Boxing Clever: How Best to Make Use of Space in a Box Room

A small box room can be a bit of a problem – maybe it’s not big enough to be a useful bedroom, but any living space is too precious to allow it to become a ‘dumping ground’. In the 1960s and 70s three bedroom homes generally had two decent sized bedrooms and then a tiny box room which the youngest child was destined to put up with (even as a teenager!). Today’s houses do seem to have a better layout with bedroom space more evenly distributed, but of course you may still be dealing with one under-sized bedroom within the family home! Here are some creative ideas as to how to make the best of it…

The Smallest Room

Brighten up a little box room with some clever paint effects…get that masking tape out; shown here is a lovely burst of colour, Spiced Honey, which is of course, Colour of the Year from Dulux.

With a tiny box room, there are a few interior design points which should always be considered. If it has to still perform as a bedroom, turn it into a single room with plenty of storage. A raised bed is a good choice, with storage drawers beneath. If it’s a child’s room, then a raised platform bed with desk and storage space below is a logical idea. However, once past the age of about ten, those not-so-little-ones may prefer a floor level bed! Look at mid and high-level options from Aspace.

If budget allows, consider built-in fitted furniture which, if it’s done well, will utilise every single inch of the available space in a sleek and sensible manner. If the box room is designated as the ‘occasional use’ spare room, then a bed-in-a-box ottoman could be the ideal solution, leaving the room to be used as a study or hobby room on a more regular basis. As a general rule, stick to furniture that has a small ‘footprint’ – i.e. that is slim and tall, using up wall space rather than floor space. Some of the slim wall hung bathroom cabinetry from Utopia  is an ideal choice for spare-room-storage, especially if it’s in the same colour/finish as bathroom furniture already installed in the home.

For fitted furniture that can accommodate sloping ceilings and awkward corners with ease, consider made-to-measure from Sharps. If there’s one golden rule to adhere to with a box room, it’s avoid the clutter. Cluttered, untidy surfaces will spoil any neat, streamlined and practical scheme and as such it’s always worth a visit to IKEA to marvel at all their storage and tidying solutions.

Colour-wise, a tiny room can still be adventurous and fun. We suggest two very different options … make a statement with some bold, interesting and colourful wall paper on one wall – perhaps the desk wall or bed wall so it can be seen as soon as the door is opened. The other is to keep everything – walls and storage furniture – the same colour so that there is a continuous theme throughout the room. As for the floor, go for simple stone or wood style tiles (our Luxury Vinyl Tiles would be a good choice).  If the colour scheme is bright and colourful, or add a splash of colour or pattern via a rug, patterned tiles or vivid plain coloured carpet to add a bit of pizazz to a neutral scheme.

Hang It Up!

No room for wardrobe? Go for a clothes rail instead – a really good idea if you’re on a tight budget, too. This one is from a selection at Dunelm, and a visit there will turn up lots of other storage solutions to get that box room sorted out.

A box room needs organised storage; we can’t resist these children’s storage crates from Hurn & Hurn, which will definitely help keep the toy chaos under control …

Mellow Yellow Design Details

From left; The Engioi Storage Trolley from LIMELACE is a practical box-room addition – we love the cheerful colour and retro-styling. Go for a cheerful mustard-yellow for a smart box room. Keep it neat and organised with these Ochre Yellow Dot Dash Canvas Storage Pots from Bohemia Design; and lastly, although the smallest room may be a bit squashed, show a sense of humour with the Yellow Sardines wallpaper by Mind The Gap, available from Decoville.

Box Room Blues

Another great box room layout and storage scheme … this is room is just only very slightly wider than the length of a bed so would work in box-rooms up and down the country! Under-bed storage and wall shelves above the desk make it a scheme suited to all age groups. This is the Slakt bed from IKEA. 

Top Tips for Smaller Rooms

rom left; This Woood Industrial Locker storage bench combination is fabulous for little rooms, it can double as a lounging bench  plus toy storage, what’s not to like! It’s from Cuckooland, and of course there’s absolutely no reason why it can’t also be used by grown-up people too!  As a trying-very-hard neat freak, this 13 Drawer Chest appeals to me very much indeed, we have a vision of each separate pile of endless paperwork being put neatly away in each drawer. It will never happen, but we can dream! But … it’s also a great choice for a tiny room as it measures just 38cm W x 28cm D x 110cm H, from Melody Maison. And our final suggestion this time is for a multi-purpose chest with lift-up lid, super for spare bedlinen, toys, files and folders. It’s the St Ives Oak & Grey Blanket Box from Oak Furnitureland, and could also be used as a side-table or bedside surface in a box room that has to do double duty as an extra bedroom too.

Have you performed any box room styling miracles? Let us know on Twitter @TileMountainUK or tag us on Instagram with your pics!

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