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 like the idea of the desk as a night stand. Guest usually have a phone they need to plug in to charge,or a laptop or Kindle or such electronic.Then we have the guests with glasses or prescriptions or jewelry.I think you get my point.We all seem to need more nightstand room at sometime or another. I also Live small bedrooms with curtains covering the wall.A nice curtain rod and a nice curtain and pattern and voila you have art work and a disquise for that odd window. Love your blog…keep up the good work
Three
Always excited to see your final choices. I vote #3 for the ability to access the bed from both sides and the ability to have a nightstand of some type and lamp on each side. If the closet(s) can’t be opened into a desk /work space with guest coffee station, what about a “floating” drop-down desk on the windowless wall down toward the door? Perhaps you could then place a small wooden accent chair in the corner on the opposite wall between the window and closet door. Looking forward to seeing your finished room. Best wishes!
Love the drop down idea! It could be a wall mirror when folded up.
I agree with most of the comments that I like #3- if a couple visits a queen provides more comfort and I really love having a nightstand (a place for a small lamp and somewhere to plug in my phone and place my book). However if it’s normally only one guest at a time I like option #2- a desk to set up would be ideal for your MIL.
As previous people have said, it depends upon how you truly will use the room. I find at my place, having a dedicated guest room that gets used once a year at most isn’t worth making the space single use. For me, #1 would work best. While I do like all your options, #3 seems best for frequent guests. Haven’t been a fan of an entire wall of curtains, but this looks very nice and likely you wouldn’t have to crawl across the bed often to open or close them. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.