How to arrange a narrow room for a child?

Long, narrow, and unremitting rooms are a nightmare, especially when they are to be bedrooms for children. Usually, such rooms are found in pre-war tenement houses, which, despite their charm, are quite problematic in arrangement. However, a little time, a few proven solutions and a bit of creativity are enough to make a cosy and well-arranged space even out of such a room.

1. Accurate dimensions

Although the exact measurement of the area seems obvious, quite a lot of people start arranging a room by buying furniture "by eye" in the hope that it will fit easily. Sometimes it is successful, sometimes a few centimetres are missing, and sometimes even though the furniture fits theoretically, it turns out that the result is far from what I wanted. That is why measurement is essential. It is worth remembering about all radiators, pipes, jumps and skirting boards, which at first glance do not seem to be a problem, but at the climax devour the necessary centimetres. There are also many problems with windowsills, which are often overlooked when measuring, and which can effectively destroy the entire intricate plan.

2. Bet on the mood board

Mood board is nothing more than a board, in the form of a collage, on which there are all the items, inspirations or accessories that are to be found in the room. The table by putting them all together is to help us imagine the result. Mood board is not a project or a plan, but rather gathering in one place all the accessories that determine the atmosphere and style in which the room is kept. Creating these types of boards is commonly used in interior design by professionals in design offices and it makes life easier. It may turn out that what fits together perfectly in the imagination, when put together live, does not look so good. Better to find out about it before you buy it, right?

3. Use colour

With the help of colours and their skilful use, you can visually enlarge the interior in an unbelievable way. This will not add real dimensions to it, but it will make the walls not overwhelming, and the proportions of the entire room will significantly improve. Similarly, colours that are not skilfully matched to the dimensions and specificity of the interior can make it optically smaller and not very comfortable. It is worth getting acquainted with the principles of using colour in narrow rooms, to maximize their potential.

The main determinant in choosing colours is the source of natural light. It should be remembered that bright colours by reflecting light optically enlarge the space. A good and timeless idea is white that fits into any interior, but it is good to choose shades in cool tones that optically "move away" from the viewer, making the room seem larger.

A way to shorten a long room is also to add a strong, dark colour to the shorter wall, which creates the impression that the wall is closer. An alternative is also to paint horizontal stripes on it, which will further widen the narrow wall. These types of rooms, however, do not like chaos and colour mishmash, so all the colours used should come from one palette and match each other.

4. Adequate furniture

The biggest problem in the case of long and narrow rooms is the arrangement of beds, which will be both aesthetic and functional. By placing the beds along a longer wall, we will only heighten the impression that the room is unremitting, while placing them across is usually out of the question. Regardless of whether the room is to be inhabited by one child, two or three, it is an interesting idea to put a bunk bed or a mezzanine in it. These types of rooms are usually also higher than the standard 2.5 meters, which in the case of beds at heights creates additional possibilities, e.g., hanging a few additional shelves above them, to which the child will have easy access. Depending on the overall dimensions of the entire room, you can adjust the bed of the appropriate length or width, thanks to which you can use the entire space to the maximum without cluttering it unnecessarily. Additional space is worth allocating for other problematic furniture, such as desks or shelves, which, although necessary, usually take up a lot of space.