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Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen

84 replies

BoxRoomRefurb · 21/01/2023 14:38

Hoping for some ideas here. We need to redo my DD’s room, she’s 12 and her room does not work for her. She is in the box room, 248cm long, 212 cm wide roughly. Currently in a high sleeper lengthways down the room, with desk and drawers underneath. Just about enough floor space left over for a Trofast unit opposite.

Her high sleeper can be converted into a single, so I’m thinking of moving it so it goes widthways across the room under the window, rather than length ways. Then we’d have more option to use the walls and hopefully give her an actual wardrobe and drawers. She uses a desk downstairs so I don’t think she’d need one in her bedroom. Although I’m conscious she might want more privacy to study when she hits GCSE time.

Does anyone have a similar size room and how have you made it work for your DC? Any clever desk ideas? She’s not that bothered about wardrobe space because most of her clothes don’t need to be hung. But she does own a billion books and would ideally like space for those. Any ideas for layout gratefully received.

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PinkyU · 22/01/2023 13:42

This is my eldests old bedroom.

Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 13:44

@PinkyU I love how you used the Trofast drawers on the wall, really clever. Great use of a small space.

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Lndnmummy · 22/01/2023 13:46

BoxRoomRefurb · 21/01/2023 14:54

Yes I’m not convinced she needs a wardrobe. She’s a very casual dressing girl and I don’t see that changing. What she really needs is lots of drawers for her endless T-shirts and hoodies.

You could get a low midsleeper with lots of storage drawers. Then no need for wardrobe. A hook and full size mirror at the back of her bedroom door.

AlwaysLatte · 22/01/2023 13:49

Does she really need a wardrobe? My boys have big gaming desk set ups in their rooms so no room for wardrobes. It's only really school uniform that needs to go on hangers so that's in the spare room wardrobe.

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 13:56

AlwaysLatte · 22/01/2023 13:49

Does she really need a wardrobe? My boys have big gaming desk set ups in their rooms so no room for wardrobes. It's only really school uniform that needs to go on hangers so that's in the spare room wardrobe.

She doesn't need a wardrobe, we've definitely ruled that out. Bed, desk, drawers and bookshelves are what need to go in. Now a big gaming desk set up she'd no doubt love, but that we definitely can't fit in.

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Evasmissingletter · 22/01/2023 14:03

We rehung to door on my sons small room to open outwards instead of inwards… meaning we could add in a bookshelf. In terms of perception it made the room feel much bigger.

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 14:07

Unfortunately we can't rehang the door to open outwards because we use the upstairs hallway space where it would go.

We are definitely going to keep her bed and convert it into its standard single formation. It's a good quality bed. The company makes underbed storage for it that we can buy, or I'll look at other options. These drawers would be quite good for storing out of season clothes or shoes/bags/whatever doesn't need to be immediately grabbable. This is the bed converted into a bunk with the drawers underneath. It's a versatile set up, you can make them a bunk bed, high sleeper, mid sleeper, first bed with all the rails or just a regular single.

Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
OP posts:
Rummikub · 22/01/2023 14:08

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 13:44

@PinkyU I love how you used the Trofast drawers on the wall, really clever. Great use of a small space.

@PinkyU so do I! Room doesn’t look small and it looks lovely.

Just thinking about trofast on walls in dd box room.

Lovinmyblanket · 22/01/2023 14:11

A Murphy bed?
this is expensive, but I think it would be great! A desk and a bed.
www.wallbeds.co.uk/solutions/complete-systems-furniture-mechanisms/life-desk-bed-wall-bed-system/

Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Lovinmyblanket · 22/01/2023 14:13

Or, if the bed really doesn't work for the room, well it on.
I think an ottoman bed would be better for space than drawers, but you'd have to be sure the bed had space to swing up.

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 14:14

@Lovinmyblanket I can’t imagine any teen keeping a room tidy enough to be storing away a bed like that! Also I’d be terrified of it closing in the middle of the night, those fold away beds give me the creeps. 😂

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ForestofD · 22/01/2023 14:35

We have similar issue. What helped was that we have a landing with an extra bit of space- so we moved all of her books onto the landing, right next to her door- she chose bookcase, organised etc. The 'current' books are above her bed on a shelf and she rotates these onto the landing shelves.

imnotthatkindofmum · 22/01/2023 14:38

ForestofD · 22/01/2023 14:35

We have similar issue. What helped was that we have a landing with an extra bit of space- so we moved all of her books onto the landing, right next to her door- she chose bookcase, organised etc. The 'current' books are above her bed on a shelf and she rotates these onto the landing shelves.

Good idea, we don't hate much space on our landing but my dd has a wash basket outside her door. It's in front of the boiler cupboard hrt we don't go in there much and it definitely saved floor space.

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 14:46

ForestofD · 22/01/2023 14:35

We have similar issue. What helped was that we have a landing with an extra bit of space- so we moved all of her books onto the landing, right next to her door- she chose bookcase, organised etc. The 'current' books are above her bed on a shelf and she rotates these onto the landing shelves.

We're definitely going to keep plenty of her books in other rooms. We'll do something similar to you but she get a lot of comfort from just having books around so a decent amount of storage in her room will definitely make her happier.

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Biffatcrafts · 22/01/2023 15:50

Hi OP. You probably won't like what I came up with, but I did it using a free app called Floor Plan Creator. It is pretty basic, but you can change sizes of things (like beds, chairs, wardrobes etc) and can define door widths, window height and size too, as well as accurate wall and ceiling heights. I hope it helps and you find a perfect design for your daughter 😀

Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Redesigning a tiny box room for a teen
Biffatcrafts · 22/01/2023 16:01

Oh, forgot to add in these designs I used the available measurements you gave, ie bed 204cm long, wall sizes 212cm and 248 cm, and window 86cm from floor to sill, so it will be roughly accurate .. apart from width of doorway (I assumed 84cm) and exact location and height of the radiator and the height and width of the window. I also used a lower bed than you have, (but still 204cm long).

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 16:05

That's brilliant @Biffatcrafts. Thank you! Floating desk is a great idea.

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Biffatcrafts · 22/01/2023 16:09

Glad it helped 😀

Almostwelsh · 22/01/2023 16:16

Be careful about shelving with books or storage units on an outside wall. Can cause damp and mould issues

Theonewheretherewas4 · 22/01/2023 16:21

My ds is 12 and in our box room. He has a high sleeper and underneath is a desk and at the other end a clothes rail with those hanging shelves you can get from ikea, underneath that are tubs for underwear/sports clothes etc other side is a unit again from ikea with 4 doors for his other stuff and a mirror above that with hooks and shelves down the side. His TVs on the window ledge with a blind behind it. I’m probably not making it sound too nice but it all ties in nicely with pictures/posters he has up and framed.

junebirthdaygirl · 22/01/2023 16:25

Is there any way of not having a radiator along a wall? I know nothing about these things but is there any way of having a high wall mounted heater so floor space is kept to a maximum?

BoxRoomRefurb · 22/01/2023 16:31

junebirthdaygirl · 22/01/2023 16:25

Is there any way of not having a radiator along a wall? I know nothing about these things but is there any way of having a high wall mounted heater so floor space is kept to a maximum?

I think heaters really need to be low because hot air rises. If you have them high the air would just be straight up into the loft. You can get vertical radiators to save wall space, but we have those in our kitchen and I don't think they work anywhere near as well as a proper radiator.

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Rummikub · 22/01/2023 16:47

Floating desk is a great idea.

I like these too.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/norberg-wall-mount-drop-leaf-tbl-w-storage-white-20497928/

I think you can also get ones that fold up onto the wall so it looks like a chalkboard.

Hollyhocksandtulips · 22/01/2023 17:43

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 21/01/2023 14:50

I'm soon to install a flip down desk that is bolted to the wall. Amazon have some nice ones.

Ooh I was thinking of doing this with a fold up chair hung under. Any pics / links ? Our youngest's room has just enough room for bed across window and a bed side table. That's it ! Bulk head (is that what it's called?) is in a corner and he has built in cupboard but that's full of everyone's junk