Most spare bedrooms (bedrooms designated as rooms other than the master bedroom) are pretty small, especially in newly constructed homes. On average, a spare bedroom is 11X12 feet. That barely allows space enough for a full-sized bed and dresser, which means when it comes to outfitting a spare bedroom, you’ve got to get creative to make use of every bit of space you have.
In most homes, these spare bedrooms are usually used for children’s bedrooms and guest rooms. It can be a challenge to figure out how to fit an entire bedroom suite in a small bedroom without having a room that looks incredibly cramped, and it often doesn’t allow for any other space for creative activity like playing. If you have a teenager using the room and they need a dedicated space to study, they may be limited to their bed if they’ve got a bed that’s too big for the room in the first place.
The decision to create a guest room can also be a tough one. If you only have one spare room, you may not want to use it as a room that only gets used by a guest one week out of the year, especially if you’re super limited on space elsewhere. That room could likely be better used as a family game room or study area.
Outfitting a small bedroom can be difficult, but with a few tips and tricks, you can create a space that feels larger and is super functional. You just need some creative, solution-based tools and furniture that help get the job done in style. The most important thing to remember is that even when conserving space, you’ve got to remain comfortable.
We can help with that. At CordaRoy’s, we’ve been manufacturing comfort since 1998. We make sure all our products meet the highest level standards in terms of function, design, style, and of course, comfort.
We’re also experts at helping you get the most space out of a small area. Our products are solutions-based and can help you save space and create space where there is seemingly none left. As such, we’ve got five great tips to help you reclaim every last ounce of space available in your small bedroom and keep it open and functional.
1. Use the Walls
An oft-overlooked aspect of any room when considering functionality is the use of wall space. Wall space is more than just a place to hang a pretty picture. Look at your walls through a whole new lens and view them as a means of storage instead of just a landscape for artwork. You will find that the storage type devices you use on your walls become pieces of art themselves.
For instance, a child’s room usually has a bookshelf filled with their books. A heavy bookshelf can sometimes be a safety hazard if it isn’t bolted to the wall, not to mention it takes up a large space in a small room. A better option is to use hanging ledge-styled bookshelves. These bookshelves only stick out about half a foot from the wall and are perfect for stacking books so that they are more accessible and viewable by your child.
In the space you’ve freed up on the floor, consider using a beanbag chair to create a reading space, which will encourage your child to grab a book and sit down to read. A reading nook is a great way to promote the love of reading from an early age, and making books comfortable and accessible is key to getting the job done.
2. Convertible Furniture Is King
One of the best uses of space in a small bedroom is investing in pieces of convertible furniture. Consider this: a bed takes up more than three-quarters of the size of a small bedroom. While it’s definitely a necessity that a bedroom provides a place for you to rest your head, you can do better than attempting to stuff a sized queen bed into a twin-sized room. Convertible furniture may be the solution to your problems.
Convertible furniture is essentially one piece of furniture that operates as two pieces. Think of coffee tables that also adjust and move up so they can be used as tray tables for eating. The same can be found in small bedroom furniture.
Consider the use of a convertible bean bag chair. If you’ve got a small room and would like to focus on usability for reasons other than sleeping, you can use a convertible bean bag chair that operates as an incredibly comfortable chair by day and a bed by night. Every CordaRoy’s bean bag chair unzips to reveal an actual bed inside. Each of our bean bags is filled not with polystyrene beads, but with a mattress stuffed with furniture grade polyurethane foam that allows our mattresses to be some of the most comfortable you will ever lay upon.
Using a convertible bean bag chair for your main sleeping arrangements may seem a bit unorthodox, but we think it’s a brilliant idea. If your space is small, chances are you don’t want to have to rely on your bed as your seating when you want to relax and read a book or work on your tablet. A good-sized bean bag chair can provide comfortable seating that allows you to use the rest of the room for other purposes. When it’s time to sleep, simply unzip the outer cover of the bean bag chair, and remove the mattress. Add your pillows and blankets, and enjoy a fabulous night’s sleep.
When morning comes, your bedding folds up just as easily as it was taken out so you can enjoy your room the remainder of the day.
3. Keep it Clutter-Free
One of the biggest issues you will have with a small bedroom is eliminating clutter, which can make the room appear smaller and feel more cramped. A great way to eliminate this clutter is by using large storage bins to accommodate necessities that must be in the room without it looking junky or cluttered.
For instance, if you have a large amount of jewelry, you can invest in a wall-hanging jewelry holder instead of keeping your jewelry in a large jewelry armoire. Additionally, you can opt for other pieces of convertible furniture to conceal things like bedding and pillows. A great option for keeping your bed pillows and a blanket or two concealed is a footstool that holds your bedding inside. This functionality allows you to use another piece of furniture for your comfort during the day while simultaneously keeping your bedding concealed from sight.
Convertible furniture like this and the use of things for dual purposes can really add up to giving added space and organization to a room that is small. It can help keep the room open and give the illusion of added space where there is little space to be had.
4. Natural Light
One of the best ways to create a larger-looking space in a small room is by making use of all available natural lighting. If your room doesn’t have access to much natural light, you can easily create the illusion of natural lighting by opting for different types of fixtures and bulbs that illuminate in the same manner.
If you do have access to natural light, it’s important that you don’t jeopardize it while attempting to maintain privacy. Make sure that any window treatments you select are ethereal and sheer so that the majority of the natural lighting is preserved. You’ll also want to avoid dark colors on your windows, as this can affect how the light filters through the windows.
5. Accent Walls
It may be tempting to paint every wall in your small room the same color to give it more character and appeal, but painting all the walls can create a smaller looking space, even if the color is a neutral shade. Opt instead to paint an accent wall, which can add a fresh pop of color to your room, help maintain the personality of the space, and retain the openness and spaciousness the room needs.
When considering an accent wall, you can even opt to go dark with the color. For a small room, a dark colored accent wall can give depth to a room that is otherwise fairly plain.
In Summary
Creating space in a small room is easy when you have the right tools for the job. Consider using your walls for storage and not just decoration, and always try to find dual uses for the items you need to have in your bedroom. A chair can become a bed, and a footstool can become handy storage.
Natural light will open up a room and give it the look of open space, so it’s important that any natural light you have available in a room is preserved as much as possible. Convertible furniture is a no-nonsense and completely comfortable way to outfit a small bedroom with the things you need and save the space you have.
Sources:
https://www.doorwaysmagazine.com/average-bedroom-size/
https://www.thespruce.com/accent-walls-tips-essential-dos-donts-797861
