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humminbirrrd

Advice needed on how to furnish an 8.5'x8.5' bedroom

humminbirrrd
9 years ago

I'm trying to decide whether to move into a 2-bedroom apartment. It's great except that the second bedroom is tiny - 8.5'x8.5'. This is the first time I'll have a 2-bedroom and I really want to have a comfortable queen-sized bed for guests. I know I CAN technically fit the bed in a room that small, but SHOULD I?

I'm not concerned that the bed will take up most of the space - I'm more concerned that my guests have a comfortable night's sleep, not acres of pointless square footage. I've seen some really cute small bedrooms where the bed takes up the majority of the space.

What do you guys think? Is that size too small for a queen-sized bed?

Comments (11)

  • judithva
    9 years ago

    It will be a tight fit, a queen bed is 60" wide, so if you center the bed, you will have 21" on each side. Enough room for small side tables with the ability to hold a small lamp for reading, hold a glass of water etc., and enough room in the aisle to get in and out of bed, but not room for much else.
    After all, most likely the guests are only sleeping there, and if it was a couple sleeping there, a Queen size would be much more comfortable to me than a Full size bed. I am assuming there is a closet there to store their suitcases and items they need.
    You could push the Queen size bed in a corner, but I personally hate that (too hard to make the bed).

    So if you are going for their comfort, then (at least for me, a Queen bed centered in the room would be fine.)

  • humminbirrrd
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for responding! That's my thinking, too, that guests would only be sleeping in there, so what could another foot or so of extra space around the bed really add? And there is a closet for suitcases, etc.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    9 years ago

    sbdesign we also have a antique full size bed. Have used it for 25 years. Different mattress of course. We have room for us and kitties.

    I had a room totally done up for guests that rarely come. Such a waste of space. About 8 years ago I threw in the towel and decided this is MY house and company is welcome to what we have. I got rid of the double bed and bought a futon that I know is not all that comfortable but I do not care. This way they do not stay too long.

    Our guest room is mainly my sewing room and quiet room for me to go to if I need away time in our small house. It is 9 by 13 foot . I have one little corner with printer and office supplies in a drawer in the small side table the printer sits on. If I need quiet to do business I use my sewing desk/table for that.

    I guess I am not the hostess with the mostess. LOL There is a motel 10 miles up the road.

  • kirkhall
    9 years ago

    I agree with shades.
    I have a room that is 8.5 feet wide (a little longer than yours) and I put a queen bed in it when we first moved in. For a couple in a 3 bdrm house, it was our "guest room" and what you are supposed to do, right!? So, we did. And, it didn't really affect us... Until we had 2 kids. Then, I needed that room and the space taken up by that unused queen bed for other things.

    We chose to buy an IKEA daybed that can open into a larger bed. Most of the time, it is my retreat location. I can go in there to read/study/etc; sew; work on the computer; without interruption if I want. The room has many more uses than just a guest room.

    In reality, we use it much more often as an office/sewing room than a guest room.

    If I were in your shoes, and wanted a real mattress and not a daybed type piece of furniture (which I still like), then I'd also consider a murphy bed. Then, you only lose 1.5-2 feet of space from the wall, and not fill the whole room with mattress when it isn't being used for mattress. :)

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    How often do you have guests? And how many? If it's rarely and/or if your guests are typically single, then I'd get a trundle bed so it's easy to accommodate one, can do two in a pinch, but doesn't overwhelm the tiny room. It can be used as like a daybed if you wanted to get a secondary use for the space like a small desk.

  • amts
    9 years ago

    I vote for the Murphy Bed idea, there are a number of different configurations. At least take a look. Many found on those "used but will sell to you" Internet sources. (I'm new to these forums and not sure if I can use actual names.) A new mattress (duh). Some are antique (usually smaller though), Some come with attached table and behave like an office. I too think that Full is quite large enought. Hope this helps.

  • User
    9 years ago

    I like the idea of a single daybed with a trundle.

    A queen is ONLY 60 wide, but it is 75 long....geeze, Louise, that leaves room for a pocket door to open and them to jump over the footboard and land in the bed?

    I would not even have side tables taking up precious floor space. I would have drop down shelves. You might do well to take a look at some of the newer motor homes, which have so many builtins including the bed. You can always think about a full size bed but that only saves 6 inches, since full is 54 inches wide instead of 60.

    Having lived on a house boat for 10 years and owned a 31 foot sailboat for another 5 which I sometimes stayed on, and then worked for 20 years on offshore vessels, I'm used to confined quarters where carpenters used every available inch for something.

    Is there a closet in this room? I'd remove the door to it and put all necessary stuff in that space. I'd even put the storage for their bags, and I'd also make any bed a storage bed with drawers below.....but only with a twin would you have room enough to open those drawers. Unless you just put shelves below the bed.

    Anyway, I know you wish to provide Triple A first class accommodations, but think about it before you invest a lot of money into a guest room. They might just as easily find space in the living room set up with a sofa bed and the door closed too. And you'd have that square little room for other purposes.

  • ccintx
    9 years ago

    I'd say use a day bed with a trundle also. With a queen size bed, I guess they would have to go in the hall to change clothes? LOL The day bed could be used when you need quiet time.

  • Rudebekia
    9 years ago

    My guest room is 8.5 x 10--tiny! I rarely have guests, so I didn't really want to "design around" the non-existant guest. I found the optimal use of the space is a twin sized pull out couch. 99% of the time it is in closed position, so it makes the room very efficient as a craft and ironing room, plus a place to sit and read. I thought about a day bed but that takes up much more room.

    So the pull out twin sofa is fine for a single guest. When I have a couple I sleep in the single and give them my master bedroom. Works just fine.

  • OklaMoni
    9 years ago

    I put a queen size wall bed, aka murphy bed in my room that size.

    My son in law is tall, and I needed larger than full size. :)

    Moni