An extra bedroom means more than an extra bed.
Renting an apartment generally means that you are not able to make any structural changes to the space without the landlord's consent, and that consent is not forthcoming in most cases. Finding extra bedroom space in your apartment may not be as difficult as it first seems; repurposing the space you have and creating a variety of dividers to provide privacy just require a little ingenuity. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. A bedroom does not have to include a standard bed.
Locate space in a room that you now use for a different purpose. Incorporate the type of bed that would fit best in this space. Think outside the box-- you probably don't want a standard bed in this dual-purpose area. Look at convertible furniture-- futons, foldout couches or chairs and Murphy beds. Rearrange an office to make room for a futon. Add a hideaway bed to a sewing room. Transform a large walk-in closet into a small bedroom with a convertible chair.
2. Add a wardrobe to a dividing wall for more storage.
Place beds on opposite walls of a bedroom. Add tall bookcases or dressers in the middle to divide the space. Include additional storage, if needed, by using freestanding wardrobes.
3. Create a "mirror image" bedroom by placing two beds head-to-head in the center of the room. Upholster a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood on both sides and place between the beds to look like tall headboards. Drill holes in the bed legs and attach to the plywood on both sides. Repeat the process next to the beds with two dressers. Attach the two pieces of plywood together with broad tape or mounting brackets. Hang light mirrors or pictures above the dressers once the plywood has been covered and stabilized. This method creates an 8-by-8-foot wall.
4. Tent odd-shaped areas for an unusual bedroom space.
Turn a loft or attic area into a sleeping space by hanging tenting material around the bed that opens and closes for privacy.
5. It only takes a wall or two to create a new bedroom.
Make more permanent structural changes to the apartment if the landlord agrees. This will involve tearing out existing walls and/or framing new walls. Frame new walls to divide an existing room; cover the walls with drywall and then paint. Tear out walls between two large rooms to create three smaller rooms, one of which can be a new bedroom. Enclose a large patio, balcony or alcove to provide space for a small bedroom.
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Tags: bedroom space, both sides, extra bedroom, plywood both, plywood both sides
