Study bed for a spare room . Overkill or a good investment?

another_casualty

Howdy! Bedroom size 9'1"x 6'6". Complete with boiler under the window! (Yes I know )...
Anyway , after moving into my small 2 bedroom odd shaped Victorian flat I bought various things essential for it . I kept my old leather 2 seater and 3 seater settees plus my old king size bed which obviously is in the main bedroom . I bought a new computer desk and sideboard
I also bought a new computer desk which goes well in the corner of the room . On my birthday last year I treated myself to a music keyboard . No more expense .

When downsizing , I know that have to be less sentimental and much more thorough . I am listing most of my bass guitars and the funds from that should pay for my storage issues .
I think that I may have made a mistake with the sideboard ,and maybe the computer desk. The flat has a lot Of stud walls . Not great. I was thinking of having possibly a trestle that goes across one wall . Or a bed with storage . Or, the study bed..

I like the flat , but it just has no storage . Even the gig bags for the bass guitars are in the way. Apart from the towel rail in the bathroom I don't know where else to put them . I have quilts with covers / bedsheets for myself and possible guests and I don't really have room for them . So I thought of maybe the studybed and a long box trunk for bits etc. I love the living room which feels homely despite the size
Bathroom and kitchen are fine enough . Just.

Apologies for the long winded post . I was gonna get a designer to come from John Lewis to advise . That could be overkill also.

Advice appreciated

Owain_Moneysaver

Victorian flat - do you have high ceilings? Can you build a storage loft over the hall for bulky stuff? Built in floor to ceiling cupboards with well-organised shelves can take a lot more stuff than freestanding wardrobes.

another_casualty

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Victorian flat - do you have high ceilings? Can you build a storage loft over the hall for bulky stuff? Built in floor to ceiling cupboards with well-organised shelves can take a lot more stuff than freestanding wardrobes.

Thanks owain:)

Not really high ceilings unfortunately . Trouble with these type of flats is the risk of dampness / rendered walls etc . I was thinking of maybe having one of those wardrobe doors on runners that could go across the wall . I did have the wardrobe initially in that room. Nowhere else to put it at the time as stuff was everywhere . My friend dismantled it and put it into my main bedroom. That room had a bit of dampness in the beast from the east era . Seems to have gone now.

rach_k

How often do you have guests? If not very often and it's just you, or you and a partner, I'd not waste space having a permanent spare bed. Just get a decent air bed for occasional guests, then use your spare room for what you actually do in there (music, study?). Even if you use the spare room as a big walk in cupboard, I think that's a better use of the space because it's for you, the person who lives there!

another_casualty

Thanks Rach
It's true . I don't have many guests . I do have a Qvc air bed ,which one of my sisters used . My other sister used the old leather settee.
When one of my friends crashed over on Sunday, he just wanted to crash on the settee. He was critical of a lot of things .
I just seem to be going round in circles, or squares as is the shape of the flat . Life isn't black and white all of the time ...

rach_k

IMO, people who are super critical should be made uncomfortable enough that they don't want to visit often! They can always check into a hotel if they don't find the accommodation up to their standards.

Do you have a plan and measurements of your flat? There are loads of places online where you can plan out your rooms, although I often find squared paper simpler and more fun! You can put in/cut out pieces for your existing furniture, then get the measurements for anything you're considering buying and see how they would fit. It's easier than moving actual furniture too.

another_casualty

Thanks Rach

I moved into an empty shell . I didn't do too bad at first . After moving in I got rid of loads of paperwork dating back to when I had my head in the sand . It's easy to listen to so many when you are moving : " keep the old settees" " keep the kinsize bed " etc inspite of only me living here etc . Some say " throw that 2 seater away and put your computer in there and not in the spare room." I'm tackling it today anyway , whatever I decide . It'll take some time

coffeehound

Do you have wall brackets to hang your basses from? Getting things up off the floor helps a place feel bigger and less cluttered IME. A wander around popular Scandinavian homewear retailers can give some good ideas.

another_casualty

Thanks coffee hound
I do indeed have basses on the walls at present . I may be selling a few . The gig bags are a real pita tho. I am looking at those wooden cubes on the Internet at the moment . Was looking at computer wardrobes earlier .

getmore4less

floor plan and some pics of the space.

chances you have just too much stuff for a small space.

Might be better to just convert the Bedroom(size 9'1"x 6'6") into storage only or maybe a small desk as well depends where the door and window are.

dunroving

There are loads of ideas online for how to make best use of small spaces (Tiny House movement, etc.), but there comes a time when you have to accept you have too much crap for the space you live in. That's a tough call - as soon as you get rid of something, you'll realise you need it for some purpose or other. I'm still downsizing and have been doing so for the past 20 years!

I'd follow the advice given by others about looking for unused space above ground. If accommodating overnight guests is a priority, you could get a loft bed, with room for your office/desk space underneath?

Also, perhaps look at ideas online for using space in boats. Beds in walls, or drop-down beds allow you to have bed space without it taking up room in the 98% of the time you have no guests!

Same thing with tables and desks - I have a small dining area in my kitchen and am thinking of buying a fold-down table that will attach on the wall, or a drop-leaf table that has fold-up chairs inside. Otherwise, most of the time, my kitchen table and chairs just takes up a lot of unused space. Depending on the look you want to achieve, fold-up chairs could also be hung on the wall to keep them out of the way when you don't have visitors.

Re: storing spare bedding, buy some of those vacuum packs so they are reduced in size.

Lots of unused wall space could be sued to store books, etc. - above your bed head, above the sofa, above the kitchen table, in the hallway, etc., etc.

I'd ignore everyone else in the long run though, as it is your space and it should please you, and suit your needs, not everyone else's.