Small bedroom - wardrobes...over the bed or small gap at the end of the bed?

[TheAirbender]

We've just bought a new house - yay! It's perfect in almost every way apart from the master bedroom...which is fairly petite - 11ft10 by 9ft6. We are both 6ft tall plus so really need a 180x200 king bed.

At present the room has wardrobes up and over the bed, which look very dated. We plan to have an ottoman style bed for bulky stuff and folded things (jeans, jumpers etc) and then...DH and I disagree. I would like to create a more modern, look for the over bed wardrobes, whilst he wants to rip out the current wardrobes, and build a long back of wardrobes along one wall (probably the shallow Ikea Pax type). This would mean that we would only have 28 cm to pass at the end of the bed.

Neither of us ever spend much time in the bedroom, so I am happy for the room to have some compromises, especially as the house otherwise works so well for us. But which compromise is a step too far? A narrow space to pass (which would look sleek and neat) or up and over wardrobes (a bit 1999?).

It’s a decent enough solution when a room is a difficult shape. I would say you must have blinds and be careful about heat from the sun! Otherwise it’s a solution that really works. See attached.

This is very outing as I have showed so many people my new wardrobes but I will name change afterwards lol.

We have just had these installed as we have a teeny tiny bedroom. We still have a very small gap at the end of the bed but we now have so much storage. I was worried about them being old fashioned but I have to say I love them. They have turned out way better than I ever thought they would.

We have our bed under the window for same reason (room is 9ft7ish wide) and it's fine, much better than the narrow gap and stubbing toes!

However- how big is the second sitting room? Could you swap the rooms around and, use that as your bedroom? If the en suite is off your private lounge it will still be only yours to use.

I guess we all like different things. But I’m afraid over bed cupboards with a nook for a bed leave me stone cold. The beds under windows are at least stylish.

I think the sitting room is a complete luxury as a separate room when the bedroom is so cramped. You do more in a bedroom!

However the sitting room could double up as a dressing room if the en suite is off it. Or swap the rooms around as @SushiGo says. Shoehorning in dated furniture isn’t a good look.

If you have the headboard in front of a window like that you would be standing on the bed half the time to open / close, clean windows pull blinds/ curtains . Not practical at all.

@Chumleymouse The window is wider than our bed so I just have to stand at the side of the bed and pull a chain to operate the blind mechanism. Not impractical at all & no need to stand on the bed I suppose I'd need to move the bed out slightly or stand on the bed for a full window clean but that's a couple of times a year and not really a big deal compared to the space we have daily on account of the beds position.

If the wardrobe over the bed works for you, or the bed under the window, then do it. I don't like either of them, but we're all different.

The beds under windows are done because you gain space in a small room. Unless you have very high ceilings you won’t get a wardrobe over a bed. Just box cupboards. Decent wardrobes are 600 deep so it can feel very claustrophobic with a bed in between them.

Lots of people keep sheer privacy blinds down all the time anyway. I think because posters don’t look at design solutions there is an automatic dislike of anything unusual. To gain space, design with fabrics and light often works better than very solid cupboard in the wrong place aesthetically.

Oh wow, haven’t had chance to come back to this thread for days ... thank you all so much, going to read and digest and i really will post some floor plans!

Ok, here’s the floor plan of the first floor. DH and I both agree that we do not want to swap the living room as neither of us spend all that much time in the bedroom. I’d rather have the living room space. Bathrooms - I’d like to keep the en suite rather than share the family bathroom (upstairs) with our boys. Downstairs is a good space which we are happy with, same for 2nd floor where the kids rooms are. Our bedroom is the only room with some compromises. Thanks all!

Oh and ps - I have drawn the current layout in. There’s some pretty dated looking over bed wardrobes and a chest of drawers in the corner.

I must mean a super king bed. We want 180x200. Currently living overseas where that is called a King.

I must mean a super king bed. We want 180x200. Currently living overseas where that is called a King.

The difference between a king and super king is just the width (king is 150cm wide) I understand wanting a longer bed as you are both tall, but a super king isn't giving you any more length. We had a similar sized master in our last house and a king was enough of a squeeze and still made us miserable tbh, I would really consider if you'll enjoy that 30cms more to walk around than sleep in.

If you swap the living room and bedroom, you could take out the wall between the landing and the current bedroom, and make the staircase open plan to that room (this is ok if it’s a living room whereas obviously you wouldn’t want the staircase open to the bedroom). This way you end up with two large rooms on this floor rather than one large and one medium. However you may not like the idea of a room with a staircase running through it.

An alternative suggestion: keep the bedroom where it is but move the door to the other end of that wall. If you do this, you can put wardrobes against the en suite wall, with the en suite door in the middle. This buys you a little more wardrobe space compared with the current arrangement and means they are not either side of the bed.

In any event I would rethink the super king. Very rare to have a super king in the UK since most bedrooms are not big enough and this one is no exception. I think you need the 30cm of bedroom space more than you need the extra bed width. As you are tall you could instead look at Ikea beds which are longer than usual (assuming you’re not going to try to put the wardrobes at the foot of the bed).

A super king can give 6 ins more in length. I just think the room is small and the layout is poor. Not much will change that and you’ll just have to compromise and shoehorn everything in. I prefer a relaxing bedroom and would definitely have the room with the two windows. But you don’t and want a smaller room. That’s why nothing will look good or fit in. You have made your decision and unless you change doors and en suite you are stuck with it.

If the whole floor is going to be exclusively for your use, I would fit a whole bank of storage along one wall of the lounge. With the doors closed you wouldn't even know it was clothes storage. Then you only have your large bed and bedside cabinets in the actual bedroom. You're creating a master suite really, not a separate bedroom and lounge.

where does that corridor by the stairs go? is there room for some furniture in that?

@user85963842

I must mean a super king bed. We want 180x200. Currently living overseas where that is called a King.

The difference between a king and super king is just the width (king is 150cm wide) I understand wanting a longer bed as you are both tall, but a super king isn't giving you any more length. We had a similar sized master in our last house and a king was enough of a squeeze and still made us miserable tbh, I would really consider if you'll enjoy that 30cms more to walk around than sleep in.

Good point. Will try a couple of nights in our spare room bed which is the slightly smaller size. Thank you.

@MillieEpple

where does that corridor by the stairs go? is there room for some furniture in that?

Not really, we had thought about some narrow shoe storage here.

@choirmumoftwo

If the whole floor is going to be exclusively for your use, I would fit a whole bank of storage along one wall of the lounge. With the doors closed you wouldn't even know it was clothes storage. Then you only have your large bed and bedside cabinets in the actual bedroom. You're creating a master suite really, not a separate bedroom and lounge.

Will think about this again, thank you

@PresentingPercy

A super king can give 6 ins more in length. I just think the room is small and the layout is poor. Not much will change that and you’ll just have to compromise and shoehorn everything in. I prefer a relaxing bedroom and would definitely have the room with the two windows. But you don’t and want a smaller room. That’s why nothing will look good or fit in. You have made your decision and unless you change doors and en suite you are stuck with it.

You sound thoroughly irritated by this.

@minipie

If you swap the living room and bedroom, you could take out the wall between the landing and the current bedroom, and make the staircase open plan to that room (this is ok if it’s a living room whereas obviously you wouldn’t want the staircase open to the bedroom). This way you end up with two large rooms on this floor rather than one large and one medium. However you may not like the idea of a room with a staircase running through it.

An alternative suggestion: keep the bedroom where it is but move the door to the other end of that wall. If you do this, you can put wardrobes against the en suite wall, with the en suite door in the middle. This buys you a little more wardrobe space compared with the current arrangement and means they are not either side of the bed.

In any event I would rethink the super king. Very rare to have a super king in the UK since most bedrooms are not big enough and this one is no exception. I think you need the 30cm of bedroom space more than you need the extra bed width. As you are tall you could instead look at Ikea beds which are longer than usual (assuming you’re not going to try to put the wardrobes at the foot of the bed).

Brilliant! Love this idea (taking out the wall and having an open plan lounge). Really good. Going to think on this. Thanks so much!

I would absolutely swap those rooms around and have an awesome bedroom instead. As a living room your current bedroom will have more than enough space for a good sofa, chair, TV and a few decorative bits and be a nice cosy snug.

i'm in team have a lovely big bedroom too. You need space to move around the bed and get dressed and store lots of clothes.

A living space you just sit on a comfy chair and watch tv especially if there is another living space the children are in. And if its smaller you can spend more on luxury carpets paint/papers/carpets. Unless it was also doubling up as a work space?

The only thing with the knocked through from the stairs idea (which I agree is genius!) is that then your bathroom is off your living room not bedroom.

Would it be annoying to have to head from your bedroom through your living room to shower in the morning, go for a pee at 3am & so on?

I think I could live with it but it's a consideration.

I know you dont want to swap the sitting and bedroom but are they all just stuff walking? could you move the doorway for current sitting room so is that with ensuite and becomes the bedroom. Then you could open up the wall in what is now the bedroom to the hallway to make a large sitting area? it could work if it was the top floor and could be a large master suite then? If middle floor may not be so good but youd have a really large space then plus a big bedroom