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How to Style a Dramatic Bedroom using Tree Branches

I love branches and natural elements in decor, so when I was setting up my feminine master bedroom in the first house I owned, in 2010, I decided to playfully try integrating a small tree into my bedroom to add whimsy and woodland spirit to my monochromatic Grey bedroom.

hiding a window behind a headboard

1st Attempt:

I wish I’d been a better photographer during the season of my life when this real tree was decoration in my bedroom. Nevertheless, here are a few of the photos I have of my bedroom during this time period.

I didn’t love how this room turned out with the tree, so after a few months I retired it, and satisfied myself with a homemade woodland chandelier until I had a chance to make another attempt.

A cozy bedroom with live branches
A cozy bedroom with live branches

2nd Attempt:

A few years later (and as you can see, much father in my development as a photographer!) I helped a friend outfit a house she’d recently purchased to operate as an Airbnb. In the bedroom below: branches were introduced as a way to soften the wall behind.

hiding a window behind a headboard

To create this wall of “trees” behind the headboard we actually had a bigger design challenge: there was a window behind the bed!

With no good way to work around the window and use the light, we decided to hide the window behind the bed via the method I’ve used before and outlined in my article on how to hide a window behind a bed, and it worked like a charm. This pretty white curtain was the end result, but it looked a little too bland in the bright white room.

Trees were a charming FREE way to add interest behind the headboard in this bedroom. To secure these trees, a long shallow cardboard box was sourced, weighted down, and placed on the floor behind the headboard. X’s were cut in the top of the cardboard box at intervals and branches were inserted through the X’s.

How to use a Deciduous Tree Branch in your Decor Indoors:

The first stop is locating a tree. Using a branch is actually a good way to procure a bedroom sized “tree”. Branches tend to be somewhat flat on one side, while branching deeply on other sides. In this growth pattern, the tree actually shapes the branch well to be used for an indoor tree- the flat portion can be placed against the wall while the deeper branched portion can reach gently over furniture.

I secured the branch in my bedroom using heavy zip ties. These zip ties secured the branch to my embossed vintage metal bed frame. In the second attempt, we created a hidden base using a weighted cardboard box tucked behind furniture.

Filling in a Sparse Tree:

In areas where the tree seemed thin, I zip-tied additional branches to the thin branch to provide fill

IMPORTANT:  It’s important to cut your branch From a living tree. Live branches bend, dry branches crack and disintegrate. Drying, however, takes many months. If you cut, move, and arrange a dry branch you’ll loose many twigs, but cutting a branch from a live tree means the branches and twigs will tolerate the movement and arrangement with little damage.

I cut my branch in spring before trees leafed out, but any time of year should work (though summer will leave you the challenge of leaves to contend with)

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You may wish to add lights at this point. Back in 2011 I experimented with lighting my tree with Christmas lights and didn’t love the result, but now that metal wire twinkle LED lights are affordable I think wrapping the branches would create a romantic and whimsical result.

Sandra B.

Tuesday 30th of January 2018

love the way this looks ,just what my bedroom needs!