skip to main content

Home Decorating

Large Bedroom with Small Furniture

6 years ago

So, I have a nice large beautiful bedroom with bay windows. The problem is that when I was younger, all my friends had twin beds, so I insisted on giving up my queen-sized four-poster bed in exchange for my brother's twin-sized bed. Now that I'm older and have some decorating sense, I realize what a big mistake that was! Because the room is so big, I have an issue with finding a furniture arrangement that looks good, is functional, and doesn't end up with all the furniture pushed lengthwise against the wall which creates this gaping empty space in the middle of the room.

I'm not looking to change furniture or rugs or anything like that because I will be moving out of my parents' house in a few years after college, but I'd like some advise on how to arrange things so the room at least feels full and grounded again. I have an apartment near my college (out-of-state) which I have designed and arranged very well, so it's always a bit of a shock to my system when I come home (and I'm sure it affects my mental health as well). I wouldn't be against buying a few inexpensive items to help out.

My main issues are the larger pieces of furniture. So that's my bed, the desk, and the dresser. The desk and dresser both have unfinished backs, so my only options are to leave them against the wall, or find a way to cover the unfinished wood. I also still need to have a space around my desk for the ironing board and body form because I sew a lot when I'm home.

I'm also attaching a couple designs that I've created using online programs do give a better sense of what I'm trying to do. Two bits of information I forgot to put in the screenshots: the door to enter my room opens inwards and is the one on the far right (the other two are closet doors), and there is a window on the wall across from the doors which is right in the middle of the desk in diagramMaybe you'll see that I'm just stuck in a certain pattern and can't get over that hump.
Any advise is greatly appreciated, no matter how small!

Also, sorry for not including any actual photos. My room is currently in shambles as I only just returned home and am in the process of getting rid of unnecessary things.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

chickadee2_gw
6 years ago
What did you do with the other twin? Do you have friends from college who come to stay? If you still have the other bed, there's the option of putting the twins together and treating it like a king. Get an inexpensive headboard from Craig's List or make your own out of plywood and fabric. I forget what the stuff is called for padding, maybe batting? You could even just nail the covered headboard it to the wall to keep it simple. Or use the twin sheets on the beds but push them together and just dress the top as a king. Separate them or not when you have company.
Sarah McBride
Original Author
6 years ago
Unfortunately, I don't have an extra twin that I can use. Which is sad because I've been seeing all these lovely double twin bedroom arrangements on Pinterest
Related Discussions
Combining a Small Master Bedroom with an Ajoining Small Bedroom?
Q
Comments (6)
I did just what you describe and I'm tickled pink with it. In my case it WAS a load-bearing wall, but that just meant I had to header off the opening. I created about a four-foot archway between the two sections of the (now one)room - making one section the bed area and one the sitting/dressing area. I can't tell you what it costs since I did it myself, but I really don't think it would be that bad, depending on what needs to be done. I had to move a electrical box and add another (to stay up to code) but it was mostly a framing/drywall job. I would say the most important thing is visualizing the feel/scale of the new room as well as new traffic patterns and usage patterns to come up with a good design. In may case I created a couple of new walk-in closets to keep the scale of the resulting room comfortable. I know I've been in several "de-partition" rooms that feel just like that - two rooms with a wall knocked down.
...See More
Large & awkward master bedroom needs TLC, new furniture and lay-out
Q
Comments (9)
The first thing I notice is the almost total lack of color in your bedroom. It also lacks curtains, and there is very little softness, and a lot of dark and angular furniture. In the inspiration room that Beverly shows there is a definite and very cohesive color scheme, and much more softness to the bedding, and some strong and definite pattern. You might consider buying an area rug you love and taking color and pattern inspirations from that. The art in your room is too small and timid, and I would look for much larger and more colorful art to bring life to this room. A large easy chair in front of the window in a beautiful color and some decorative pillows could also become part of your color scheme. A very spare and modern aesthetic may not give you the warm and cozy vibe you say you're looking for. It might be better to wait until you've bought the furniture you want before asking for advice since I gather everything in the room will be different. The orientation of the bed looks good to me in relation to everything else, including where the door is.
...See More
Arranging furniture in a small bedroom?
Q
Comments (12)
First pic is looking into the room from the door. Turn to the right and the first wall is TV and dresser and a smaller window. Turn to the left is the bed and bigger window. Turn left again and you see closet and then the tall dresser. I measured and the bed would fit where the tv and long dresser are, with 10 inches of clearance between the bed and open door (if the bed is pushed all the way against the window). The long dresser would then fit long ways against the remaining wall space between the foot of the bed and the big window. But I can't decide if that would look bad.
...See More
Small bedroom furniture ideas?
Q
Comments (1)
Something that might help a small bit, recently I noticed that a lot of the new table lamps have USB ports in the base, so you can easily charge your phone/ipad without yet another cord...
...See More
kirkhall
6 years ago
Do you have craigslist? So many twin beds that people are always trying to get rid of on craigslist because their child "needs" a larger bed. Maybe getting a second one is an option (it is an inexpensive option, as twins, new, are inexpensive compared to larger sizes).

Otherwise, I like your first option.
k9arlene
6 years ago
I like your first layout. I hate a bed pushed up again the wall as its such a pain to make the bed. You might want to buy a bench or trunk to put at the base of your bed to fill the space.
Sarah McBride
Original Author
6 years ago
That first layout was actual one I created right before posting this, and it's my favorite idea thus far. I love the idea to get a bench or trunk. A trunk would work really well for storage for my craft and sewing supplies. And it's something I could get relatively inexpensively by stalking some thrift stores around town!
Olychick
6 years ago
Since we haven't seen your actual furniture, I'm not sure if this would work - maybe not a great idea with a twin, but for something fun and different, you could float your bed in the middle of the room with your dresser behind the headboard (to hide both unfinished backs). Or check those thrift stores/craigslist for an inexpensive book case...or??

I know this shows a canopy frame, but you could probably rig up something fairly inexpensively using things like copper tubing or curtain rods....
PRO
MDLN
6 years ago
Yayagal
6 years ago
I like the last one best.

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES Large-Scale Pieces Give Small Rooms Massive Style

By Lisa Frederick

Work bigger elements into a diminutive space and watch its design cred grow by leaps and bounds

LIVING ROOMS Lay Out Your Living Room: Floor Plan Ideas for Rooms Small to Large

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

Take the guesswork — and backbreaking experimenting — out of furniture arranging with these living room layout concepts

BEDROOMS 10 Ways to Create a Dressing Area Large or Small

By Natasha Saroca

Consider these ideas for carving out space in a corner of your bedroom, bathroom or closet

SMALL HOMES Easy Green: 10 Tiny Homes That Live Large

By Laura Gaskill

Go ahead, micromanage. These 10 inventive spaces show how to pack a lot of living and style into small square footage

BEDROOMS Small Living 101: Get Maximum Style in a Small Bedroom

A snug bedroom doesn’t have to look utilitarian to function well. Find out how to make a compact space work beautifully

DECORATING GUIDES 13 Strategies for Making a Large Room Feel Comfortable

By Laura Gaskill

Bigger spaces come with their own layout and decorating challenges. These ideas can help

FURNITURE 10 Furniture Essentials for Small Spaces

By Laura Gaskill

Here are items to opt for when a full-size sofa would be the elephant in the room

SMALL SPACES How to Make Your Living Room Look Bigger

Decorating a small living room? These 10 tips will help you make it more beautiful and welcoming

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Space-Saving Furniture

From a sleeper sofa to a storage ottoman, here are our top small space furniture picks both large and, well, small

0

SMALL SPACES How to Make Any Small Room Seem Bigger

Get more from a small space by fooling the eye, maximizing its use and taking advantage of space-saving furniture

Sponsored

Emily Rudolph Interiors

25 Reviews

Hands-On & Collaborative Columbus Interior Designer

More Discussions

Prepping House to Sell, Need Opions

13

Help with Studio Apt

52

Please recommend good matching upholstered chairs for table

29

How to arrange these furniture

13

decorating help

5