How To Arrange A Small Bedroom With Large Furniture

Arranging a small bedroom with large furniture requires you to have a few clever design tricks up your sleeve.

Since this is a situation that you will likely encounter within your lifetime, it’s good to know how to approach this design challenge when you’re faced with it.

In this post, we’ll talk about 6 tips for arranging a small bedroom with large furniture.

Why Small Bedrooms With Large Furniture Are Hard To Design

Arranging small bedrooms with large furniture is difficult because it cuts down on maneuverability.  When you have oversized furniture in a small space you have less space to move about.

It can be a real hassle.  Especially when you’re bumping into things, don’t have space to do any other activity aside from lay in your bed, or have trouble finding space to store your belongings.

Because of these things, your space can feel messy, crowded, and unwelcoming all the time.

This is often the case in dorm rooms.  You have very little space, and you have to share a room.

This is why common areas are so popular.  They become an escape from the small, packed space.

While there are a lot of creative solutions to gain space by lifting your furniture off the ground (i.e. loft beds and bunk beds), in this post I’m going to concentrate on traditional furniture arrangements.

How To Approach Small Bedroom Design

The first thing you need to know when approaching this design challenge is how you need the space to function.

At its core, a bedroom needs a bed to sleep in, storage for personal items, lighting, and a place to store clothing and shoes.

Everything else, like desks and seating areas, are extra.  Dressers, chests, and other stand-alone furniture are not required for a bedroom.  Although, they are certainly nice to have.

When designing a small bedroom with large furniture start with the core needs first.  If you have room to expand upon them you can.

But, it is unlikely that you will be able to do so with limited space.

Reasons Why You May Have To Use Large Furniture In A Small Room

While the standard advice for laying out furniture in a small bedroom is usually to downsize your furniture, you may not be able to do this.

Furniture is expensive and not all of us can afford to just buy new items just because we moved.

There are several reasons that I can think of that a person would end up in a situation with a large piece of furniture in a small room.

You may have temporary accommodations while moving your job from one part of the country to another.

Or, you may have downsized from a larger home to a small condo or apartment.

Another reason is that you may have inherited your furniture from a family member or friend to furnish your first apartment or house.

These are all very common reasons why you may have oversized furniture for the space you’re working with.

So, if you have found yourself in a situation where you have large furniture and a small bedroom, don’t worry.  Here are 6 tips on how to arrange your room.

6 Tips For How To Arrange A Small Bedroom With Large Furniture

1. Opt For A Low Profile Bed Frame

While you may not have the funds to buy a whole new mattress, what you can do is opt for a low-profile frame.

The good thing about this is that these types of beds tend to cost less than the large bulky styles.

Instead of going for a sleigh bed, or a canopy bed, opt for a streamlined platform bed.  Or, a simple metal bed frame and a headboard.

Another inexpensive option is a DIY headboard.  Find a great round-up of DIY headboards in this post from thespruce.com.

Something like this will cut down on the amount of space your bed takes up in the room.

You can gain anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of precious walking space within your small room by opting for a low profile bed.

2. Use Open Leg Nightstands

Using open-legged nightstands are a great way to visually open up your space.

You don’t need a large two or three-drawer nightstand on either side of your bed.  There are other ways to store your bedroom accessories.

Other alternatives to the traditional nightstand are wall-mounted nightstands, flip-and-fold bedside tables, and bed shelves.

3. Consider Half Moon or Half Round Nightstands

Another nightstand option that is rarely used is the half-moon or half round table.

These are essentially circular accent tables that have been cut in half and sit flush against the wall.  Using these will gain you at least 2 inches along the sides of your bed.

4. Stick to 3 Pieces of Furniture

Tip number four is to try to stick to three pieces of furniture max.

These would be your bed and two nightstands or a bed, a nightstand, and a small desk.  Another option is a bed, a nightstand, and a bench or accent chair.

Depending upon the number of people sleeping in the bedroom you may need to adjust your combination.

For instance, if you are a single college student you don’t necessarily need two nightstands.  A small writing desk may serve you better.

Alternatively, if you are a couple in a small bedroom it’s important to maintain symmetry in your layout.

Unequal access and use of the space can sometimes cause friction in a relationship.  So, it’s good to create identical halves if you can.

If this is the scenario in which you find yourself, I recommend a bed and two nightstands on either side as your 3 pieces of furniture.

5. Wall Mounted Shelves For Bedroom Accessories

Another tactic for arranging a small bedroom with large furniture is to wall mount as much as possible.

If you’ve decided on an accent table with open legs as opposed to a traditional nightstand with drawers (as I mentioned in tip number three), you may be in need of some storage.

Wall-mounted shelves and cabinets are perfect solutions.

Televisions, BlueTooth speakers, and alarm clocks should all be wall mounted.  In addition, you may want to consider using wall sconces over a table lamp for supplemental lighting.

By placing items that would traditionally sit on top of your nightstand in a wall-mounted storage solution instead, you created more space for yourself.

You can then use that space for a charging station or forgo the nightstand altogether and have room for a desk instead.

6. Off-Center Bed Positioning

The last trick to arranging a small bedroom with large furniture is to use off-center bed positioning.

If there’s more than one person sleeping in the bed, I do not recommend pushing the bed against the wall in order to gain more space.

Instead, simply place your bed slightly off-center.  This means that you will have a small skinny aisle and a large aisle.

This works perfectly fine for couples and may also open up the additional space you need to add a second function to the room.

This could be a writing desk, a small accent chair for reading, or just extra space to move in and out.

Conclusion

Do you have any tips on how to layout small bedrooms?  If you do please share them in the comments below.

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