Bedroom design ideas

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A bedroom should be as clutter-free as possible. Most people have a considerable amount of clothing, so first-class storage is essential. Built-in storage systems eat up less floor space than freestanding furniture. ‘When planning your hanging space, measure the length of your clothes rail, then add 20 per cent,’ advises Peter Friend of Hülsta.

Clever solutions

• Recoup valuable space by forgoing bedside tables. Instead, install a shelf on the wall behind the bed.

• Underbed boxes or beds with built-in drawers or shelves utilise the redundant area underneath. Flip-up beds also ensure space is put to good use. Remember, too, that low-level beds are less visually dominating than lofty princess-and-the-pea style ones.

• Fold-down beds used to be cumbersome and ugly, but now there are some really well-designed models. They can be expensive, but if you have a studio and are going to be using it every day rather than in a guest room, then it’s essential to invest. A pull-down bed combined with a pull-down desk can make a small spare room a really multifunctional space.

• ‘A sleeping space doesn’t necessarily need to be fully enclosed,' says Elizabeth Wilhide, author of Small Spaces. ‘Screening a space with a partition or sliding doors can provide privacy without blocking light. Or, in an open-plan area, a mezzanine or raised platform divides things up.’

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