All ideas welcome! Small bedroom, soon to be teenage DD.

[AlkalineHouse]

Due to change of circumstances, we have had to downsize. Alongside all the other issues, this has meant that DD (12) has had to move from a reasonable sized room (11x11ft) to one that is 7.5x7.5ft.

It feels much, much smaller, and we are struggling to find ways to make it work. The room is square (obviously) with a door at one end and the window on the opposite wall. The window is 5ft wide, which means the room is light, but there iseems to be no way of putting furniture in that doesn't obstructing the window (unless the furniture is very low).

We were thinking of buying/buildng a loft bed to maximise space, but this would obviously have to come across the window, whether it went in alongside the window, or with one end against it.

Ultimately, we need to get a bed, some hanging space and some storage space in there. An additional soft chair or desk space would be great.

We don't have much money to do this, and I have been looking on the web, but not seen anything that fits the room design so far. Any and all ideas really gratefully received . I really want to cheer DD up as we have all had a bit of a tough time recently. Thanks.

How about a folding bed? You pull it down at night and it goes away and looks like a cupboard front in the day?

Not sure of suppliers, though.

Hmm, wall bed might be a better way of saying it.

We used to have them in caravans when we went away as kids. Always novel to pull them down at night!

That's a good idea, but after a google, out of our budget, and I'm not sure our DIY skills are up to crafting one ourselves! Plus DD still has a huuuge collection of cuddlies on her bed - where would they go?! .

Very open to more ideas!

I went to ilea recently and they had a show room girls bedroom that was very small.
The furniture they used in it was great. Very space saving.
Do you live near one.

try "small bedrooms" in pintrest for lay out ideas

To be honest, I don't think loft beds are a great idea, unless there's no other way of fitting furniture in, and I think in your case, there is. Our spare room is the same size (a little skinnier on the window wall, a little longer on the other) and layout as yours. We have a single bed under the window, a chest of drawers right beside it, at the head, and a small wardobe (ikea pax, 50cm wide) beside that, right in the corner at the door end. It feels like the small room it is, but it's cosy rather than claustrophobic, which is how I always feel about rooms with loft beds. We've got a big mirror over the chest of drawers, and a table lamp on it, which doubles as a bedside light for our guests.

Now, if you can get a smallish chest of drawers that doubles as a desk, all you need to add is a stool, and you've got a study space. I've seen one somewhere... Will try to find a link. A comfy chair might be pushing it, but a couple of big floor cushions, or a beanbag, that can be stashed under the bed when not in use might do instead.

Vintage chest of drawers/desk. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Retro-G-Plan-Metamorphic-Desk-Drawers-Workstation-/231318210590?pt=UK_Antiques_AntiqueFurniture_SM&hash=item35dba3c81e

We are close-ish to IKEA - I will give them a go. Thank you ihatethecold.

wfrances - I am a Pinterest virgin, will investigate

Sandthorn - I think I agree with you about overcrowding the room, and I love the desk/drawers idea. I do think DD will need more in her room than just a bed, drawers and wardrobe though . Your idea sounds fine for a guest bedroom, but maybe a little spartan for a 12 year old DD, even if I get her to be ruthless with her stuff!

Thanks all!

We have just decorated DS' bedroom and we have used a Stompa High Sleeper like this high sleeper. The room is bigger than yours (8'9'' square) with a large window but it looks 10 times bigger than it did with a single bed. We bought the frame second hand off Ebay (just the bed frame), sanded it down, painted it white, and used his existing single mattress. We bought a futon (or sleepovers / having somewhere to sit & play on the Wii etc) and my husband made a desk similar to the picture. We also have an Expedit white cupboard / shelf unit in there (a 4 x 2 unit) which fits in a massive amount of clutter!

Daybed with storage boxes underneath, chest of drawers to double up as desk/dressing table, clothes rail, ? Tv (if she has one) on wall, I've seen a single shelf all around top of walls for books, looked quite striking.

We've got a similar problem with our dd's room, its about 7' x 7' but with a smaller window on the wall next to the door.

We have to fit ds1 and ds2 in and we have no chance of moving unless we win the lottery.

Ikea is good for ideas and they have some brilliant small rooms set up but it can be expensive to get the furniture.

We've got bunk beds on one wall an a double wardrobe and chest of drawers next to it. There's plastic boxes under the bed for toys (£15 ish for 5 from Argos but may have gone up).

DH is going to build a shelf unit type thing at the end of the bed as its just dead space right now but too narrow for bought cupboards.

You can get high sleepers with wardrobe, drawers and desk built in but thy can be pricey. They come up on eBay/gumtree sometimes though.

I've just done DS room which is almost same dimensions. (7.5 x 8.5')

I got him an ottoman lift up small double bed which has solved storage issue. It sits under the window with an ikea bedside table next to it which is 40cm wide (one with the silly plastic middle bits - but looks ok ) these fit in along the wall with the door. (7.5')

Larger draws at bottom of bad and wardrobe/tall buy combo along other wall. Both same ikea range. It does all fit in I promise, but I have an extra foot of length so not sure if you could fit drawers to open at bottom of the bed as I have, hmmm. I have put in a few shelves so maybe some creative shelving might suit better for yours.

The downside is no desk, but we have a desk and table downstairs where he will do his homework etc.

Its neat and cosy now rather than small plus he loves his double bed

TBH I would abandon trying to get a desk or soft chair in. You can give him lounging space with some funky cushions on his bed perhaps.

An unconventional layout these days, but could you put the bed in the middle and build the storage round it? Cupboard doors would be neater than open shelves, but you could have a wardrobe on one side and clothes storage above the bed. Big wall shelves on the other side of the room for books etc.

TheGirl's storage bed is a fantastic idea. I once had a 6.5x 7' room, and there wasn't space to open the underbed drawers! Look for a wardrobe with drawers underneath and try to keep storage high up to minimise footprint and make the room feel bigger.

Buy a bedframe that isn't too bulky (Ikea Tarva for example). Buy a chest of drawers or two that will fit under the divan and a set of bed risers (or two sets) to lift the bed up enough to get it above the drawers. They are like upturned square flowerpots. You can disguise them with fabric if you want.

The end of the bed should probably be against the window, alongside a wall.

Put up some long shelves measuring the entire length of the wall the bed is set against - 3 or 4 - for books and stuffed animals and general stuff. You can rest shelves on ledges on the facing walls (door and window walls) and set the shelves on them, with a bracket in the middle of each for support. Use a spirit level to make sure the shelves are level. It's quite a simple carpentry project. Make sure to give a good deal of clearance above the bed so DD can sit up or roll over in bed comfortably without having to worry about a black eye.

You might be able to rig up an Ikea wall mounted folding desk or something similar in the other corner by the window, and get her a second hand swivel chair.

Maybe you could put a small wardrobe on the wall the bedroom door is on too...