Regarding family life, our houses don’t always play ball, and there’s no better example than the humble box room. Box rooms are so small that a single bed can take up 50% or more of the floor space, leaving little room for furniture and children’s playtime. Not all of us are blessed with double bedrooms, so it’s essential to make the most of what we have, and box rooms are a blank canvas. Turning a box room into a functional bedroom depends on the right bed – you can save inches of floor space with a slender bed frame and get bunk beds or triple sleepers to sleep two or more children in a box room. Here’s how to transform your box room:
Need a single bed? Size up that bed frame
A single bed in your box room can save precious inches of floor space by measuring up. The big mistake people make when buying beds is assuming they are the same size or thereabouts. Bulky bed frames can easily be 8cm wider and longer than slim bed frames, so it pays to get out your measuring tape. Consider a divan bed, because these can offer great quality and longevity, companies such as Simba can help.
Need a cot? Get a convertible cot bed
If you have a baby or toddler, it makes sense to buy a convertible cot bed so that you are familiar with the frame and learn to live with it.
Convertible cot beds are suitable from age 0 to around five, which is when most children do better with a full-size single bed. The beauty of a cot bed is you must only drop the slatted base down a level for different ages.
Need to sleep two children? Get bunk beds
Bunk beds are fantastic for transforming box rooms because they comfortably sleep two children without taking up all that precious floor space.
Pictured: Julian Bowen Barcelona Bunk Bed – White, Available from Bedstar.
Standard bunk beds have a one-up-one-down configuration with two beds, with the frame made from either metal or wood or sometimes both. You should measure up your box room to ensure the bed comfortably fits.
Need to sleep three children? Get a triple sleeper
If you have high ceilings, triple bunk beds are the best way to sleep three children in one room. You can get L-shaped triple bunk beds in a two-up-one-below configuration or single stacked bunk beds in a 1-1-1 configuration.
Another option is a double-single triple bunk bed; the lower bunk is a small double, and the top bunk is a single.
Pictured: Flair Ollie Triple Sleeper Bunk Bed – Grey, Available from Bedstar.
Need space for furniture? Get a loft bed
Loft beds have a top bunk with space underneath – ideal for an open clothes rack and a chest of drawers.
Most box rooms have limited space after sticking in a full-size bed, so a loft bed is an excellent investment to make the most of space. Young children also enjoy sleeping higher up, although children under six should not sleep at height for safety reasons.
Pictured: Julian Bowen Pegasus High Sleeper – White, Available from Bedstar.
Buy narrow, taller furniture
With a chest of drawers, wardrobes, and tables, it’s best to add storage space vertically rather than horizontally or with depth. Taller furniture takes up less floor space and gives you more storage for clothes, bits, and bats.
Get a wardrobe with drawers
If your box room only has space for a wardrobe, you can get one with in-built drawers to eliminate the need for a chest of drawers. A wardrobe with two drawers is perfect for most people, and you can get them with soft-close hinges.
Consider an ottoman bed for storage
If you want to put a single bed in your box room, an ottoman bed is best for unlocking abundant hidden storage space. Ottoman beds have a lift-up mattress platform and use the whole underside of the bed as storage.
The beauty of ottoman beds is you can specify an end-opening or side-lift platform, so they work for any box room configuration.
*Collaborative post
About Debz Louise
Debz Louise is a UK-based lifestyle expert and the founder of several lifestyle blogs. Specialising in everything from interior design and home renovation to body-positive fashion and parenting, Debz brings a wealth of hands-on experience to every guide. Her mission at Stereotude is to simplify the modern world for her readers through expert curation and fiercely honest advice.