How to make a box room feel bigger?

[Lovemusic33]

After reading the thread about the lady worried about her son having a box room...

My dd has a box room, you can just about squeeze a bed and a chest of drawers in there, the bed is a squeeze due to the radiator on one wall and a socket on the other (just where the bed legs would sit) so most beds just won’t fit. Dd is 13 and has ASD and I would love for her to have a nice room with some sensory things, problem is she breaks everything so it needs to be bomb proof. She has a mid sleeper which I bought when she was small, now she’s bigger she can’t really play under it and would probably prefer a normal bed but this would mean less storage space and less space for her to sit (she sits on the floor).

Has anyone else got a teen in a box room? How do you make the room usable? I think a high sleeper will be out of the question due to low ceilings.

Can you move the socket to make a bed fit? A daybed might combine a bed with somewhere to sit - I’d add in some cushions and throws (my DS, 13, has ASD too and loves his snugglies).
Drawers for under the bed.
Wall mounted cupboards or shelves for storage?

Ikea do a daybed with drawers under that is excellent. Storage, seating and bed all in one.

I’d move the socket - it’s a fairly easy job.

Heavy duty shelving, maybe get someone on to custom make them so they’ll withstand being swung on. Then a slim wardrobe or tall chest of drawers for clothes and what have you.

I’d also say light helps make small spaces look big so nothing on the windowsill, and a range of light options (wall mounted bedside light, spots overhead, etc). And coherent colour story. Make it small but clean, luxurious and welcoming.

On the subject of light and windows, DS’s box room felt bigger when I got rid of the curtains and fitted a blind inside the architrave.

I think I will look at the day bed idea, would work well as it will give her somewhere to sit and look more grown up than the midsleeper. I’m thinking of putting a large mirror on the wall, I have seen the huge ones in the range with lights around them but they are over £100 😲, she needs new carpet so it’s a good time to get the midsleeper out and replace with a daybed.

Google throw up soon good ideas and if your not already I suggest joining a Facebook group called DIY on a budget, the folks on there have some great ideas

I have one of these which DS has pinched. He likes to be able to sit on his bed and do his homework or whatever. There isn’t really room for a desk but it gives him another way to use his space.

My autistic 10 year old has a den with blackout curtains under his midsleeper and I agree with you, I think it'll be too restrictive by 13.

Stupid idea perhaps but could you just chop the legs off the midsleeper and remove one of the side rails, to make a daybed? That said I've never really understood the daybed concept - a normal bed has always worked ok for me for lounging on. I expect when her bed is changed to a normal one about sofa height, she will naturally start sitting on it. But if she'd like a daybed, maybe that's reason enough.

I would invest in some good wooden underbed drawers on castors, not plastic boxes. Be aware that IKEA beds tend to be a little bit longer than the UK norm.

Maybe a couple of baskets on the floor for her sensory things? You can stand them in front of "proper" furniture without them making it look too cluttered

Get several large cheap mirrors from Ikea and put an LED light strip behind them. No need to pay £100.

Definitely go for a normal single, our box room looks so much bigger without the mid sleeper.

We've painted the ceiling navy with stars for my DS. A bit counter intuitive, but we kept the edging white and overall that seems to have avoided the ceiling lowering effect, but does make a really cosy space Also got nice bedding, lots of cushions (ikea - cheap to replace).

Agree with different light options. I would be as minimal with furniture as possible. Try not to have too much high furniture.

Shorty beds have unusual bed frame sizes and mattresses. I had one for dd, and painted the room white which made it seem bigger

I like that ceiling idea SushiGo.

Also, there is such a thing as too many cushions in a small room. Where will they go when she needs the bed for sleeping in? Here they get chucked on the floor to form a gentle, but annoying, assault course between bed and door.

Can you rehang the door so it opens outwards?

I agree with cushions, she does have a couple of those sequin cushions that she loves though.

I’m not sure if I can change the door to go outwards as it would open towards the storage I have in the landing.

We don’t have a ikea near by but might have plan a trip to one to get the bed and mirror.

Is a sliding barn door an option?

Move the socket if it will make a big difference. We had to do that in a few rooms, it didn't cost much at all.

What about a louvered folding door? It lets air circulate, provides privacy and takes up no space to speak of. Also you can do interesting things with paint on her walls -- textured, striped, geometric shapes, etc. that are more modern but take no space.

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to replace or change doors (HA house). I will look at moving the socket but not sure where it could be moved too.

I will be painting, at the moment her room is pink and grey, I will try and keep it light.