Welcome to our minimalist master bedroom tour! This post has been in the works for quite a while. I held off on writing it because we’ve actually been sleeping upstairs in our guest room/office for the last nine months or so. Such is the reality of having a baby and a toddler!
With a master on the main floor and a baby who didn’t start sleeping through the night until recently, moving upstairs to be closer to the kids just made the most sense. The queen-size snuggling was nice and all, but boy does it feel good to be back in a king-size bed!
My main focus when designing this room was –you guessed it– quality sleep! I’m not going to lie, with a baby and a toddler there hasn’t been a whole lot of that happening the last 18 months. But now that Inés is sleeping through the night more consistently, we’re hoping it becomes a regular thing for all of us.
The hubs and I are much happier, relaxed people in open, uncluttered spaces, so we’ve tried to keep as much “stuff” out of our bedroom as possible. We have two favorite prints and a big round mirror on the wall in place of a television. In a perfect world, we’d eliminate all devices as well, but right now we use our phones as baby monitors at night so that probably won’t be happening for a while.
When we bought our home in 2016, the hubs and I decided to go all-in on the bedroom set. Back when we got married and were living in a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, we decided to hold off on buying our forever bedroom and settled for an inexpensive bed frame and Craigslist dressers instead. I’m so happy we did because this walnut set was worth the wait.
Our mattress is from Saatva, and we love it! I liked the idea of a Casper mattress but was a little worried the foam would be too hot for the hubs. Similar to Casper, Saatva sells direct-to-consumer which means you get a better quality mattress for less (no middle-man markup!), but the Saatva mattresses have coils which, I read, is better for hot sleepers. For those wondering, we went with the 11.5-inch Luxury Firm, and I’d order a mattress from them again in a heartbeat. Saatva also has a 120-day trial period, free delivery and free mattress removal. Woot!
Our sheets and duvet cover are from Brooklinen, another new-to-me company I’m a fan of. I tend to stick with white bedding because I once read that people associate it with luxury and relaxation. Interesting, right? We went with the Luxe line, and after purchasing the Classic for our guest bed, I can say the Luxe is definitely softer and worth the upgrade if bedding is important to you.
All white bedding can look a little stark, so I added a neutral, linen quilt, two big euros, and a bolster that I had made by a local seamstress with an inexpensive mudcloth.
The print above our bed is a photo I took at an elk refuge in Jackson Hole. It fits our “mountain modern” vibe perfectly, and the kids love it too! Ines used to stare at it constantly while nursing those first few months. I think she liked the contrast!
The sconces were another splurge, but after spending many, many hours looking for something similar and less expensive, we decided it was worth it to invest in fixtures we love. They dim almost to candle-light level — perfect for a romantic master retreat! 😉
To the left of our bed, we have a beautiful bison print by Sharon Montrose. I adore her work, especially her sweet baby animal images which are perfect for nursery walls and playrooms.
By the windows, we have a big Peace Lily, a little side table, a small brass lamp, and a chair. You know, for draping our PJs and other clothes that aren’t quite dirty enough to wash. One day we’ll have enough downtime to sit and enjoy the view from the window, but these are not those days.
PJs and gently worn jeans aside, we try to keep this space as clean and clutter free as possible. As I mentioned before, we both feel more relaxed and sleep better when our room is clean(ish). And let me tell you, sleep and relaxation are at a premium these days!
In the last corner of our minimalist master bedroom we have our dresser (ok, my dresser—sorry, Hubs), another potted plant, and a large floor mirror. The mirror is not only beautiful and functional, but provides our toddlers with lots of silly-face, booty-shaking entertainment.
One of the things I struggled with most when we first moved in was how empty our dresser looked. At first, I felt like it needed something more —a coffee table book, fancy bookends, or more plants. But soon I started noticing and appreciating the uncluttered, open spaces in our home and realized I didn’t need to fill them up with stuff. Now I think our dresser, actually the entire room, has all it needs.
I’m so happy to call this space home. I’ll leave you with a few tips for decorating a minimalist master bedroom of your own. Thanks for reading!
3 Tips for Creating a Minimalist Master Bedroom
1. Keep bedding basic. I’m a fan of all-white sheets and duvets. Not only because they feel luxurious and are visually relaxing, but they’re also bleachable. Add texture and warmth to a big white bed with a simple quilt and two or three throw pillows. Make your bed first thing when you get up every day. A room with an unmade bed looks cluttered no matter how minimalist it might be.
2. Unclutter flat surfaces. Flat surfaces collect stuff —dressers, bedside tables, shelves and most importantly, the floor. Move treasured family photos to a wall. Box up knick-knacks, books, photos and anything that doesn’t “spark joy” or have significant personal meaning. After a week, donate or sell what you haven’t truly missed. Recycle stacks of magazines and offload books hiding in your bedside table. Bring water glasses to the kitchen, hang up clean clothes and put dirty ones in the wash. Create as much open space on these flat surfaces as you can, and spend 1-2 minutes each day to keep it this way.
3. Add life with light and greenery. A little extra light and greenery go a long way and can up the zen-effect of any master bedroom. Boost natural light by hanging a large mirror on the wall. Add greenery with one or two small potted plants, or a big floor plant if you’ve got the room!
Looking for a particular item? Everything still available is linked below, some of which are affiliate links. These links provide a small commission and help support this little blog at no cost to you – so thanks!
Furniture
Bed frame, dresser and nightstands from the Grove Collection at Room & Board // Brass floor lamp // Black armchair // White side table // Pouf
Bedding
Mattress // Sheets and duvet cover (Luxe Sateen; get $25 off your first $100+ order with this link) // Quilt and Shams // Bolster (14×36” insert only)
Decor
Standing planters // Table lamp (no longer available but similar in blue, stone and white) // Round mirror // Floor Mirror // Sconces // Bison print // Area rug (no longer available but similar style) // Elk print (custom)
How and Why I Created a Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe
