Space is always a premium for households and families in the UK. The huge rise in house prices recently was partly due to an increased appetite for larger homes, whether for more bedrooms, more green space or simply larger rooms for comfort and storage.
But many of us are making do with houses on the smaller side – and for families with young children, it is often the kids that find themselves in the smaller bedrooms or even box rooms. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but clutter can quickly form thanks to growing toy collections, clothes and even school equipment. So, what can you do to create space in your child’s bedroom for a more fun, clutter-free experience?
Multifunctional Furniture
Furniture is often the biggest culprit for swallowing up space in a bedroom. Many items of furniture serve singular functions, and, while they may work well in larger bedrooms, can cause havoc for comfort and enjoyment in smaller ones.
As such, your first port of call should be to condense furniture. There are many hybrid items available that combine purposes and increase available space. The most common of these for children’s bedrooms is perhaps the ‘high sleeper’, a stilted bed in the manner of a bunk bed but with space beneath – for a desk or storage.
Sliding Wardrobes
Stand-alone items of furniture can take up space multiply. Not only do they take up physical space, but they also command space in front of them via their drawers or doors – and can even steal space behind, by not standing flush with the wall.
A simple solution for this in smaller rooms is to take the fitted route to furnishing. Fitting a wardrobe with sliding doors ensures maximum space is created and can also be used to take advantage of oddly-dimensioned spaces. Mirrored sliding fitted wardrobes have the added advantage of bouncing natural light around the room and extending the line of sight, giving the room a sense of depth or width.
Bright Colours
Colours are not just a fun way to engage your child or express their personality. They can also be used to great effect in altering the perception of a space’s size or dimensions. Brighter, lighter colours reflect more light and can have the impact of ‘expanding’ space in the mind’s eye. Feature walls can be used to bring one wall ‘closer’ in, and coloured walls with a bright ceiling can give the sense of a higher, more vaulted ceiling.
Vertical Storage
Lastly, while young children may not be able to reach the doorknob just yet, there are still many advantages to making use of height in their bedroom. Floating shelves can have a great impact on the décor of the space, while also providing practical utility. For example, you could place items such as school book bags and rucksacks at height above the door, saving floor space without placing wanted items out of reach.
