Ideas for a child's small bedroom

[Misty9]

The house we've just moved into has a small third bedroom which I need to fit a bed, desk, drawers and shelves into. Ds won't sleep in a loft bed and there sint enough room for a pull out desk under the bed. Has anyone done anything ingenious in a similar space? The door opens inwards against the wall and definitely can't be reversed (I changed it!)

What are the measurements of the room?

3.10m x 2.24m (10'2 x 7'4)

Ikea do drop down desks that latch onto the wall. Other people do them too, we’re considering one.
Shelves high up so they don’t use space

Drop down desk is a good shout. I'm thinking of the ikea slakt bed www.ikea.com/gb/en/ideas/comfortable-storage-they-can-sleep-on-reck3vqy3h7 for the drawers at least.

Following this thread for ideas. Both my girls are in rooms about that size (may even be a bit smaller). My 18nyear old sleeps in a loft bed (which she hates) bit definitely interested in ideas.

That’s a good size for a box room. I would have a single bed against the window (legs for storage underneath but no drawers as you need a lot of clearance to open them).
I’d then have a small desk as per the picture and you’ll have enough space for a wardrobe on that wall too. Lots of shelves can be added too: individually screwed into the walls rather than a free-standing bookcase.

That does look good. The radiator is under the window so I was trying to avoid the bed being right next to it...

If he won't have a loft bed what about a mid-cabin bed? DS has one in his tiny room
It's three steps up and fits a pull out desk with shelves and a chest of drawers under it. The room is 8'9" x 7'4" and also fits a 4x2 kallax unit.

DCs bedrooms are smaller than that,.and one of them has a fire place to further complicate things.
DS1 has a single bed and shelf unit along one wall. Then a wardrobe, chest of drawers and desk on the opposite wall.

DS2 has a mid-sleeper with desk, wardrobe and shelves under by the window. One end of it is slightly into the recess from the fireplace which means he can't pull the keyboard tray out on the desk, but as he uses a laptop it's not an issue.
Then a 12 cube kallax unit on the opposite wall, and a chest of drawers with bookcase on top on the other side of the fireplace.

They are teens though so don't need masses of floor space for toys, although ds2 still plays with lego a lot.

You can get things that are a foldaway bed/desk combo, where the desk folds down under the bed (without needing to be cleared). They aren't cheap, though.

Does he actually need a desk? Both of mine had them in the past but both have got rid after years of just using them as clutter dumps. My daughter now has a lap desk that she uses on her bed or armchair. If he must have a desk, I wouldn't bother with fold out ones etc as you have to be super disciplined to clear it and put it away. You can get tables on wheels that sit over the bed, like they have in hospitals, or a lap desk, or look up study beds if you have lots of cash to throw at the problem. But for us, a desk was a waste of space.

Make use of the height of the room. Shelves should go on the wall. Drawers could maybe be in a pax or something so you can customize it and use lots of height, maybe drawers up to chest height and shelves above. Don't get one of those tall narrow chests of drawers - they don't hold very much. It's tempting to put small bits of furniture into a small space but then it's a battle to squish his stuff into it. Better to have few, larger bits of furniture that make the much more efficient use of the space.

I'm not convinced about midsleepers, even though we have one. With many there is a lot of wasted underbed space as the drawers only extend halfway into the underbed space. I think there's a lot to be said for a normal height bed with really solid underbed drawers on castors, or an ottoman bed.

Studybed? Look at their website. It's a Murphy bed plus desk combined.

That is bigger than DS' room. Like the picture upthread he has one of those Ikea day beds with drawers underneath the window with shelves on the left hand side of it with his books/pc etc in. Then a leaning wall desk on one wall which is big enough to take key board and monitor.

How old is your ds?

My dc all have 2'6" single beds as we used to be tight on space & our small room was only 6' x 8'. We've re-jigged our upstairs now & the rooms are a better size but dc don't want new beds (we offered!). They're still really comfy in them & all have a few teddies in them too.

They're 11 (nearly 12), 10 & 8 years old.

That is actually quite big for a third room! My son's room is 1.91m x 2.5m. I have made the most of the space by getting a platform bed (no headboard or end) with enough room underneath for storage boxes and designing an IKEA small wardrobe with a combination of drawers and hanging space. He also has managed to fit in a bedside table, shelving and a desk. Is definitely a pain as they grow up and need / want more than just a place to sleep though.

@PhantomErik at my boarding school we had 2'6" beds right through to 17 or 18 -not even sure which. I don't recall it being an issue.

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander

DCs bedrooms are smaller than that,.and one of them has a fire place to further complicate things. DS1 has a single bed and shelf unit along one wall. Then a wardrobe, chest of drawers and desk on the opposite wall.

DS2 has a mid-sleeper with desk, wardrobe and shelves under by the window. One end of it is slightly into the recess from the fireplace which means he can't pull the keyboard tray out on the desk, but as he uses a laptop it's not an issue.
Then a 12 cube kallax unit on the opposite wall, and a chest of drawers with bookcase on top on the other side of the fireplace.

They are teens though so don't need masses of floor space for toys, although ds2 still plays with lego a lot.

Wow! You've done well to fit all that in - don't suppose you'd be happy to share any photos as I'm struggling to picture it?

Ds is 9 and, sod's law, has only just started playing away from me in his room. I'm now regularly told to go away and get the door shut in my face he's also asd so doesn't like unfamiliarity. He's got a 4x2 kallax which I suggested putting on its long side this evening - so he'd have somewhere to draw etc. That got a solid no!

Those saying don't bother with a desk, you're right. All ds actually wants is a flat surface to kneel at and do his drawings/writing. Hence the kallax idea. I was sold on the slakt ikea bed but good shout to check how deep they actually are. It's also quite high with no side... It's weird because the room feels quite small even though I know it's not! The window and doorway make two of the walls less usable I suppose.

I'll draw some floor plans later when I've had some sleep. :)

What about a bed desk? Or one of those tables you get in hospitals that go over the bed so it doesn't actually take up any space.

You could get bunks but put chipboard on the upper bunk to make a play space, put shelves up at that height, a rug and a few cushions and lamps to make it into a den type space.

As a teenager, I had an over-bed desk (one of those tables like you get in hospital). I loved it. It meant I didn't need a desk chair and I preferred to sit cross-legged on my bed anyway. It was height adjustable and I was able to move it out from the bed, if I wanted to sit on the edge.

I had a single shelf that was about 20cm down from the ceiling and ran all of the way around the room for books.

My DD has something like this, so the desk abutts the bed and fills the space at the end of the bed. We have a similar bed from IKEA (the Nordli). We actually have floor to ceiling wardrobes / cupboards down one wall so masses of storage actually, other than the desk and bed, she doesn't need much else.

The best advice I have is to change the radiator - we took off the old radiator and replaced it with a vertical radiator next to the door - its about 150cm tall but I think its only 28cm wide so very narrow (much more efficient than the old one and makes it really warm) but frees up much needed wall space. Things like a blind instead of curtains, shelves instead of floor standing furniture all make a big difference.

Are you absolutely set on an IKEA bed? That extra 6 inches of length can make a big difference in a small room and it means you have to buy mattress and bedding from them too.

The ikea isn't suitable to sit on the end of so you are limiting options a bit by going for a bed with a solid foot. Have a look at the happy beds low sleeper drawer bed or the similar ones in Argos.

@ODFOx

Are you absolutely set on an IKEA bed? That extra 6 inches of length can make a big difference in a small room and it means you have to buy mattress and bedding from them too. The ikea isn't suitable to sit on the end of so you are limiting options a bit by going for a bed with a solid foot. Have a look at the happy beds low sleeper drawer bed or the similar ones in Argos.

Is it longer then? I've currently got a non ikea bottom bunk in there and the ikea one is narrower but the same length when I compared? I had looked at happy beds but will check that particular one out, thanks.

Interesting about the radiator. His room gets the warmest actually! But I'm having issues with the radiators and may replace them all. He's quite happy with the bed and kallax as they are but I desperately need to put clothes storage of some description in there as he has none.

I'm rubbish at room design

Yes that's a good point. IKEA beds are made to continental dimensions and are 6 inches longer than standard UK ones. A few inches may or may not matter depending on the layout.

It's amazing how much the external dimensions of beds vary. A divan is noticeably shorter than a solid wooden bunk bed with the same size mattress. I suspect you are either comparing a UK bunk bed with solid wood ends with a more minimal design from IKEA, or your bunk beds are a brand like Thuka which also use continental mattresses.

I've moved ds's room round today and put his bed along the window wall. It's made a massive difference! I'm now thinking what storage to get him and taking the advice about getting big pieces rather than lots of little ones. Currently he's got a 4x2 kallax and a clothing rail. Lego builds storage is a must! I'm wondering about a narrow depth pax wardrobe but the hanging rails are a bit rubbish aren't they? Shelves on the wall seem sensible, I'm just not great at drilling. Or making decisions