Proxemics in the bedroom

  The bedroom is typically a private room designed from an individual’s reflection of one’s personality.  The bedroom is one of our primary territories looked at with high importance. The psychology behind how we incorporate proxemics into our bed room design is astounding.
    Privacy is an important commodity in everyone’s life. It is a boundary- control process that regulates our nonverbal interaction with others. When living in a small college apartment with three other girls, any kind of privacy is hard to come by. I have adapted my own communication privacy management as a way to establish my own space around the apartment. With the use of proxemics I have organized my room to focus on the three fundamental areas of proxemics: space, distance and territory, thus creating the social order and intimate environment I desire.
     When first glancing into my room, the main focal point is my bed positioned right in the middle of my room. This places you in the correct mind set because a bedroom is an area primary used for sleep. Since a bedroom is typically a place of relaxation and rest there are many objects that we label as our primary territories. In my room I would place my bed and clothing as my most important primary territories. By adorning my bed with sheets and pillows of my choice I am clearly marking that this is my possession and that any kind of territorial violation will not be welcomed.
     The other semi fixed features in my room have ways to convey meaning to both myself and to others. The Television in my room may be in the corner but it is definitely in a socio-petal space. The way it is diagonally positioned against the wall makes it simple for everyone to see it in my room no matter where they stand, promoting involvement and bringing everyone together. While my clothing in the back corner creates a socio- fungal feel because those are more personal items, it is preferable that they are withdrawn in the corner and not out for everyone to see.
       I have signaled that this room is my territory by the use of indexical markers. I have decorated my walls with things that have personal meaning to me like my sorority letter and pictures of my family and friends. By the use of proxemics and how you design your room can nonverbally alter the messages you’re sending. Keeping the fundamentals of proxemics in mind can teach you to convey the nonverbal messages you desire.