3 Furniture Layouts for a Small Bedroom
3 ways to decorate a small guest bedroom with an off-centered window to maximize on function, comfort, and space.
I get the warm fuzzies with the start of every planning phase of a room makeover.
It’s like Christmas, y’all! The anticipation is almost as exciting as the actual event itself. Almost.
Believe it or not, we still have several spaces to go in this house before calling it finished. (And actually, is a house ever really finished?)
Welcome to the small-ish used-to-be-Robert’s-office future guest bedroom. It needs love.
Like… a lot of love.
We’re really hoping to pull this one off for not too pricey since we have been in need of a guest bedroom ever since we turned our old guest room into a nursery for little miss Regan. And since Robert used this office all of twice since we moved into this house, we figured we could share offices (that’s another future room makeover we’re saving for later).
The tricky thing though is the furniture layout. It’s one of those oddly shaped rooms with randomly placed off-center windows that makes furniture placement a real thinker.
So I came up with three ways we could make it work. And I will give you a virtual squeezy hug and a pretend cupcake with a cherry on top for your help in deciding.
1. Layout #1 – Full Sized Daybed (With a Trundle)
My first gut instinct was to shove a full sized daybed up against the long blank wall in the corner with a twin trundle bed underneath so that we could maximize on sleeping space (and have the flexibility of separate beds for guests who don’t want to cozy up together).
When it’s not made up into a bedroom, it could double as a little lounge/flex room. Maybe even a makeshift library / quiet study space?
Source: Studio McGee
This daybed is absolutely gorgeous (also… hello, pretty green) and can serve as a sofa for a reading spot if needed. A pair of small storage ottomans could work well for extra linens too since a guest bedroom doesn’t actually need an entire dresser.
2. Layout #2 – Full Bed Against the Wall (With a Desk Doubling as a Nightstand)
I’m really loving the idea of incorporating a small writing desk into this room because my mother-in-law works from our house every now and then, if she’s helping us juggle childcare. So having a desk where she can setup shop in here would be a nice perk for her, and it could double as a nightstand.
I really don’t love the idea of shoving a full bed against a wall though. And maybe a trundle would be too crowded with a nightstand in the way, which means less sleeping room?
This bedroom is a bit smaller than ours, but you get the idea.
Source: Kate Lester Interiors
This desk/nightstand combo is a great way to maximize on function without sacrificing space.
3. Layout #3 – Queen Bed in Front of an Off-Center Window
I would love the ability to have a queen sized bed for extra sleeping room so guests don’t feel so cramped, but then incorporating a small desk into the mix might be too much.
Source: Rethink Design Studio
What do you think of hanging a full wall of curtains to help out that off-center window situation? I wasn’t all that convinced I’d love it until I saw this bedroom inspiration. Yum!
So that’s my brain on furniture layouts. It’s a mess up there, just so you know. There are way too many tabs open right now.
Which would you pick? 1, 2, or 3?
I’m in the #3 camp. Love the curtain wall.
I totally agree with Mary. Three is the way to go. Besides, it looks so very classy. I too love the idea of a wall of curtains, and the bench at the foot of the bed will come in handy for your guests. Could you possibly attach pretty brackets/corbles to the wall and top with something for use as a desk? That would open up floor space , and you could make it any width and depth that would better fit the room.
I like #3– in the other two options one guest would always have to climb over the other to get out of bed in the middle of the night. If your guests are young and never need a nighttime trek to the bathroom, a bed pushed to the side isn’t a problem. If they are your parent’s age, it is inevitable. You could do option #2 and put casters on the bed. Then you could pull it out from the wall easily and center it in the room for guests or to make the bed. I would avoid the daybed. They look nice but can be hard on the back to set up and put away the trundle. And don’t put too many pillows on the bed as there is limited space to put them when using the bed (or provide a designated storage space other than the floor.
My favorite is #3, although I wouldn’t feel pressured to do a queen bed. I think a full bed would be sufficient and maybe even save a little space. This post is really helpful, as our “master bedroom” is super small (we live in a small cape cod built in the 1940’s). We have an off center window that bugs me so much and I love the curtain idea. I am brainstorming some ideas for it and this is a good option!
A full size bed is truly meant for one person. Unless they are children, 2 people in a full is very uncomfortable. Go with a queen or as suggested, 2 twins. After you fix up the room, you and Robert should spend the night in it to see what you need or want in the room for your guests.
We just did our guest room with the full as a daybed in a corner (the room has to double as a craft room so we opted for the smaller bed size) and both my elderly mother in law and my father commented that the option is awkward if you had an elderly couple and one needed to shimmy down to get out of bed in the middle of the night. Fortunately if we have a little room to pull the bed over if it needs access from both sides. Just food for thought.