After we thought of all of the features that will be useful to have in our son’s bed room, which might undoubtedly be described as “cozy” on the subject of the dimensions (actual speak: this room is small), he wanted:
- a mattress to sleep in
- clothes storage
- e-book and toy storage out within the open
- some hid storage for papers and different toys/video games
- added bonus: a hangout-y lounge spot for studying or enjoying along with his sister or a good friend who comes over
- he additionally requested his personal desk for drawing/homework/enjoying with magnets (sure, now we have a present magnet obsession going robust proper now)
We undoubtedly might have pulled the “your room is absolutely small for a desk, unsure we are able to do this” card – however we thought it was value a strive because of the concept of customizing a built-in desk proper subsequent to the mattress that might double as a nightstand. And low and behold, it labored like a allure. So sure, this small room has all the things on that listing we shared. A bookshelf, a desk (that additionally works as a nightstand), an enormous cozy couch-like mattress that each of our youngsters hang around on, together with ample clothes storage and toy storage in an entire bunch of out-in-the-open and hid spots within the room.
It is a very belated sharing of those tasks (we accomplished these customized closet cabinets a 12 months in the past in January of 2021 (I can’t consider it has been a 12 months – I had to have a look at the date on my telephone pics). So we’re joyful to report that not solely do they appear good, they’ve labored rather well for a complete 12 months.
Due to the modest dimension of this area, we undoubtedly needed to be intentional about working all of that stuff in. Our youngsters love a comfy room, so we didn’t fear that our son wouldn’t like or use this area (each of our youngsters hand around in right here way over in our daughter’s bigger room – go determine). However a small room isn’t all the time simple on the subject of squeezing in all of the features. Typically you simply have to select & select and get artistic about what you retailer exterior of that room – which we thought we would should resort to with this area.
However lengthy story lengthy, we’re thrilled with how a lot we obtained out of this room thanks to a couple easy DIY tasks. Attending to examine off all the things on our listing – together with a number of “good to haves” on high of the requirements feels actually good. And it certain has come a good distance in right here. The photograph under is from our first walk-through of this home. Vaulting the ceilings made SUCH A DIFFERENCE in how a lot much less cramped this small room feels (extra on that right here). The image under is actually the identical view because the one above. Three cheers for turning a small field right into a vaulted field with all of the built-ins.
The photograph under is one other angle of the room because it appeared once we purchased the home:
And right here we’re with an after shot from an analogous angle:
We debated all the things from including a bookshelf within the closet – or perhaps a small desk in there, however realized that clothes storage in that nook felt the most effective for maintaining the room useful long-term (a dangling bar can all the time be added up high at any time when that want arises, and we are able to all the time add a door again on, though now it’s tremendous useful with out one because it fought with the principle door to the room). So after deciding the closet labored greatest for clothes storage, we thought of all the things from shoving a tallboy dresser in there to hanging some fancy Elfa storage bins with pullouts for clothes storage, and finally landed on cabinets with massive cloth baskets. Tremendous simple to make use of. Tremendous versatile. And one thing our son has used earlier than on the subject of clothes storage…
… see, each of our youngsters truly saved their garments/pjs/swimsuits in baskets on cabinets at the pink home for the whole summer time after they shared that tiny bunk-room! (Delicate idea: that’s additionally the place they developed their love of compressing into small cozy areas collectively).
Due to the pink home and a 12 months of utilizing this setup right here, our son actually likes how easy it’s. He places all of his garments away himself after they’re contemporary out of the laundry, and it additionally makes it simple for him to see if he’s operating low on socks or bathing fits so we are able to hurry up and do a load to treatment that (nothing can actually disguise in these baskets like it might at the back of a bigger drawer).
Does it imply we gained’t add a door, a dangling bar, or a built-in dresser down the road if that looks like it might be extra useful throughout that older stage of life for him? We definitely may. We’re all about evaluating precisely what works for the life stage you’re in – so it’ll be fascinating to see the place we find yourself when he’s older and he truly has objects of clothes that should be hung up (his present depend of that = zero). Enjoyable reality: this closet used to have a dangling bar nevertheless it was filled with our garments as a result of the primary 10 months we lived right here, we didn’t have a closet in our room. Thank goodness we modified that.
As for a way we added these easy closet cabinets, we mainly adopted the identical methodology that we used to create our built-in pantry within the pink home so you’ll be able to see that step-by-step tutorial right here. A fast abstract of our methodology = nailing and screwing in brace items of wooden that you simply stage on the edges and again of the closet, in order that MDF cabinets can relaxation on high of them and be nailed into place.
These are these brace items that help the MDF cabinets, which we made with 1×2″ pine boards (we obtained the pre-primed ones for straightforward portray) from Dwelling Depot.
We used the identical 1×2″ board to make the cabinets seem chunkier (simply add one alongside the entrance of the shelf to heft them up). That a part of the tutorial can be significantly better defined right here in this pantry shelf constructing put up should you want extra particulars and visuals. Oh and we painted the partitions of the closet nook one of many colours in the wooden slats that we used for that accent wall, so it matches proper in. The colour is Livable Inexperienced by Sherwin Williams.
You may keep in mind that we added the built-in bookshelf again in 2020, which remains to be going robust – together with that colourful planked wooden wall (extra on how we did that right here). One newer addition is that brass shelf that we hung above the bookcase, only for some extra vertical curiosity on that additional tall wall (it’s the vaulted facet of the room, so it’s good to have one thing to attract the attention up and use extra of that wall).
For those who’re sitting there considering “Okay, the place are all of his trinkets and books and pokemon playing cards and devices and snap bracelets and different small objects?!” – a ton of books could be saved right here on this built-in bookshelf, and people two material baskets are filled with pokemon playing cards and different smaller trinkets & toys. That wooden field additionally has extra collections of issues (rocks, a number of rocks) and I obtained him the cutest four-drawer cubby after taking the images for this put up (in fact!), however you may need seen that on my Instagram tales. There are additionally three desk drawers and lots of extra baskets filled with toys/video games/extra rocks/and many others underneath the mattress, so actually all the things he desires in his room has a spot.
And sure, he put “Florida and Me” on his little blue-green letterboard. Makes me giggle so exhausting. It is a higher shot of that brass shelf we added. I actually just like the rounded edges and the truth that it’s precisely the identical width because the wooden slats, so we simply lined it up with one among them once we hung it. Speak about a contented accident.
One very nice factor about this room’s setup is that it’s really easy to seize a e-book to learn or a basket of playing cards to play with on the mattress proper from mattress. Typically smaller areas = much more environment friendly in that means. Small can actually imply quick access to a number of issues proper at your fingertips.
Swinging round to the opposite facet of the room, right here is the little floating desk that we constructed ourselves so it matches completely into the room. By maintaining it hooked up to the mattress (the alternative facet attaches to the wall) it actually feels lighter and fewer crowded in right here. And the most effective a part of the desk coming proper as much as the facet of the mattress is that it doubles as our son’s nightstand, along with his sound machine and fan proper there, together with a coaster for his nightly drink of water.
I feel one other sensible choice we made in right here was pushing the mattress towards the wall and creating not one however two upholstered panels to go behind it (one for the facet and one for the again) so it has a very inviting loungey daybed/couch vibe. This spot = the place each of our youngsters hang around a ton (together with different neighborhood buddies who cease by to play) because of that couch-like feeling. And the upholstered panels had been really easy to make. Right here’s a put up with all of the steps so that you can create your personal. Including a easy white quilt and a bunch of comfortable pillows like these and these completed it off (sure, our son has a particular means he likes to nestle himself amongst all of these pillows and stuffed animals each evening).
As for a way we constructed the desk, it’s constructed from MDF, and we as soon as once more used that pantry shelf-building methodology to assist maintain it up. We used 1×2″ boards alongside the again wall and that left facet wall, so the MDF high rested on them. As for the proper facet, we used a few of the identical MDF to help it towards the mattress. You’ll be able to see the way it’s simply two items of MDF, and one rests on high of the mattress rail whereas one goes to the left of the mattress, type of “hugging” it. We secured them by screwing into them from underneath the mattress (so that you don’t see the screws nevertheless it’s doubled up and really securely held in place).
Including the three drawered cupboard underneath the desk makes for much more hid storage (a Rainbow Loom and Aquabeads package disguise in there alongside along with his new Christmas microscope and plenty of papers and notebooks that he makes use of at his desk). You first noticed a glimpse of it that little three-door cupboard on this put up, which particulars seven of our favourite storage items that take advantage of our smaller house.
And the most effective factor ever is that we even have tons of under-bed storage in our son’s room. There are numerous baskets of different toys & video games & stuffed animals down there, and they are often tucked deep sufficient underneath the mattress that they don’t look cluttered (see how one can’t see any within the photograph under)…
… however they’ll simply be pulled ahead to seize one thing and play with it, just like the basket you see peeking out from underneath the mattress within the photograph under. We truly initially purchased him this mattress as a result of it had two massive wooden drawers that pull out from underneath it, which appeared very storage sensible certainly. However we realized after dwelling with them some time that smaller material baskets that may slide out and in made extra sense than having to maneuver two larger and heavier drawers each time he wished one thing. Plus particular person baskets work higher for the precise objects he shops (like collectible playing cards, extra rocks, did I point out there are many rocks?). Stay & be taught. (Am I the one one who says “and get Luvvs” in my head each time I hear or say that?).
We’re SO HAPPY with how this room has advanced, not just for our son, however for our complete household. No joke, if we’re searching for the children, 9 out of 10 instances they’re both exterior on one of many swings or hanging out in our son’s room collectively (on this case, listening to the Encanto soundtrack on repeat). WE DON’T TALK ABOUT BRUNO-NO-NO… however we love to speak about storage 😉
Additionally, see that rectangle of wooden underneath his built-in bookcase? That’s ADDITIONAL secret storage as a result of we don’t like for a single sq. foot to go to waste. That is an outdated photograph under, simply to point out you what we imply:
That panel pops off if we press it in the proper nook, and it at present homes some spare image frames as a result of our son doesn’t have any want for that extra storage. However as he grows if he does have a necessity for it, we’re joyful at hand it over for no matter he wants. We might even add a deal with to pop the door off a bit of extra simply anytime he desires to entry issues down there.
For those who’re searching for extra storage-friendly or small-space concepts, our first put up about this room from a 12 months and a half in the past exhibits you a few of our earlier concepts for optimizing his bed room (like how we constructed within the bookcase and added the upholstered panels across the mattress). And right here’s how we added that colourful planked wall therapy.
It’s also possible to take a look at our daughter’s room because it appeared a 12 months and a half in the past (only a few months after we moved in), which particulars how we made her upholstered channel tufted headboard. After which you’ll be able to see how we added an summary mural to one among her partitions for plenty of shade and curiosity. It was a very enjoyable venture to do collectively.
And right here’s a put up we wrote about seven of the toughest working objects of furnishings in our home that assist us retailer all the things we want with room to spare! For those who’re seeking to optimize your own home’s effectivity within the New 12 months, it might undoubtedly assist.
We have to write an up to date put up about our daughter’s room as a result of we added a desk some time again (and swapped out her nightstands for those we used to have in our room, which you’ll see peeking into body within the photograph above). We love a superb switcheroo. Additionally, how fascinating is it that one storage mattress has labored out so so properly with out a lot change (our daughters, which you’ll see above – and learn extra about right here). However our son’s storage mattress’s large promoting function – these two massive wooden drawers – simply didn’t pan out for us. Once more, ya reside and ya be taught. And ya get Luvvs.
*This put up accommodates affiliate hyperlinks, so we might earn a small fee if you make a purchase order by hyperlinks on our website at no extra value to you.
