Box room ideas - DD thinks it's unfair that she can't have a desk

[iwouldgoouttonight]

It is unfair really. We're in a three bed semi, DS (11) is the oldest and has a big bedroom, so DD (9) is stuck with the box room. DS has a desk for Lego homework, etc and now DD wants one. But there just isn't space. She has a bed across one whole wall under the window and a floor to ceiling wardrobe with lots of storage across the opposite wall. The space in the middle is as big as a person laying flat on the floor on a blow up bed. So there's definitely no room for a desk, and even if we had a fold up one there is no room for a chair. Replacing the wardrobe would mean losing storage so that isn't really an option.

So do we just have to say tough, you have the box room so you can't have a desk. Or any space. Or is there a creative solution we've missed.

Swapping rooms isn't an option because then we'd have the same issue with DS and he's got loads of stuff.

What about a high sleeper with desk underneath?

Cabin bed with desk underneath?

Have you considered a studybed? They're pricey but we have a double one in our spare room and it's brilliant.

So do we just have to say tough, you have the box room so you can't have a desk.

Why is it tough that she was born second and gets the smallest room?

Swapping rooms isn't an option because then we'd have the same issue with DS and he's got loads of stuff

Golden child?

Look on pinterest and at ingenious designs for small living, someone is bound to have come up with a solution.

Put DD's wardrobe in one of the bigger bedrooms and put a desk in its place. Maybe get a small slimline set of drawers for day to day use, underwear, school clothes/pjs?

Yes we had a high sleeper with a wardrobe and desk underneath for years. Brilliant solution or even get a carpenter in to build it custom made to give you as much room as possible ! More affordable than it sounds and will make best use of the space you have .

Something like this?
https://m.alibaba.com/product/1619313190/Table-foldable-sliding-overbed-table-Over.html?subject=Tablefoldableleslidingoverbededtable--Over&detailId=1619313190&redirect=1

High sleeper bed with desk underneath, check out Ikea. It's definitely doable.

Have you seen the ikea fold down table/desks that attach to the wall? I think they are about £29 or so and not very wide. Is there space to fit this in the space between doorframe and wardrobe on that wall? You could get a folding chair to go with it that gets propped somewhere in the landing or by side of wardrobe.

Otherwise is there a small space on the landing she could use instead? Check out the small version of the ikea micke desk, it is very petite.

Loft bed is a good idea though you can get them for under £100 but in the small room it might block the window a bit (I have the same type of house as you).

Agree. Desk/wardrobe under bed

We've got a high sleeper and it's great. It's a pig to change the sheets and is strategically my forehead level (bang!) but ds loves it.

Ds has the box room here and he has a fold away desk at the end of his bed. Theres room to put his legs down the end of the bed and the desk folds up against the wall. He has to be very tidy and put everything away but he manages fine.

We would have preferred a high rise bed with desk and wardrobe underneath but our ceilings are too low and the only wall long enough to build one to spec has the window so it wasn't practical.

This was me when I was a kid. Dsis had a big room and a desk, I didn't. A part of me still resents it now.

You can get tables/ desks that go over the bed- a bit like a hospital table but usually they have legs on both sides- slide up to use and down while sleeping:i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTUyWDczNg==/z/tCoAAOSw1DtXKOdY/$_86.JPG

Another vote for the Ikea pull down one. It takes up no room at all.

Sorry can't get pic to work- google overbed desk, or overbed desk ikea for images!

Create some wardrobe space in another room (she's only 9, how much clothes can she have?) and get a high sleeper with a desk underneath. The ikea stuva is brilliant and has lots of additional storage built in.

DS1 was in the box room very much as you described until he was 15. He was on a high sleeper (FLEXA beds - all my kids have them and they are really great). He had a desk underneath with a proper computer chair. Chest of drawers along one end of the bed underneath (behind the ladder) and a slim wardrobe next to the end of the bed up against the wall. Only other thing in the room was a book shelf on the wall where you walked into the room as there was just space. He was quite happy with that arrangement.

Loads of options and of course she needs a desk, where do you expect her to do her homework?

High sleeper with desk underneath is the obvious answer.

Move wardrobes for 'stuff' into DS big room or your room or the landing to make more space for a desk keeping just a small wardrobe for most often used clothes.

A folding desk and folding chair although not ideal as she will have to put everything away each time.

It's hard to put a bunk/cabin/high sleeper in a bedroom if the only available space is across a window. Could the wardrobe go into ds's room, or your room, for now? Or is there a way to bash through to the next room and create a slightly bigger room for dd, maybe even just to make a built-in wardrobe? Obv this would mean the next door room is a bit smaller though, and probably impossible if she's next to the bathroom!

Any space in the landing to put a desk outside her room?

Thanks all, lots of ideas! We considered a high sleeper but due to a sloped ceiling the only wall it could go on is the window one and it would block all the light. She does have a cabin bed with big drawers under it though. I think moving some of the storage into another room might be the best idea, so she has more space to actually use rather than just to store.

I wonder if you can get ikea wardrobes which have pull out desks inside, might have a look.

My sister had the box room when we were growing up and it had fitted furniture with built in floor to ceiling wardrobes and cupboards. Above the bed head were book shelves and large cupboard over and there were some small ones at the other end for bits and pieces. She had a fold down desk over the radiator and a folding chair. The bed was a cabin bed with storage underneath it.

The pp who made the golden child comment about the bigger bedroom - frankly a stupid comment. I had the bigger room and used to play in it together when we were younger and hang out in it together when we were older and not doing homework and revision.

I've got one of these. It's big enough to work on - fits laptop, notepad, phone and s drawer for pens.

[[www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B071CTC6TT/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504687135&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=folding+lap+desk+tray&dpPl=1&dpID=413kCu1vMCL&ref=plSrch&tag=mumsnetforum-21

Swopping rooms once a year or every six months would be the best solution. Any other solution favours DS.