A long narrow room is a common occurrence both in the old building and in new buildings. An elongated “pencil case” can also form as a result of redevelopment. In any case, the question arises of what to do with such a form and how to place everything you need in a limited area. In this article we will tell you how to arrange furniture in a rectangular room without sacrificing comfort and aesthetics.
How to visually expand space
In a room where there is a shortage of free space, it is difficult to arrange functional parts. It’s easier to abandon them in favor of the illusion of additional space. This approach will make the room fresh and original. Several methods can be used.
- Only pastel colors. In narrow bedrooms it is forbidden to use dark materials. They steal free space, the room becomes cramped. Light shades: beige, cream, peach, delicate pink and white will add airiness to the room and make it visually more spacious.
- Convenient zoning. In small bedrooms, they try not to construct artificial partitions. Zoning is carried out using accents, pieces of furniture, and finishing materials.
- Use only small, light-colored items. For narrow spaces, a folding sofa or bed with a lifting mechanism in peach, beige and other calm shades is ideal.
- Presence of a mirror. Mirror coverings in narrow bedrooms make them look large. Only they are placed along the wall so that the sleeping area is not reflected.
- Neat accents. In a white bedroom, you can accentuate the attention with the help of door panels and window frames, making them brown.
- The narrow bedroom is divided into two shades. You can create an optical illusion in the room using furniture of different tones: a brown wall unit and a beige sofa, a dark single bed and a white wardrobe.
- Beautiful photo wallpaper. This finish should be consistent with the overall interior. For a narrow bedroom, options with a landscape or panoramic print would be ideal.
- Organization of the wall behind the headboard. Decoration is carried out by arranging niches in the wall behind the back; they are highlighted with a contrasting shade and complemented with internal shelves for decoration.
- Wallpaper with straight lines. Light-colored canvases with wide and narrow stripes will expand the space if you choose models with horizontal stripes. In order to “raise” the ceiling, you need to use wallpaper with vertical lines.
To uniqueize the bedroom interior and “push apart” the walls, you should use several visualization methods. The main thing is not to overdo it; the abundance of glass surfaces and a light palette will make the room uncomfortable.
Multi-level bed with cabinets in a narrow-format bedroom Source pinterest.ru
Narrow bedroom with lighting in the form of a long picture above the bed Source faqindecor.com
Light brown narrow bedroom with a niche behind the headboard Source lon-don.rf
What details will improve the interior?
Proper furniture is not the only key to successfully decorating a narrow room.
For such a space, details are important:
. Curtains and upholstery that are soft, with a slight shine, without flashy patterns, look advantageous.
Fabrics- Mirrors, photo frames and paintings under glass . The placement of such elements on long walls allows you to create a feeling of a square due to glare and reflections.
- Prints . A large number of patterns and their complex compositions are not suitable for narrow spaces. However, simple stripes, zigzags, animal colors on paintings, carpets, bedspreads and curtains will enhance the interior and make it pleasing to the eye. It is important to place the print parallel to the short wall.
- Colors . For widths less than 2.5 m, the emphasis is on light shades of walls and furniture. It is suggested to add brightness with details - rugs, paintings, figurines, bedspreads, pillows, lamps. In a larger room, one of the long walls can be painted in a cool, dark shade. Visually the wall will seem distant, the room will expand. You can play up the color of the wall in furniture upholstery, curtains, floor carpet and paintings on the opposite wall.
In general, you should pay attention to the so-called visual weight of objects. If something creates a strong contrast, catches the eye, seems very massive and heavy against the background of the rest of the room, this item is clearly not suitable.
Which design style is best to choose?
If you are decorating a narrow bedroom, you should choose the interior style wisely. Pretentious details are inappropriate here, so it is better to give preference to modern trends. You can highlight the details of a small room using several types of design.
Narrow room in minimalist style Source design-homes.ru
Minimalism
A small bedroom in a minimalist style involves placing functional furniture. It is allowed to combine mirrors, sliding doors and cabinets. It is recommended to integrate shelves, bedside tables and drawers into the design of a narrow bedroom. All these details must be kept in the same shade. The fittings for each item must correspond to the interior design: no fancy details or curly handles.
Minimalist bedroom with a bed on a podium Source yandex.ru
The bed is placed against the far wall. There is free space on both sides for easy movement. Instead of a bed, you can place a sofa book on one wall, and opposite, place a narrow wardrobe on the entire wall for storing clothes.
Narrow bedroom with a suite under a large window Source design-homes.ru
In such conditions, it is important to properly organize lighting. The installation of spotlights is encouraged. You can place central or wall light sources. It is important that they do not stand out too much against the background of the space.
Minimalist style room with curtain zoning Source pinterest.co.uk
All items should carefully complement each other in shades and appearance. The use of details that accentuate attention is prohibited. It is recommended not to use many decorative items: figurines, vases, porcelain figurines.
On a note! A neat indoor plant in an original pot on a windowsill or shelf can be a complement to such an interior.
Narrow room with ceiling lights and lighting above the bed Source pinterest.cl
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in interior remodeling.
Modern
Modern interior is perfect for decorating small bedrooms. This trend is characterized by the use of textured furniture and interesting finishing options: wooden panels for walls, parquet, rough coverings.
Decorating a narrow bedroom with decorations and accents Source dekormyhome.ru
In this interior style, it is preferable to use light colors and focus on the sleeping area. To do this, decorate with pillows, capes and bedspreads. A carpet is placed on one side of the bed, matching the patterns of the bedspreads and cases of small pillows.
They try to leave the space under the bed empty in modern narrow bedrooms. This effect will emphasize lightness, airiness and a sense of taste.
Beautiful decoration of a narrow bedroom in a modern interior Source Etevois.ru
Light blue narrow room in a modern interior Source roomester.ru
Loft
At the same time ancient and modern style. Suitable for narrow bedrooms with or without windows. A characteristic feature is the presence of a brick wall. If such an effect cannot be achieved, an imitation is performed. It is created using pieces of foam plastic or special plastic panels.
Bed in a narrow bedroom with loft style Source design-homes.ru
A unique wall is organized between window openings or behind the head of the bed. The lack of finishing on concrete walls remains appropriate. Such partitions can also be created using photo wallpaper. Thematic posters with inscriptions and industrial compositions are hung on top of such surfaces.
Narrow loft-style bedroom without decoration Source pinterest.co.uk
The furniture used is a bed with massive, clearly visible legs made of durable untreated wood, as well as chic nightstands with bedside lamps on a metal frame.
Loft-style bedroom with zoning and panoramic window Source pinterest.co.uk
Modern classic
In this direction, symmetry of lines, elegant additions, and possibly stucco molding are welcome. The bedroom set is strictly white or cream in color with a glossy texture. Such details reflect the surrounding environment, the room acquires freshness and lightness.
Small bedroom in modern classics with beautiful decoration Source behance.net
Classic narrow bedroom with a bed and a work area by the window Source yandex.ru
Decor in a narrow classic bedroom Source yandex.ru
The curly legs of the set will emphasize the style and complete the interior. It is customary to focus attention on such details. Typically, all fittings are made in bronze, silver and gold shades. Installing a dressing table with a semicircular mirror is welcome.
Classic narrow bedroom with interesting design Source comfortoria.ru
General recommendations
A narrow long room can be a living room, bedroom, or children's room. Each of them implies specific furniture and its own nuances. However, there are also general recommendations from which to start building ideas about the future interior.
The following techniques will help you unlock the potential of any room:
- Use wall storage . If possible, replace floor furniture with hanging shelves and cabinets. Large cabinets or racks are chosen in extreme cases, giving preference to those that reach the ceiling as much as possible. The TV is also placed closer to the ceiling.
- Place beds, sofas, tables and armchairs in corners or across the room . Such items look as heavy as possible. Corner upholstered furniture, a bed or sofa between long walls, dining and living room sets in the far corner will create an airy effect.
- Avoid sticking furniture to long walls . There will be inconvenient cramped passages in the center. The room will become like a reserved seat carriage or a tunnel, where you cannot turn without hitting a corner or object.
- Send small decor to the end walls . This arrangement of shelves with small items and books, paintings, posters, night lights will direct the shape towards a square.
- Choose floor furniture with legs . A heavy landing narrows the space, unlike air gaps at the bottom. Cleaning will also become easier.
- Move large furniture to the deepest part of the room . In this way the center will be freed. It will become easier for residents to move around in space. The situation will no longer seem cramped.
- Balance opposite angles . Place some of the massive furniture in one corner of the room, and some - opposite, diagonally. The room will visually approach the shape of a square.
- Use zoning where possible . Zoning can be visual due to different colors, textures, and purpose of objects. Or it can be physical, when a shelving unit, a screen, a curtain, or a raised floor like a podium appears in the middle of the room.
- Maintain moderation . Overloaded with furniture and details, a narrow long room will become even narrower and longer. Or it will “collapse” like a crumpled cardboard box. The less clutter, the easier and freer the atmosphere.
Additionally, multifunctional furniture is recommended for tight spaces. The role of additional storage spaces will be played by compartments in ottomans, armchairs, sofas, drawers and headboards of beds.
The optimal size of free space is a square with a side of 70 cm.
Some designers advise avoiding sharp corners. The rounded shapes of armrests, armchairs, poufs, headboards and sofas, decorative items, and rugs will perfectly expand the room.
Color spectrum
Colors help visually adjust the space. For narrow rectangular bedrooms, you should limit yourself only to shades from the pastel palette. A moderate addition of contrasting details is possible.
Narrow bedroom with predominantly white and black accents Source remontbp.com
Bright bedroom with beige addition Source pinterest.com.au
White and its variations
Small rooms are decorated in white and related shades: beige, light pink, peach, ivory. Such shades are used for finishing walls, ceilings, and are used in furniture frames. Dark colors should be avoided, as they outline the geometry of the room and visually compress corners and walls.
Small area of a bright bedroom with decoration Source behance.net
Walnut or milk colors are suitable for decorating a bed. This area should be comfortable and calm. Opposite furniture, open shelves, are chosen in a light wood shade.
Narrow bedroom with blue design Source photointeriorpro.ru
Blue and its combinations
A good option for decorating ceiling surfaces and textiles. The wall decoration can remain white or cream. It is allowed to darken the floor by several tones. The coating should be coffee, dark beige, flesh-colored.
Narrow bedroom with accent blue wallpaper on the wall Source homify.ru
Design of a narrow bedroom with a work area in blue Source decorationinfo.ru
When choosing furniture, give preference to designs in natural tones: pistachio, mint, light brown, coffee. The textiles themselves: curtains, bed covers, bed linen can be left in a desaturated blue. This tone will create an atmosphere of calm and tranquility. These qualities are important for the bedroom.
Calm light green palette in a narrow bedroom Source yandex.com
Light green and its shades
Light shades of green create a feeling of naturalness and naturalness. The walls are decorated in a soft green tone, and the furniture is used for some parts: the work area, bedside tables.
Rectangular long bedroom in light green color with a window and a balcony Source yellowhome.ru
Mint or pistachio tones look harmonious if used in a room where the base is white. In this case, the companion color is used for textiles: tulle, night curtains and bed covers. A neat path with weaving of several shades of green will look stylish. It is laid both along the entire room and near the bed.
Narrow bedroom with light green walls and green decor on the bed Source dizainexpert.ru
Combination of light green and dark green shades Source dizainexpert.ru
Design of a narrow bedroom in pink with decor Source yellowhome.ru
What color is better to decorate?
Narrow living room designs allow you to play with colors, but first determine the size of your room. For spacious narrow rooms, the use of darker shades (coffee, graphite, burgundy, emerald) is allowed. A small room requires light colors - beige, gray, white.
Color temperature is also important. Northern living rooms lack sunlight, so warm cream, yellow, and orange tones will decorate it. In the halls that are located on the south side, where it is already hot, it is better to give preference to cold colors - blue, greenish, lilac, pink.
The photo shows the zoning of a bright living room
At the same time, the color scheme for long and short walls will be different. Long ones are always lighter and colder, narrow ones are brighter, darker and warmer. This allows you to bring the far wall closer and visually make the room more square.
Decoration and selection of furniture
The materials for finishing the room are environmentally friendly and breathable. Their durability plays an important role.
Floor coverings
A narrow bedroom suggests using the following floor coverings:
- linoleum;
- parquet board;
- rectangular laminate;
- plain soft carpet;
- carpet in light colors with short pile.
When laying laminate or parquet, several installation options are used: diagonally, along a short wall, in a herringbone pattern. This effect creates a visualization of expanded space.
Using light laminate in the bedroom Source yandex.uz
Laying low-pile carpet in a narrow bedroom Source yandex.ru
Small bedroom with stucco Source remboo.ru
Wall decoration
The walls are painted. Use light shades that match the interior. This option will appeal to lovers of minimalism. For modern interiors, it is better to use wallpaper for decoration: with a pattern, geometric ornament. To visualize depth, photo wallpaper with a realistic print is used.
Bedroom wallpaper on the wall behind the bed Source modernplace.ru
If finishing with liquid wallpaper is practiced, choose a material of delicate colors. Usually the base is light green, brown, beige. Complementary decorative wallpapers are white, pink, and moonlit. Sometimes there are sparkles or lurex.
Wall decoration in a narrow bedroom with carpet Source dekormyhome.ru
Ceiling
Standard putty and painting can only be used in a minimalist interior. Such finishing in other directions is replaced by a suspended ceiling. The film is chosen to match the interior. Usually these are delicate pastel colors: cream, beige, pink, blue, peach, milky.
Wallpaper can be used if the ceiling is made without flaws. But more often it is necessary to correct defects using plasterboard structures. They will hide communications and become a kind of niche for placing ceiling lighting. This option is suitable if the bedroom has a ceiling height of 2.7 meters.
Organization of a suspended ceiling in a bedroom with narrow walls Source potolok-ru.ru
Plasterboard ceiling with lighting in a narrow bedroom Source yandex.kz
Furniture and arrangement options
The main condition is high-quality natural furniture. The wooden set does not emit toxins. Budget option - items made from chipboard. But, if they are assembled poorly, they will emit an unpleasant odor for a long time.
Installing a bedside table in a narrow bedroom creates depth Source yandex.kz
Long wall with furniture in a narrow room Source dekoriko.ru
Narrow, bright bedroom with a bed and a wardrobe with a mirror Source dizajngid.ru
To arrange narrow bedrooms, you should be guided by several layout options using furniture.
- Bed. It is placed along a long wall. If the room is long enough, from 5 to 6 meters, then the sleeping place is placed near the far short partition. Both options leave free space for movement. Be sure to leave 70 cm of free space on both sides of the bed. Choose beds with forged legs; they will help add freedom to the space.
- Closet. The bedroom cannot do without this type of headset. It is better to place it along a narrow wall. Choose models that will be no more than 60 cm wide. In order not to clutter up the space with hanging shelves, the closet should have racks and a hanger.
- Other headset. The dressing table and hanging shelves can be placed against the wall near the window. The work area is arranged closer to the exit from the room. Installed in a free corner to save space.
Choose furniture with a minimalist design. It must be ergonomic, functional, and consistent with the chosen design.
Shelving and a beautiful bed in a narrow bedroom Source dizainexpert.ru
On a note! For narrow bedrooms, purchase a transforming set. This can be not only a bed that turns into a compact sofa, but also a desk.
Specifics of narrow long rooms
Narrow long rooms are often called “pencil cases”, “carriages”, “stockings” and even “sausages”.
There are certain interior problems in such premises:
- It is difficult to select and arrange furniture so that everything fits, but does not interfere with free movement.
- The lengths of the walls may differ from the usual proportions of furnishings.
- The gaps between walls and window-door openings can be extremely narrow for typical furniture.
- As a rule, in such rooms there is only 1 window on the smaller far wall or side. For this reason, lighting suffers.
- The wrong furniture, decor and wall color can visually shrink a room even more. As a result, a box effect will arise and comfort will disappear.
Expert opinion
Glavatskikh Inna Vladimirovna
Artist and interior designer
It is a fairly common opinion that in such rooms furniture can only be placed in the letter “G” or “P”. It is a myth. In fact, there are ways to play with the setting.
How easily you can get out of the situation depends on the specific width of the small wall. Instances from 3 meters have a lot of layout options. If the smaller side barely reaches 2-2.5 meters, the process will be more complicated, but still not limited to one type of arrangement.
Decoration
Typically, for bedrooms with a shortage of free space, decoration is limited. Only a slight accent is acceptable. Otherwise, the space will seem overloaded.
Using a herbarium as decor in a narrow bedroom Source mirdizajna.ru
Decorative design of the wall near the bed in a narrow bedroom Source mirdizajna.ru
When decorating a window, it is better to use curtains for a classic or loft style. If the interior is decorated with modern notes, then the frames are decorated with horizontal blinds, Roman or roller blinds. They will be complemented by translucent tulle to match the interior.
Panels, a rug on the floor, and paintings in strict rectangular frames will help to emphasize the geometry. Black and white family photos and portraits can be framed in square format.
Narrow bedroom with bed decoration Source mirdizajna.ru
The light needs to be organized so that the room does not seem even larger in length. Therefore, designers recommend installing a central ceiling lamp with open light sources. Perimeter lighting should be abandoned. You can also decorate the ceiling with an asymmetrical arrangement of lamps.
Zoning a narrow rectangular bedroom
A room that is characterized by a narrow space is usually divided into two or more functional zones. More often, the bedroom is delimited along the length of half the floor. In the middle between the set a “path” is left for moving around the room.
Using a sliding partition to zone a narrow bedroom Source yandex.by
Plasterboard partition for zoning a narrow bedroom Source yandex.ru
A small narrow room can be divided in this way: organize a work area (table and chair) near the window, place a long linear sofa along one of the walls with niches for storing things below. You can place a high wooden shelf in the corner near the table. It houses indoor plants, decorative items, herbariums, and stationery.
Installing a furniture set across the bedroom will help visually and constructively separate the sleeping area from the rest of the space. The bed will hide from view. The room is divided into two small rooms.
Curtain for zoning a small bedroom into two spaces Source yandex.kz
Using the zoning effect in a narrow bedroom Source inmyroom.ru
A good effect in establishing boundaries is achieved by finishing surfaces: floors, ceilings, walls. For this purpose, materials that differ in texture or shade are used. The most popular are zoning using laminate and linoleum, painting walls in adjacent colors. The illusion of separation can also be achieved by arranging a two-level ceiling.
The use of a perforated partition for zoning a narrow bedroom Source yandex.uz
What else can such a room be turned into?
A narrow, long room can quite successfully serve as an office or dining room.
- For an office, a filing cabinet, a table with a chair and an armchair or ottoman are usually enough. Furniture can be placed along one long wall. It is important to select items with almost the same width and leave at least 40-50 cm of empty space for movement. If the window is located in the middle of the length of the wall, the table is placed directly against it, and the wardrobe and chair/ottoman are placed to the right and left of the table.
- The dining room will play to its advantage with a long oval table and rounded chairs. It is better to decorate the walls with paintings and mirrors. It is acceptable to replace the chairs with a designer bench with long ornate legs, but not every family will like this option.