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.

We had a wardrobe built over the stairs it wasn't that expensive and was accessed from the hall.

We also considered borrowing a bit of the next door bedroom as it was just a stud wall, so easy enough to move. We didn't in the end.

Obviously you can't do that if it's rented.

Swapping room doesn't really help as one room always doesn't have a desk so the desk thing still needs solving.

Watching with interest because ds2's box room is very small.

Thanks again for all your ideas. Lots to look at. I had no idea box rooms were of such interest. I'm now going to phone my sister to ask if she resented having the box room growing up.

I had the box room but I was the eldest. Younger two sisters shared and then another sister arrived and she shared with them too. I left home when she was 8 and she got the box room.

My dad was a bit handy and took out the cupboard that was built over the bit where the stairs cut out some of the floor and he built a bed over that. My 'desk' was an old bit of kitchen worktop attached to the wall under the window and I could sit in the end of the bed. Had a full wall of wardrobes on th other side of the room. Glamorous it was not!

There are loads of great ideas for small bedrooms on Pinterest (so many incredibly creative ones that if you start looking at them you probably won't get anything actually done ) Another option could be a single wardrobe plus a desk replacing the current bigger wardrobe. You could put shelves above the desk to increase storage.

I have this same issue with my sons room and am getting him a wall desk from amazon

Captains cabin type bed is a option, like a bunk bed but with a desk/wardrobe underneath

Is the storage for her stuff, or family stuff? If family stuff, than move some of it somewhere else so she can have a fold down desk or study bed. If her stuff, she now has a vested interest in reducing it.

PS, as the oldest, I got the biggest room. But it was also the one with the most roof leaks.

I definitely resented having the box room growing up and there was a bit of a "golden boy needs space for his toys" thing going on. I'd have loved to have space to put Lego and arrange toys etc.

I'd be up for using storage in another room and asking her what features she wants in her room - especially a desk, its good to be able to do homework in privacy.

Ds has a tiny room- changing his door to sliding helped a lot.

10yo dd1 is in a tiny box room. She has a full sized single bed with huge under-bed draws which she thought was more grown-up than a high sleeper.

She doesn't have a wardrobe, but a clothes hanging rail instead, which means there is room for the world's tiniest desk.

oh, and the DDs have each had a turn in the small room. IMO it can sometimes be a better fit for an older child as they have fewer bulky toys.

We'll probably have another swap round in a couple of years.

I think swapping rooms once a year is a totally mad suggestion. How is a child supposed to have a sense of their own space if it's changing all the time?

Definitely creative storage needed I think. And perhaps if storage is low in general older brother can store some of the things in his room rather than them being in hers, as he has more space to spare.

Consider ditching the wardrobe as they take up loads of space/block a lot of light for not much gain unless she's into very fancy dresses. (If she does have a few more ornate ones but not for everyday wear perhaps put them in your wardrobe?) Look up Konmari folding method and you can probably get all of her clothes into drawers. I've found you can do dresses and skirts like this provided they are not overly structured.

I used to stay over at a relatives in a real box room- only floor space for a bed. The desk/ dressing table went over the foot of the bed!

If she's at the end of a hall you could maybe put the wardrobe in the hall with a curtain hung up to give her some privacy when she's retrieving clothes. But mainly I'd look at getting the wardrobe out and some drawers in.

Both kids have small rooms, and toddler shares with me.

DS has a loft bed, and desk underneath, loves it. DD has a mid sleeper and a den underneath.

Both have kallax units from ikea which hold tonnes of stuff.

Neither have wardrobes though, no room. Clothes get folded, and we have a hook for uniform to hang.

Get creative with your space, some great ideas about. Good luck!

Take the wardrobe doors off and replace them with curtains, so you won't need space to open the doors.

There is room to get a custom bed/mid sleeper made (above what I assume is stairs bulkhead, and reduce wardrobe to 50cm. Have lots of drawer storage under the bed. She then has the rest of the room to fit a desk in and lots more floor space (eg under window as in rubbish diagram!)

DS2 has the box room. He has a chest of drawers in DS1's room, and the bottom four baskets in an IKEA cube unit on the landing.
That gives him enough room for a cabin bed and a four cube unit in his room for books and toys, and a bookshelf on the wall.
I took the curtains out and put a roller blind in to save another couple of inches.
He had room under his bed to play with his lego or his Star Wars toys.
His room is actually really lovely.
Homework happens at the kitchen table for both boys. No desks needed.

My youngest had the box room. As well as a raised bed she had this Ikea Hemnes chest of drawers with a 9 cube Kallax-type (from Homebase, I think) unit on top.

That's a ridiculous amount of storage for a child especially if she has under bed storage too.

Get a smaller wardrobe and a desk with integrated storage next to it.

When I was a child my dad made me a pull down desk. It was basically a piece of wood attached with hinges to the wall with a chain either side. I'm not explaining it well. Will try to draw a pic!

It was like this. I had it over the end of my bed. It was great.

Is it weird that my younger brother and I used to have bunk beds in the box room and neither of us wanted to move in to the far bigger spare room?

DD's room isn't big enough for a desk since she decided she preferred a larger bed as she had grown too tall for her other bed but we have it in the living room which is a long room with sofa, chairs and TV at one end and what used to be a play area at the other end - now converted to a study area. Works well for us but we don't have sibling comparison issues as DD is an only child.