Careful space planning is the key to a successful small bedroom layout. From bed placement options to your choice of furniture such as bed frames, headboards, and nightstands, there are a variety of solutions for overcoming space constraints to create a functional room with plenty of style.
Check out these small bedroom layout ideas to help you optimize your space.
Desk as a Nightstand
Increase functionality by trading a nightstand for a small desk or writing table. Emily Henderson Design styled a live edge desk with a modern table lamp in this small bedroom office.
Built-In Murphy Bed
A space-saving Murphy bed that disappears into the wall when you’re awake is a time-tested solution for small bedrooms, guest bedrooms, office guest rooms, and studio apartments. Louis Duncan-He Designs consolidated a bed and desk on a single wall with a built-in horizontal pull-out Murphy bed and an integrated desk in this high-rise apartment bedroom.
Best fix for: guest bedrooms, office guest rooms, spare rooms
Corner Bed With Nightstand
Push the bed almost all the way into the corner, leaving just enough of a gap for a small nightstand. Fantastic Frank created a path to the bed that’s just enough to comfortably access it while providing storage to hide bedside clutter.
Best fix for: couples’ bedrooms
Side Bed Wall
Anchoring the bed on a side wall is sometimes the only option to ensure that there’s enough space to maneuver in a shared bedroom. Neva Interior Design turned the bed wall into a feature with vibrant coral paint, and hung pendant lights from the ceiling to save space above the nightstands.
Best fix for: shared bedrooms that are longer than they are wide
Attic Bedroom
Save space in a small top floor or attic bedroom by placing the bed in the corner under the eaves. This minimalist space from Fantastic Frank, a cozy bed maximizes the space under low ceilings.
Best fix for: small attic bedrooms with slanted ceilings
Lofted Bed
If you live in a small studio apartment with high enough ceilings, consider a lofted bed. Neva Interior Design maximized overhead space above the bathroom in this Paris studio with a bed accessible by a ladder.
Best fix for: small studio apartment with high ceilings, tween room
Window as a Headboard
Anchor your bed under a window in a narrow space with a window on the far wall. In this Paris bedroom from Caroline Andreoni Interior Design, the window ledge serves as a de facto headboard.
Best fix for: narrow bedrooms with a window on the far wall
Sofa Bed
If you’re designing a guest bedroom suite, consider installing a sofa bed to make the space more usable when you don’t have company, like this basement en suite from Emilie Fournet Interiors.
Best fix for: multifunctional guest rooms, spare rooms
Bed Without a Headboard
In a small bedroom with side windows, place the bed against the solid far wall facing the door. Fantastic Frank skipped the headboard to save space, swapping a bulky nightstand for a simple stool.
Best fix for: symmetrical square rooms with a solid wall
Wall of Storage Around Bed
If you live in an older home that lacks closet space, consider building in storage around the bed. Neva Interior Design ran cabinetry all the way up to the ceiling, creating a niche for the bed in the process.
Best fix for: older homes that lack closet space
Wall-to-Wall Headboard
Structure a long and narrow bedroom with a wall-to-wall headboard on the farthest wall. Fantastic Frank installed a headboard with built-in nightstand ledges, adding a slim wall desk at the front of the room.
Best fix for: long and narrow bedrooms
Standalone Murphy Bed
A Murphy bed housed in a freestanding cabinet is easy to install and can move when you do. Interior designer Corine Maggio of CM Natural Designs decorated the inside of this Murphy bed cabinet with an upholstered headboard that matches the curtains, and decorated the top with plants for an inviting feel.
Best fix for: rental bedrooms, guest bedrooms
Corner Bed and Window Ledge
Save space by placing the bed in the corner, and using an adjacent window ledge as a nightstand. Fantastic Frank styled it with books, art, and a reading light, and hung a gallery wall to create a focal point that de-emphasizes the bed.
Best fix for: rental bedrooms, multipurpose spaces, apartment bedrooms
Horizontal Corner Bed
In a small rectangular space, consider a corner bed with the long side pushed up against the longest wall, like this space from Neva Interior Design.
Best fix for: shallow rectangular rooms
Floated Bed
You can make a smaller space feel larger by floating furniture in the middle of the room rather than pushing it up against walls. Leanne Ford Interiors floated this cloud-like bed in the middle of this all-white bedroom for an airy and ethereal feel.
Best fix for: rooms with limited square footage but uniform proportions
Bed Alcove
If you are trying to make a truly tiny bedroom into a functional and comfortable space, fill it with as much bed as will possibly fit. Leave just enough space to move in and out, hang a lightweight fabric pendant light over the bed, and pile on some extra pillows to make the space cozy and inviting, like this mini oasis from Leanne Ford Interiors.
Best fix for: tiny repurposed rooms, bed alcoves
Window Seating Area
Set up a modest sitting area in the corner of a small bedroom using small-scale furniture. Michelle Boudreau Design chose a classic Eames rocking chair to complement this small midcentury modern bedroom in Palm Springs.
Best fix for: rooms with a single corner window on the far wall
Daybed
Set up a daybed to maximize space in a tween room or a guest room. Erin Williamson Design chose a white bed frame to blend in with white walls, then accented with color.
Best fix for: tween room, guest room
Built-In Wardrobes
Flank the bed with a pair of custom wardrobes on either side to add storage to a bedroom without enough closet space. Studio Peake left the wall above the bed blank to make room for a painting layered over board and batten wall trim.
Best fix for: bedrooms that lack closet space
Staggered Bed Placement
In a room with awkward window placement, use furniture to restructure the space. Desiree Burns Interiors placed an eye-catching bed frame from the center of a small window to make room for a nightstand in this compact bedroom.
Best fix for: rooms with awkward window placement
Window Seat
Add extra seating in a tight bedroom with a built-in window seat. Ashley Montgomery Design took advantage of bump-out walls to install space-saving sconces.
Best fix for: rooms with large windows but a lack of square footage
Wall-Mounted Nightstand
In very small spaces, anchoring the bed on the largest wall may not leave room for a generous nightstand. Consider wall-mounted nightstands instead, like this apartment primary bedroom from Desiree Burns Interiors that anchors a floating nightstand with a drawer to hide clutter and a sconce on a wood slat headboard wall.
Best fix for: primary bedrooms
Open Closet
Save space in an atypical bedroom with an irregular layout with a DIY open closet. Neva Interior Design lined the irregular walls opposite the bed with a dresser, open shelving, and a rod for hanging clothes.
Best fix for: atypical spaces