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Current page: FIX-BED-DOOR-OPPOSITE-01
PatternRecommended

Bed not directly facing the bedroom door

FIX-BED-DOOR-OPPOSITE-01

Description

Beds should be placed against the wall opposite (or perpendicular to) the bedroom door — not on the door wall itself. This is the "command position" — the user sees the door without facing it directly, and the door arc doesn't strike the bed.

Why this exists

Sleeper feels exposed when the door swings open and they're in direct line of sight. Place the bed off-axis from the door swing.

Categories

AestheticBedroomPrivacy

Source

Christopher Alexanderno manifest entry
A Pattern Language (1977)
Section: Pattern 188 (Bed Alcove)
Published 2026-05-09 · last verified 2026-05-09

Solver enforcement

The constraint solver runs check function fix-bed-door-opposite-01 as a soft constraint with weight 5.

Backed by research

  • Beds feel most restful when placed in an alcove off-axis from the door swing — sleepers feel exposed when the door swings open and they're in direct line of sight.

    Alexander et al. (1977), Oxford University PressPattern 188view source ↗

See the full research bibliography for context. Our licensing principle describes how we cite published research without using the underlying datasets.

Plan symbols this applies to

These plan symbols invoke this directive when placed on a floor plan. Click any to see where it's drawn and what other rules apply to it.

Related directives

Last reviewed 2026-05-09.