How to Make This Tiny Bedroom More Functional

Our homes are getting smaller just as we’re all spending more time in them and living with housemates more than ever, thanks to skyrocketing costs that have been rising faster than income for more than two decades. As we are increasingly forced to use rooms in different ways, bedrooms are really feeling the squeeze on space. Since an extra bedroom can increase resale value by as much as 15% , there’s motivation to list even the tiniest of spaces (the minimum bedroom size is considered to be around 70 square feet , which is pretty small, but people will call any old closet with a window a bedroom).

If you have one of those tiny bedrooms that makes you feel claustrophobic, you can try to maximize the space to make it feel larger. But you also have to consider the functionality of the room: a bedroom that only has beds and no room is not very comfortable or comfortable. But you can turn even the smallest bedroom into a functional space with a little planning. Here are a few things to consider.

Buy furniture that is the right size.

The first thing to consider is the size of your furniture . Unless you’re obsessed with the things you already have, buying furniture that’s the right size for the space is the first step to making it function as a space:

• Beds: Start with the size of the room. The 7′ x 10′ bedroom is designed for a single bed. If you have about 100 square feet to work with, you can go full. Larger beds probably won’t work for a tiny bedroom: if you need a double bed, you’ll need a little more space – a room measuring 10 by 11 feet or so will do. And for a King or California King, you’ll need at least 144 square feet (a 12-by-12-foot room).

• Other furniture. For other furniture, you might want to look for “apartment-sized” or “small space” pieces designed for use in tight spaces . A small chest of drawers that creates storage issues but allows you to walk around the room is better than a full-size item that forces you to walk around the bedroom.

Optimize your layout

Once you’ve chosen the furniture for the room, the next step is to think about the layout. In a tiny bedroom, you’ll want to use the room’s existing features:

• Bed placement. Generally speaking, large beds (king and queen) should be placed in the center of the room, with the head of the bed facing the wall, allowing access to both sides of the large mattress (unless you like the idea of ​​climbing over someone every time you need to go to the bathroom). and full and twins should be hidden in corners in a small space. However, choose your bed placement based on your room and lifestyle. If there is only one person on the bed, that king can be cornered without penalty.

• Create paths. Any layout that allows you to move freely around the space is suitable for a tiny room. Place your bed by a window, push it against one wall, place it in the middle of the room—anything that provides a reasonable path to get from the door to whatever you need (closet, bed, dresser, etc.). ) is the right way.

• Use existing features. Consider what the room already offers. For example, if the window has a large sill, consider placing the bed sideways to the window and using the sill as an ersatz nightstand, eliminating the need for an additional piece of furniture. You can even extend the window sill with shelving to deepen it and make it more useful. Or, if your tiny bedroom has a surprisingly large closet, you can turn it into a bedside nook, push the bed into the closet and free up the rest of the floor space – in fact, you can put dressers in the closet too. or create a casual “office” by adding a desk.

• Universal furniture. Eliminate unnecessary parts by making what you have do double duty. If you want a desk in your bedroom, placing it on the side of the bed can also serve as a bedside table, for example. And if you choose a small bed anyway, switching to a daybed can allow it to serve as a relaxing area during the day.

Get parts with built-in storage

Storage is a challenge in a tiny space, even if it’s a regular bedroom with a closet. If you have the opportunity to buy special furniture for this space, choose pieces with built-in storage to save space and keep walkways open:

• Captain’s bed. The bed is a great feature here: you can think of a captain’s bed as a kid’s bed, but having drawers built into the bed itself can allow you to ditch the dresser entirely. Add a bookcase headboard and your bed can provide all the storage you need without taking up an inch of floor space.

• Murphy bed. You might also consider storing the bed itself by installing a Murphy bed (or an alternative ) that keeps the floor clear when you’re not actively using it.

Use the walls

If there is a goal to make a tiny bedroom functional, it is “maximizing floor space.” Keeping things off the floor will make it easier to move around the room and make it appear larger. There are many ways to remove things from the floor:

• Shelving

• Folding tables and chairs

• Floating nightstands

• Sconces or pendant lamps

By hanging as much as possible on the wall, you can use all the functionality without overwhelming the space or making it impossible to navigate.

Add attic

One effective way to make even the tiniest bedroom usable is to install a loft bed. This allows you to leave the floor open for other uses, be it a home office, sitting area or clothing storage. You can find loft beds as large as twins , as long as you have the ceiling height to work comfortably.

Remove doors

If the bedroom has a closet or bathroom, consider removing the doors or replacing them with pocket doors or barn doors. Traditional and bi-fold doors require clear floor space, which limits furniture placement options and creates dead space that you can’t use for any other purpose. Removing or replacing them can free up several square feet of space for furniture, storage, or create a usable walkway.

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