has a double stripe and is still very smart looking, with the promo code: OKL20CARD, it’s half the price of the one in the Bruce Budd image. One reason it’s so much less is because the OKL version comes with the shams as a set.
Just want to throw this in in the hopes it doesn’t get thrown back at me. About 60 years ago, when I was very young, my parents had friends who slept in twin beds with one headboard. The beds were on some kind of hinge or wheel or something so that they could swing out to be “made” for the day, then put back together. Of course, at that age I didn’t check to see exactly how they were constructed, but I do remember being impressed at how good they looked and how well they worked.
Hi Mary,
Actually, that sounds like a brilliant idea! They should have a similar mechanism for bunk beds. I’m wondering if I’m the only person who scrapes off the top layer or two of skin every time I put on my fitted sheet. I remember seeing our cleaning lady do it and they took the mattress out of its frame. Both that bed and my current bed do not require a box spring and the mattress sits down in the wood frame, about 3.5 inches.
Taking it out of the frame is not easy for me either. Oh well. This should be the worst problem any of us have. :]
Thank you for this timely post, Laurel. We are moving our two girls into one room soon. Seems like a lot of the twin sets I see on Pinterest are against a wallpaper accent wall. I remember you saying you only like accent walls with a purpose. Thoughts?
Ugh, me tired today. Please don’t ask me to think. (too hard) My thinking caps are all in the laundry.
Great post Laurel. I love all the examples. I am laughing at the question above because we also have a dog who likes to sleep on our bed during the day and prior to us getting in at night, plus she’s been known to sneak up there during the night. I have duvet covers from Maiwa prints; they are based in Vancouver. They have a lot of beautiful dark hand printed textiles on nice thick cotton from India. They are easy to wash and brush/shake off.
Sounds great Margaret. Thanks for sharing that source. I don’t mind if others comment on someone else’s issue, but am trying to avoid turning the comment area into a forum as it could get out of hand. It’s the same reason I can’t give individual help.
I wish folks would understand how impossible it is. Not only am I frequently working to the very ends of my limit; the only way to make it possible is to not answer any of the comments and hire someone to do that in my place. And perhaps that person could also do the interior design consults, but there would need to be a hefty fee for that. That’s what some other bloggers do. (no names)
It’s very difficult to do in a responsible way, long distance and it requires lots of clear photos. ugh. I tried it and it was making me nuts.
Laurel, I take your point about 2 queens looking like a hotel room, but unless you want to have everything, ( mattress, bedding, etc) custom made, twins or fulls are too short for many adults. If room is large enough, queens make more sense to me.
Hi Laura,
I see your point,as well, but please see my comment below regarding my 6′-3″ son. Of course, if it’s a super large bedroom, the queens should be fine. It’s only a few inches different. And I think also doing something like a four poster would be a good idea.
Question about twin bed size… if one puts twin beds into a guest room, and the person that is sleeping is 6 feet tall, isn’t this going to be a problem? Id love twin beds but I worry about providing comfort to those who are on the taller scale.
X-L twins are an option, but its hard to find bed frames that fit, without spending a fortune. IDEAS?
Hi Colleen,
My son is 6′-3″ and when he stays over, he doesn’t bother to pull out the sofa. So, his mattress is only 25″ x 67″, so he’s down by eight inches. He does just fine with that. Or, at least, he’s not complaining. :] I wouldn’t bother with the extra long twin beds, unless someone is ultra tall and it’s their every night bed. It’s also more difficult to find sheets for them. The only other thing is to perhaps do twin beds that don’t have a foot board.
beautiful post Laurel, I have always loved that schumacher fabric and lament I didn’t purchase some drapes made with it. I think every house if it has enough bedrooms should have one with 2 twin beds. I have the RH quatrefoil fabric panel bed which is now discontinued so at some point it will have to go bye bye and I’ll buy a set. I think my favorite image is the James Farmer bedroom. Blessings. Sarah
Thanks so much Sarah!
Laurel, I noticed the door in the Gil Schafer room straightaway & thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I have never looked for twin beds, however, I pleased with how many gorgeous choices there are. I’m swooning over the Bruce Budd Room. Although I equally adore the rooms by James Farmer, Gary McBournie & Andrew Brown. Pure talent! P.S. surprised you only alluded to the shows in the 60s where all tv couples slept in twin beds. As a kid I remember wondering why Rob & Laura Petrie slept in twin beds, but my parents didn’t. I slept in a twin but always wanted a giant bed like my parents so I could roll around 🤣
Hi Dee,
Yes, I could’ve done more with the twin beds from the 60s, but actually forgot. In fact, I published the post and then went back and added in the image I found.
My grandparents had twin mattresses pushed together but with a king headboard and bedspread. So basically they had their own mattress and sheet sets.
Hi Cathy,
Yes, that could work. Actually, a king is two twins in width. A classic King, that is. California King is a little narrower, but longer.
Great post and gorgeous beds! Is there a minimum ceiling height when considering an 84″ high canopy frame? Some of these appear to be close to the ceiling which, to my eye, gives the impression of a high ceiling even if it isn’t.
Also a question regarding the masculine bedroom article (I tried posting a comment to that blog but received an error message each time). Is there anything to keep in mind if wanting to use a neutral greige (BM Classic Gray) paint color in a young man’s bedroom?
Thanks so much!
84″ should be fine in a room with an eight-foot ceiling. Regarding the classic gray for a young man’s bedroom. I would do samples. Sometimes it can skew slightly lavender. Look at Revere Pewter. That might be a better choice.
My parents always had twin beds in their bedroom. My dad’s work took him out of town on extended travel, so they both were very use to sleeping in 2 beds. Their room was large and it never looked out of place.They had a lovely 50 years together.
My grandparents had twin beds and I thought the same. Actually, I believe that each was a full bed.
I love guest rooms with twin beds, and all of these are just beautiful! The problem these days with twin beds is that it’s becoming harder to find twin sheets that aren’t kiddie. Regarding the black toile, it’s “West Indies toile” from B & F, which is now owned by Kravet. It’s always been one of my favorites and sadly, is discontinued, although they still have some stock.
Hi Diana,
It sounds like you missed this sentence in the post. “I did find the wallpaper, but it’s just about discontinued. And, actually it’s at Kravet not B & F.” And, actually, they now have it listed at Kravet, not even B & F which, yes, is owned by Kravet. I don’t know why they switched it. It is available in other colorways, but stock is limited there too. That’s why I didn’t bother to name it. That, in addition to time getting away from me.
For twin sheets, please check out Serena and Lily
and Matouk over at One Kings Lane.
There are other great sources and I should’ve stated some of them as well.
What to do with a bedroom that includes 2 adults & 2 dogs who sleep in bed with us? We certainly can’t use light colored bedding, plus we eat snacks in bed. We need dark & comfy bedding that is easy to clean. Suggestions? And we hate white walls.
Yes, hire an interior designer. It’s not easy, is it?