Small bedrooms are common in London. The box room in a terrace, the second bedroom in a converted flat, the compact double in a newer block. In a small room, every bit of floor matters. Off-the-shelf furniture rarely fits the space well, leaving gaps at the sides and dead space above.
This guide looks at ways to fit more storage into a small bedroom while keeping it calm and easy to move around.
Use the full height of the room
Most standalone wardrobes stop well short of the ceiling. The space above them collects boxes and dust. A fitted wardrobe that runs right up to the ceiling uses that height. The top section is good for things you need less often: spare bedding, winter coats, suitcases.
In a period room with a high ceiling, that extra height can add a lot of storage. Where the ceiling isn’t level, the top of the wardrobe can be scribed to follow it.
Think about door swing
In a small room, the doors you choose matter as much as the inside. Hinged doors need space in front of them to open. Sliding doors need none, but they’re deeper overall because the doors run on tracks. Open storage needs no doors at all but shows everything.
Measure the gap between the bed and the wardrobe. If hinged doors would hit the bed, narrower doors or sliding doors might suit better. Our guide to wardrobe doors compares the options.
Build around the bed
Building storage around the bed can turn a wall into a storage wall. Tall cupboards either side, with a bridging cupboard above the headboard, give a lot of space without using more floor. Leave enough headroom above the bed to sit up comfortably.
Shallow shelves or a small built-in bedside cupboard can replace standalone bedside tables, which helps in a tight room.
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Shallow storage where depth is tight
A wardrobe for hanging clothes needs enough depth for a hanger to fit across. That depth doesn’t suit every wall. Where a wall is too tight for a full wardrobe, think about:
- shallow cupboards with shelves for folded clothes
- a pull-out rail that hangs clothes front to back
- a shallow run of drawers under a window
- shelving above a door, where nobody needs to reach often.
Make use of awkward corners
Many small bedrooms have an awkward corner, a chimney breast, a bulkhead over the stairs or a sloping ceiling. These are exactly where fitted furniture does better than off-the-shelf pieces. An alcove beside a chimney breast can hold a wardrobe. A bulkhead can sit inside a cupboard with a shelf built over it. A slope can be filled with low drawers.
See fitted wardrobes under a sloping ceiling and building around a chimney breast for more.
Consider a wall bed for a spare room
If the small bedroom is also a study or a guest room, a wall bed can give you back the floor. It folds down when needed and folds away into a fitted cabinet the rest of the time. The mechanism must be fixed securely as its maker specifies, and you need clear space in front to lower it.
Read wall beds explained to see whether one would suit your room.
Quick answers
Are sliding doors better in a small bedroom?
They need no space in front to open, which helps when the bed is close. They do make the wardrobe deeper overall, so measure both options.
How deep does a wardrobe need to be?
Deep enough for a hanger to fit across with the doors closed. If the wall is too tight for that, shelves or a pull-out rail can work instead.
Is it worth building a wardrobe up to the ceiling?
In most rooms, yes. The top section gives storage for things you use less often, and there’s no gap on top for dust.
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More advice
- Wardrobe Doors: Hinged, Sliding or Open?
- Wall Beds Explained: Are They Right for You?
- Fitted Wardrobes Under a Sloping Ceiling
- Fitted Storage for Children’s Rooms
- All advice
This guide is general information about fitted furniture. It isn’t legal, planning or building advice; for those, speak to the council, your landlord or managing agent, or a suitably qualified professional.