Guide · ZAIA Design

Small bedroom design for apartment flats

Bedrooms in Bucharest's apartment blocks are often 9–12 sqm, with a single window and a radiator exactly where the wardrobe would have fit. With a good plan, even a small bedroom can have a double bed, plenty of storage and a sense of visual calm.

Where to put the bed

The basic rule: leave at least 60 cm clear on the sides you get into bed from, and 70–80 cm at the foot if there's a wardrobe with hinged doors there. In a long, narrow room (the classic rectangular apartment block bedroom), the bed usually goes with its headboard on the short wall, and the wardrobe on the long wall opposite the window.

If the space doesn't allow access from both sides, a bed pushed against the wall on one side may look like a compromise, but it's perfectly functional for one person or for a teenager's room.

Storage: think vertically

Floor-to-ceiling wardrobe: the top 40–60 cm, rarely used, holds luggage and out-of-season bedding.
Sliding doors instead of hinged ones when the space in front of the wardrobe is under 80 cm.
Storage bed or bed with drawers — the biggest “free” storage area in the room.
Floating bedside tables or shelves, which keep the floor clear and make the room feel larger.

A walk-in wardrobe in a small bedroom

An open walk-in wardrobe can fit even in a 12 sqm bedroom, if there's a niche or a windowless wall at least 2 m long. A depth of 55–60 cm is enough for hangers. If the wardrobe is visible from the bed, a curtain or smoked-glass doors keep the room visually calm.

Colours and materials

Warm, matte tones (beige, muted terracotta, sage green, warm grey) make a bedroom more restful than cool white. An upholstered headboard, or a wall behind the bed clad in fabric or wood, becomes the focal point and absorbs sound. For a modern bedroom, stick to three colours at most and repeat them in the textiles.

Lighting

Avoid strong ceiling light directly above the bed. Better: wall lights or reading lamps on both sides, a warm LED strip behind the headboard and soft general lighting. Two-way switches (at the door and by the bed) are a cheap detail during installation and a very expensive one to add later.

A child's or teenager's room

A teenager's bedroom needs three clear zones: sleeping, desk and storage. A loft bed with a desk underneath, or a long desk under the window, frees up the floor. Custom-made furniture pays for itself here, because it can grow with the child.

When a furniture layout is worth it

In a small bedroom, a few centimetres decide whether the wardrobe door opens or hits the bed. A 2D furniture layout with exact dimensions, included even in the Basic package, prevents these mistakes.