Box Bedrooms: Designing Small Sleeping Spaces

Many property listings rely on box rooms to up their bedroom count and with prices increasing it’s no surprise that so many of us end up with small rooms to work with. In the case of bedrooms, rethinking the traditional layout of such a room can help avoid design and furniture overwhelm, and minimising the amount of ‘stuff’ within can help the space appear not quite so small. 
There are lots of clever ways to curate a small bedroom to best optimise the space – so read on for our top design ideas.

Use every awkward space… for storage

Savvy storage solutions are a must for wherever space is at a premium. Using awkward corners, nooks and crannies, bespoke storage spaces provide the ability for you to shove away all your ‘stuff’ and create a room that feels clutter-free – which in turn increases the feel of space, even where there isn’t much of it. Concealed storage can be also placed under beds, in units or under tables. 

Use reflective surfaces

Reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, can increase the feeling of continuing space when used cleverly – we’ve all walked into a shop, bar or restaurant and thought it was larger than it was, only to realise later that it was just smart mirroring. Mirrored wardrobes, a mirror on the wall and other mirrored furniture can all help give the illusion of more light and space than there is actually. 

Get clever with paint

The way walls are decorated can surprisingly shape a room in a way that many don’t consider when decorating. Avoid crowded patterns and paint walls in different light hues to create space. Combinations of colours can be used to paint a block border around the room and looking online will help provide inspiration for other optical illusions. 

Invest in a storage headboard

For rooms where space is in really short supply, utilise that taken up by your headboard by buying a new one with space inside or on a surface. Hotel-style headboards often double up as a shelf, so with a power socket installed nearby you can use it for bedside lamps, phone chargers, books and/or other necessary ornaments or items. There’ll be no need for bedside tables!

Store upwards

Pick a wardrobe or storage unit that fits all the way up to the ceiling, and install it. Stacking storage solutions optimises on the vertical space that is so often otherwise ignored and no matter how much you get in, won’t take up any additional floorspace. If there is any space above the wardrobe, use this too for boxes and baskets of other items.

Double up on surface usage

You have to multi-task in everyday life, so why shouldn’t your furniture? Make your dressing table double as a desk by installing a power socket near and clearing away the products to fit a laptop and/or writing supplies on. Using boxes or decorative baskets, sort everything away for both uses so they’re at the end of your fingertips when you do need one or the other. 

Wall mount lighting

 If you can’t rely on a single light fitting in the centre of the room and do need something smaller for more ambience or comfort, instead consider wall mounted lamps. They will free up surface and/or floor space compared to more standard lighting options.

Buy furniture with sliding doors

Wardrobes, drawers and bedside tables need to open to put in and remove items, but doors take up valuable space that you can’t use for anything else. Buying furniture with sliding doors allows you to put more in close proximity to them with no impact on the storage space within.

Utilise symmetry

The illusion of more space can be created by fitting furniture to either side of the room and having a sharp straight walkway between. For twin rooms, try mirroring either side with identical beds and furniture. 

Decorate a feature wall

If you feel too limited by needing to use bright and neutral colours so as not to make the room appear too closed in, creating a feature wall presents a good compromise. It’s still not advised to use colours that are dark or patterns that are too crowded, but chunky wall stickers or clever fablon can make a wall look to be exposed brick, wood panelling or just decorated intricately.

When hanging lights, hang them low

To create the illusion of vertical height in a room, hang a single light lower than you would usually. The longer-than-standard wire adds length and can make a ceiling appear higher up than it actually is. This doesn’t necessarily need to apply to the room’s central or main light fitting, but can instead work for a light over a sideboard, table or even bedside cabinet.

Make the bed work for you

When space is really tight, a bed can overwhelm a room – and you only ever spend time in it asleep anyway! Having a sofa or fold-out bed (in instances where there is enough room) gives somewhere comfortable to sit during the day; maximising the room’s use. Where the room is used often and not primarily just for getting a good kip, a bed that folds up onto a wall may be beneficial. This can just be folded back down as and when needed. 

Hang things!

Wall space is often only used for hanging pictures and paintings but lots can be hung from hooks or pegs. Pinboards can display important documents, pegs can show off clothes, medals and accessories, and hooks can be used to hang small boxes and crates for smaller items. Shelves can be stacked and hung in patterns to maximise wall space.
Just because a bedroom is small doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable to be in; it will only feel as cramped as you let it. Getting creative with small spaces can be fun and you know what they say… the best things come in small packages!

Get in touch!

Whether you know exactly what you want for your small bedroom, or you are in need of some inspiration for creative space options or looking to solve storage solutions, get in touch with one of our experts for a free consultation today.