To ask for your amazing box room solutions?

[Islands81]

Poor dd2 drew the short straw and has the tiniest box room in the world. We’ve been here 5 years and I’m currently in the process of binning/donating pretty much all the stuff she had that she never plays with (12 bin bags and counting!).

She refuses to sleep in her high up bed anymore because she once saw a spider (she’s being assessed for ASD and gets a bed in her bonnet about stuff) , so at her request I’ve now bought her a day bed, which has drawers and a pull out trundle underneath. So the big bed is going which is going to create a storage nightmare.

She still has a fuck ton of stuff she claims she can’t part with which is in my room at the moment. Toys, organised into big storage boxes, books, games, the biggest hamster cage in the world, sparkly bags and all that shit. Currently her clothes are not in her room and I can’t see that changing. Where the feck am I going to put all this stuff?

I’ve included a pic so you can see my problem. Please don’t judge the mess (it’s a work in progress!) or the hideous pink walls (she chose them a few years ago and they’re going).

Please share any box room storage miracles that you have!

This thread has been so useful! I’ve been desperate to sort out my second child’s room (currently has a cot bed but needs a bigger bed) and if genuinely hadn’t occurred to me that a bed would actually fit under the window. The only snag is the radiator is under the window too. Not terrible I suppose, but not idea either.

DH has built in a platform bed in our box room with storage under and a desk across the end of the room. This is for a teenager though and he only really has his computer and a few hoodies.

He also has the use of a small cupboard on the landing and anything shared like lego or board games is in the larger bedroom.

In my last house I took down the ceiling, put in a velux and created a double height space with sleeping platform and ladder for ds. A bit drastic but it worked.

We had problems with our dd's room as the only sensible alcove for a bed was too short for a standard single. We ended up getting a mid sleeper from
www.boxroombed.co.uk, but they also do other options too.

missymayhemsmum, that sounds fantastic. I like the idea of going upwards tho into the loft and creating a den.

Our smallest room is about 6ft x 6ft

I had some coat hooks screwed into DS2's door for him to hang bulkier hoodies and jumpers - he didn't have a wardrobe, just a chest of drawers so it gave us more drawer space.

He had a mid-sleeper so wasn't too high up and we could fit all of his toys / other stuff in boxes underneath.

TV was wall mounted.

Fold up camping chairs - he could have two mates on the bed and two on the chairs.

Making a bed from Kallax is a genius idea!

Why on earth would you put a trundle bed in a room that tiny??
Get a bed that fits across the window wall, with storage underneath.
Air bed for sleepovers.
Honestly a big trundle is just madness.

Ok update! I’m off to ikea tomorrow to get the extendable bed to go under the window, and I’m also going to get the wardrobe/drawers combination suggested upthread.

Paint has been purchased (light pink and glittery!). So going to crack on with painting ASAP but wanted to buy the furniture so that as soon as the paint’s dry I can get building.

However I’m having a right headache with this wall. The wardrobe is going to go along the long side of the room and this is obviously the door end of the room, and the only place that I could put a storage unit of some kind. The space I’ve got is 104cm wide and to just under the light switch is 87cm high. It’s a tough brief because it needs to not only hold a multitude of tat, but also house the world’s biggest hamster cage on top, so it needs to be not too high but quite deep.

Kallax doesn’t work for the space I have, would be ok if they did a 2 x 3 unit but they don’t (other places eg Argos do but the squares aren’t as big and wouldn’t be deep enough for the cage). I am at a bit of a loss to know what to get to put there. If anyone cleverer than me could suggest something I’d be grateful.

Sorry that should be 142cm high, not 87!

Put a 2 cube Kallax on top of a 4 cube.

Secure with strips of sticky back Velcro.

The Kallax 4x2 would probably fit as 77cm wide so if put against the corner I don’t think it would reach the light switch if you have 104cm across. And it’s only £40, you’ve then got all sorts of options for storage within it.

That would fit but it would be too high for the hamster cage 😭

The hamster cage dimensions are 80 long by 50 deep x 50 high.

Could just get a smaller hamster cage but that seems a bit mean for the hamster. And my house is tiny so there’s not really anywhere else it could go (plus it looks hideous so don’t really want it anywhere else!). This is my problem:

www.bitiba.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages/372015?gclid=CjwKCAiA1ZDiBRAXEiwAIWyNCyEkkjAZZyveJPcXz2fk_p5UJMd5wvvgu_drFBxJ-7O2SBrwd6M85xoCq28QAvD_BwE

I thought this was the answer to my prayers:

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/childrens-ikea-products/baby/changing-tables-nursing/stuva-changing-table-desk-white-art-20225334/

Would be perfect at changing table height to fit the bastard hamster cage, and then when dd is older she can change it into a desk. And it’s from the same range as the wardrobe so could get matching doors. But just measured the room and it’s 5cm too short because the changing table bit sticks out so much.

How about this toy box with the hamster cage on top then the shelving box fixed to the wall above? I’ve got 2 girls sharing a small room and a boy in a box room so I’m a bit obsessed with storage.

@sleepylittlebunnies I’ve been tossing and turning rearranging the room in my head, and just had the same thought! I think that could be the answer, and I could put a square of kallax over the cage on the wall, this size:

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/shelving-units-systems/kallax-shelving-unit-white-art-20275814/

The drawers wouldn’t be able to open fully on the box because of the wardrobe, but that’s not a massive problem as it’s on casters so can just wheel it over a bit to open it.

Problem solved! Thank you! And it works out cheaper than the other unit would have done.

So glad I found this thread, DD2 has the smallest room in our house, it’s downstairs and part of an extension. I bought a high sleeper with desk and wardrobe, measured it as I wanted it across the back wall, turns out it wouldn’t turn around to fit and Dah couldn’t build it without space at each end. DD2 hates it now and it makes her room look even smaller. She had a 8 cube Kallax in her room on its side as she has a 41/2 foot vivarium for her bearded dragon. She’s almost 13 so nearly full height and is a budding artist so needs a lot of desk space to draw and paint.

I’ll get a photo in a bit. The door is also at the other end near the window which doesn’t help

She hates the high sleeper but needs a largish desk, viv, clothes storage and bed

Sweetkitty have you seen the desk/bed that was on on of George Clarks programmes. It looks great and completely hides the bed when the desk is in use.

We had our boxroom fitted out in a sort of caravan/cabin style. Its probably about 8x6.

Basically DD has a desk height bed with drawers underneath on the longer wall.. Then above her bed is a row of cupboards with a shelf underneath. On the shorter wall, under the window is a desk, with some shelving on the wall next to the window. Between the other end of the bed and the wall containing the door is a very slim wardrobe.

As I say, we had it fitted. But easy enough to replicate the layout with IKEA stuff.

tinkly would you post a pic?

Okay, we have moved and no longer have a boxroom, but we did a similar layout in this room in our current house because DS, who had it at the time, wanted room for a drum kit.

Please excuse DD2's mess and imagine the window as being at the foot of the bed.

If you need a huge desk for your DD she could have an extra flap that opens out over the bed for when it's in use.

[[https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/219972763030131328/ box room bedroom design ideas]]

Ok. This thread is just what I need! I hope you don't mind islands81 that I muscle in as I have no advice for you I'm afraid! (Different age children).

@Alanna - can I ask he measurements of those rooms and do you buy the Kallax and then put a mattress on top?!

This is so inspiring. My son may have a nice bedroom soon! I hope so as I've been so interested in this thread, it's been 2/3 hours!

Thank you