These 7 genius space saving bedroom ideas will make any size room work twice as hard

If you're looking for space saving bedroom ideas, there are so many tricks and tips you can adopt into your scheme to grant you more space than before. From clever fold-away pieces of furniture to using architectural details to your advantage, your room and the furniture you buy has ample potential to afford you with space to breathe. 

'A bedroom marks the transition from stimulation to relaxation, from social to personal space,' says Giorgio Ivessa, senior associate at New York-based interior design studio, Champalimaud Design, so it's crucial that your design is calming and evokes a feeling of serenity, rather than feeling cluttered with furniture and busy. Whether you are struggling to fit everything into a small bedroom space, or just want to give the illusion of airiness and space, these are the top tips to get your bedroom.

Space saving bedroom ideas to create a calm aesthetic

Space is a valuable commodity in your bedroom, but there are many essential pieces of furniture that you need in this space, from the bed itself to the storage, to home offices given that more and more of us working from home. But there are ways to make these crucial items compact and space saving through clever design tricks. Here are our favorite hacks to saving space in the bedroom.

1. Consider a slide away bed

Think outside the box when planning your space saving bedroom solutions. Furniture like storage needn't be a permanent fixture, and neither should your bed. 

This project was the brainchild of Keiran Hawkins from Cairn Architects, with valuable space saved by the clever bed fitting and bespoke storage system that allows a double bed to slide away into the eaves of this attic bedroom.

2. Double up on headboard and storage

Sometimes, a more compact space means you have little space for design flourish and pieces that don't have much purpose aside from looking beautiful in your room. A headboard is a perfect example that is mostly aesthetic, and you might not feel like your small space warrants such an aesthetic detail. But there is a way to get clever with a unique headboard idea and use it to your advantage.

In this SoHo loft, Kimberly Peck Architect opted to create a custom-designed headboard that spanned the entire bedroom. 'The purpose of the headboard was multifold,' explains Kimberly.

'It grounds the bed in the room while creating open and closed storage space for the owner to place and store objects and books to help organize the room. 

'The area immediately to either side of the bed was designed to act as a nightstand with a deeper drawer and integrated electric for reading lights or to charge cell phones.'

3. Try window seat storage

Another fantastic space saving bedroom idea is to sneak your storage under your window seat, saving storage elsewhere in the room and working as a place where you can wistfully look out the window and daydream, or tuck into a good book. In this example, from London-based interior designers, The Stylesmiths, space is saved in that awkward corner.

4. Build up

There is often a lot of dead space at the top of your room, and there is no reason why wardrobes should fall short of hitting the ceiling. Make the most of the space with extra areas of bedroom storage for clothes, shoes, books, or those winter clothes you want out of sight. 

If you can't reach, invest in a tasteful ladder and hook it onto a rail to keep it in place for when you're climbing in the house on your own. 

5. Get innovative with your bedroom home office set-up

If your room has become your bedroom office space, consider a foldaway desk that can slide away to avoid bulky office furniture taking up space. 'A desk needn't take away from your day-to-day living space, through a little creativity you can have the best of both worlds with an integrated design that can be cleverly hidden away,' says Jen and Mar, co-founders from Interior Fox. 

Here, the designers did exactly that, with a compact desk created behind bespoke sliding paneled doors. 'Shelves were installed to make the most of the vertical space, allowing for books and work tools to be stored away. Don't forget electrics, make sure plugs are within reaching distance so you can charge your laptop and plug your light in.'

6. Save space with under the bed storage

Save space and buy a bed that is higher off the ground, giving you more under bed storage to squirrel away under your mattress. A handy place for bedding, towels, and other bedroom bits and pieces, a storage bed is more likely to award you with more space.

Storage beds can be fitted with wheeled drawers or a hydraulic base that can be lifted, even with a mattress on it. An upholstered divan base is a versatile choice that is easy to maneuver and get into the house, and often comes with smart storage solutions and a headboard. A valance can also shift the aesthetic of a divan and cleverly cover up drawers.

7. Go for a loft bed

Loft beds aren't just for children, and if you have enough ceiling height, you can double up on space in your room by building a level above your bed, either for a small office space, a dressing room, or if you'd like to be off your ground, an intimate and private area for your bed to go.

This beautiful Scandinavian bedroom in a tiny cabin in Sweden created by My Scandinavian Home cleverly doubles up on space, with an area above the bed added in a tasteful way.

How do I arrange my bedroom best for a small space?

When arranging your bedroom and you only have a small space, think about the key pieces of furniture you own and how they might slot cleverly together. A rectangular shaped bed can slot nicely into any right angle of the room - making sure to have one side right up against the wall and without a bedside table can save you a valuable slither of room. Try and maximise light too and keep curtains light colored and translucent if possible, this will stop a small space from feeling dark and instead give it an airy feel.

Choose a bed frame and bedside tables and dressers that slot into any alcoves, or go either side of any chimney breast. Instead of bulky pieces of furniture for storage, mount floating shelves on the wall. Paring down your furniture can make a huge difference in how spacious your small bedroom feels.