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By Dorie Chevlen and Caroline Biggs felt purse organizer
We’ve added three new picks to this guide: an under-bed storage bin, a sleek nightstand, and a modern storage ottoman.
Small bedrooms pose big challenges, particularly if you’re short on closets or if you need to fit in a home office.
We asked five design and organizing experts for advice on getting the most out of a tiny bedroom, then tested items in a 250-square-foot New York City apartment.
Caroline Biggs has written about small-space design for several publications including The New York Times, Refinery 29, Apartment Therapy, Architectural Digest, and Domino. Dorie Chevlen is a staff writer at Wirecutter covering home and decor. For this guide, we researched hundreds of bedroom furnishings and tested more than a dozen items in our own small apartments, and we evaluated other items in person at IKEA and West Elm.
Caroline also spoke with five home-organizing experts to get their insights on designing a small bedroom: Emily Henderson, interior designer and founder of Style by Emily Henderson; Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, professional organizers at The Home Edit and authors of The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals; Tali Roth, founder of Tali Roth Interior Design; Anjie Cho, architect and feng shui educator; and Nicole Anzia, professional organizer and founder of Neatnik.
Before you decide what to buy, consider the types of items that work best in a small bedroom. Our experts recommended thinking about these four general guidelines to help maximize every inch.
In a small bedroom, a storage bed is a foolproof way to gain some extra space. Whether with built-in drawers, hidden compartments, or a small footprint, these bed frames all offer some unexpected storage.
This affordable bed was the only one we found that lifts up to provide lots of storage inside when you don’t have enough clearance for pull-out drawers.
The IKEA Malm is the perfect bed to squeeze into a tiny room or cramped bedroom corner. It provides as much or more storage as beds we found with built-in drawers but it doesn’t require any clearance space around the frame. Instead, a spring-assisted lift flips up the mattress to reveal a hidden storage area inside. Organizer and Neatnik founder Nicole Anzia specifically recommended the Malm for small bedrooms, “It’s great when you don’t have the space around your bed for pullout drawers.” It also has a relatively small footprint, with the queen-size bed measuring 83½ inches long by 66⅛ inches wide.
The Malm offers a lot of function for the money—it’s less than a third of the price of some other storage beds we considered. But even though it gives you a lot of storage space, it won’t replace a dresser. Because the interior isn’t as easy to access as the beds we recommend with drawers, it’s better suited to storing seasonal or rarely used items, not everyday necessities. However, its big central compartment is better than drawers for storing big or awkward items that need a more open space, like comforters or winter jackets.
High in quality and style, this storage bed is the only one we found with so many customizable features—pick from four drawer colors.
Many storage beds we found looked like they belonged in a dorm room, but the Blu Dot Modu-licious Full Bed is a classy, investment-worthy bed. It has enough space to stash spare bedding, clothes, books, and more, but it’s sophisticated enough to use even if you don’t need the room. It’s well built and the only solid-wood option of our picks, available in oak, walnut, or maple. You can also customize the color of each individual drawer front so the look can be as showy or as subtle as you wish. It’s the only bed we looked at that has adjustable feet for leveling, perfect if you have slanted or uneven floors.
The Modu-licious’s birch plywood drawers span both sides of the 79-inches-long frame so they take advantage of every inch under the bed. However, unlike with the flip-up Malm, the drawers on the Modu-licious require at least 30 inches to open all the way, so they won’t do much good if your bed is next to a wall. This bed also costs more than four times the price of the Malm but we think it’s worth the investment if you plan to use a storage bed long term.
This loft bed is the most stylish one we found and one of the few that’ll accommodate a full-size mattress.
May be out of stock
Even though it’s from Oeuf, a brand for children, the Perch Loft Bed is the most adult-friendly loft bed we found. It’s far nicer-looking than any other we saw and it comes in full size (many lofted beds are available only in a twin). Lofted beds are ideal for small bedrooms because they free up space underneath. As interior designer Tali Roth said of the Perch, “It looks brilliant styled with a desk underneath or seating and wall shelves.”
The Perch has closed sides that hide the mattress (up to 8 inches deep), making it look more polished than those with metal or wood slats. It’s made from birch plywood, so it’ll probably be sturdier than metal.
The Perch’s ladder has flat steps that help make it less awkward to climb than the standard metal crossbar steps on many loft beds. Even better, the ladder fits on either side of the frame, so it’s more versatile for spaces that need a specific layout. The Perch supports up to 250 pounds of weight, which is standard for a lot of lofted beds, but something to keep in mind. At around $2,000 it’s pricier than other loft beds we looked at, but its quality construction, full size, and sleek design are what you’re paying for.
Murphy beds, also known as wall beds, fold up when not in use, so they’re a clever way to free up some floor space during the day. However, Murphy beds tend to be expensive, much more so than the other types of beds we recommend here, and we didn’t see very many nice-looking options available without a custom order. We researched numerous options but ultimately couldn’t find a Murphy bed we thought was best for most people. Resource Furniture offers high-end, customizable Murphy beds, but you need to request a quote (and they’re not cheap). But it has some of the nicest ones we’ve seen.
Even if you won’t be investing in a bed with built-in storage, you can still make use of the space underneath your bed with a storage container.
Sturdy construction and thick plastic make this bin a reliable storage vessel even against moths and leaks.
Of all the under-bed bins we tested, the Iris WeatherPro 41-Qt Storage Boxes are the best. They are made from thick, sturdy plastic, and the lids are secured with six latches for an extra-tight closure. We tested the 8-inch tall 41-quart size, which is shorter than a traditional under-bed box, but it makes the bin easier to maneuver.
If you have a bed frame too low to fit the WeatherPro box, The Container Store makes a soft PEVA Under Bed Storage Bag that is only 6 inches tall at its maximum capacity and can squish down even lower. The bag has a two-way zipper that goes all the way around it for fast access and two handles to make it easy to grab. Some reviews complain about rips, but our tester has used hers for two years to store out-of-season clothes and reports it’s held up okay so far.
Whether you need a place to set a lamp or just a spot to charge your phone, bedside storage is essential. Look for a nightstand that can squeeze into almost any space, but offer enough room to stash your nighttime necessities.
Chic and affordable, our favorite wall-mounted cubby will hold your bedside necessities without using any floor space.
Although it’s not specifically a nightstand, we think the Umbra Bijou Floating Shelf Cubby is the best way to store your nighttime essentials without using any floor space. It’s clean and contemporary, inexpensive, and easy to install. Mount one or two next to your bed for all the perks of a table, with no footprint.
At about $30 as of this writing, we think the Bijou looks more expensive than it is. Its clean lines and open storage compartment give it a sophisticated silhouette. It’s also solidly made of an iron sheet cubby and a thick (¾ inch) melamine top that measures 16 by 8 inches. It comes fully assembled and, when securely mounted to the wall with anchors (which are included), it can hold up to 10 pounds.
Available in two colors and two heights, this spindly end table has a small storage nook and small profile for tight spaces.
The Yamazaki Steel + Wood Storage Table only offers one shelf for storage, but for tight corners and small spaces, its diminutive size is just right. Made from a steel top with wooden legs, the table is also easy to assemble—just screw in the legs and you’re done.
The nightstand is 14 by 14 by 14 inches for the short version, and our tester said that it is the exact right size to fit all her bedside staples: a lamp and a glass of water on top and her reading glasses, hand lotion, and a few books in the storage shelf.
Finding a way to incorporate a workspace into a small bedroom or studio isn’t always easy but sometimes it’s necessary. Both of these desks will fit into a tight space but also offer enough room to actually get some work done.
This sturdy wall-mounted desk is big enough to hold most laptops but folds up to the size of a large briefcase. It’s one of the only folding desks we saw that has storage for papers and pens.
The Ebern Designs Sanner Adjustable Floating Desk is a clever way to create a one-person workstation in a small bedroom. It’s a high-quality, wall-mounted desk that can fold up and out of the way when not in use. No matter how small, almost every other desk we considered used up a decent amount of space, but when closed, the Sanner extends only 4 inches off the wall. When opened, its 21-by-17-inch surface has enough space for most laptops (although it might be tight if you use a mouse) and a large pocket for a few papers and pens. It was one of the only folding desks we saw that can store stuff—rather than just offering a surface—which makes it feel more like a desk than similar but cheaper models.
Chrome hinges help the Sanner desk open smoothly, while an extra-strong magnetic closure keeps it tightly closed when put away. Reviewers give it 4.7 stars (out of five) at the time of this writing and praise its slimness, sturdiness, and ability to be mounted as either a standing or sitting desk. The Sanner needs to be anchored to a stud (all of the hardware you need is included) and can hold up to 20 pounds.
This stylish desk was the only one we found with top shelves, and the leaning design helps take advantage of unused wall space. It also offers the option to buy a matching bookcase, so it’s more versatile than others we considered.
The West Elm Ladder Shelf Wall Desk was the most polished leaning desk we found, with a solid wood frame and a subtle contrasting look. Its slim frame—which measures just 28 inches wide—also includes two shelves, so it provides more storage than most leaning desks we considered without extra shelving. This design helps make the most of any small space but especially one with an odd shape or a nook where a traditional desk plus shelving might not fit. If you want to fill an entire wall with storage, the Ladder series also includes a five-tier narrow shelf that can be used alone or mounted next to the desk to create a streamlined system with an almost nonexistent footprint. The bookcase is just 25 inches wide and each shelf holds up to 75 pounds when anchored to the wall.
We tried other leaning desks, but they didn’t include upper shelves like the Ladder does and they didn’t come with the option to add a separate matching bookcase. They also weren’t as sturdy.
Great lighting can brighten the feel of any small space, and strategically placed lamps are especially essential for multifunctional bedrooms, making sure that when it’s time to sit down to work or read in bed, you have the right light for the job. Most of our favorite bedside lamps, especially the options from Onefortythree and Andrew Neyer, work perfectly for a small bedside table, and others such as the Xiaomi Mi Smart Desk Lamp and the Adesso Eden Table Lamp would also look at home on a desk or bureau. For maximum impact, try to mix up the types and sources of your light, and include at least three.
Defining space in a studio apartment or other open layout can be tricky, but carving out a bedroom or office area is easier with the right divider, whether that’s a large double-sided bookshelf or a simple curtain.
This iconic bookshelf offers more storage for the price than any other we found and doubles as a room divider.
Chances are you’ve come across the IKEA Kallax at some point or another. At nearly 6 by 6 feet, the largest version of this popular shelving unit works perfectly as a room divider. It’s finished on both sides (it doesn’t have a back) and its 13-inches-square compartments are the ideal size to store books and knickknacks, or customize with IKEA’s endless coordinating accessories, while still letting lots of light filter through. Beloved by diy-ers and interior design enthusiasts, reviewers of the Kallax agree that its ample storage and endless customizability make it a great small-space solution.
It’s also affordable—far cheaper than most large bookshelves we considered. We think it’s the very best way to get a lot of storage while also sectioning off a bedroom on the cheap. The Kallax series comes in nine sizes and four colors, so it’ll fit in most spaces and work with most decors.
The spring-loaded tension rod that comes in this kit was easier to install than any other style we tried and comes with a luxe-looking, heavyweight curtain in 16 colors and patterns.
To divide rooms when you need more privacy or flexibility than a bookshelf can provide, we recommend curtains from RoomDividersNow, a Los Angeles–based company offering a large variety of sizes and styles of room dividers. After hours of small bedroom research, one thing became clear: good-looking room dividers are hard to find. While the big bookcases we recommend can double as room dividers in an open layout studio, stylish curtain-style dividers were few and far between.
We loved the RoomDividersNow Tension Rod Room Divider Kit, a high-quality, spring-loaded tension rod and curtain. It was the easiest one we assembled and comes with a heavyweight polyester curtain that looks satiny and luxe and comes in 18 different colors and patterns. Its five sizes fit spaces between 2 and 12 feet wide, but other types of dividers from RoomDividersNow can span much longer distances. The brand also offers kits with freestanding frames, like the End2End Room Divider Kit that we also tested and liked, as well as more permanent options that require mounting. We looked at other brands of curtain-style room dividers, but they weren’t sold in kits with the rods and hardware included, so it was harder to figure out what to buy, and they didn’t look as polished. RoomDividersNow was the only one we found to offer such a wide variety of sizes and styles for many types of spaces.
If you have a little space to spare, benches with inner storage compartments can provide the room to stash your stuff and a place to sit. Such benches often work well at the end of your bed to store clothing, blankets, books, and more.
This storage bench comes in three lengths and in either fabric (two colors) or leather. It looks great at the foot of a bed or as an extra side or coffee table.
If you want extra seating but could also use some extra storage space, we love Article’s Maribo Storage Ottoman. It comes fully assembled (all you have to do is screw on the legs) and it’s great as storage at the end of a bed or as a side or mini coffee table (used with a tray on top). We like that it comes in three lengths to accommodate various spaces (19, 32, or 48 inches) and three fabric options: a textured ivory boucle, a heathered gray, or a light brown soft leather. It has a hinged soft-close lid, which makes it easy to open and close, and its padded foam seat is comfy to sit on. The whole thing sits on a wood frame with short wooden legs, which keeps the fabric from getting too dirty on the ground.
This collapsible bench assembles in seconds and offers ample interior storage for a fraction of the price of any other we considered.
For a cheap or temporary space to stow extra stuff, buy the Seville Classics Foldable Storage Bench Ottoman. We tested this storage ottoman because of its high overall ratings (4.8 out of five stars) and ample reviews (over 10,000) on Amazon, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. It’s surprisingly nice for its price and holds more than any other bench we recommend. It arrives folded but is easy to assemble. Mine’s currently storing two extra-thick yoga mats, three throw pillows, and a chunky wool throw.
It assembles in about two seconds thanks to its simple fold-out design, and because it’s made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), it provides a solid place to sit. The Seville is rated for up to 500 pounds, evenly distributed, and, in our tests, it felt very stable under the weight of one person. It isn’t the most comfortable bench we’ve ever sat on but its stiff polyester upholstery is easy to clean. And though the button-tufted top isn’t very plush, it gives the bench a more polished appearance. It comes in blue, dark gray, and light gray.
Nicole Anzia, professional organizer, Washington Post columnist, and founder of Neatnik, phone interview, November 13, 2018
Anjie Cho, interior architect, feng shui educator, and author of Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to Create a Mindful and Peaceful Home, phone interview, November 14, 2018
Tali Roth, interior designer at Homepolish and founder of Tali Roth Designs, phone interview, November 1, 2018
Emily Henderson, interior designer, author, and founder of Style by Emily Henderson, email interview, November 19, 2018
Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, professional organizers, authors, and founders of The Home Edit, phone interview, November 19, 2018
Dorie Chevlen is a staff writer from Youngstown, Ohio, now living in Los Angeles. She has worked as a copy editor, fact checker, and sandwich maker, but this is probably her favorite gig. Beyond her Wirecutter work, Dorie writes screenplays and contributes frequently to other sections of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The LA Review of Books, and Slate, among others. She has been called—both flatteringly and not—“a lot.”
We consulted four small-space experts to help you decide what to buy (and not buy) to optimize your small apartment.
by Jackie Reeve, Katie Okamoto, and Alex Arpaia
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After considering roughly 50 shoe racks and cabinets, we recommend the Seville Classics 3-Tier Shoe Rack for organizing shoes in closets and entryways.
teddy bear felt busy board Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).