The wall behind the bed is usually the largest empty wall in a bedroom, and in a small room it is often the only one left once the bed is in. Building around and over the bed turns it into the storage the room could not otherwise hold, and it is one of the few things you genuinely cannot buy.
What does an around the bed arrangement look like?
A tower of storage each side of the bed with a bridging unit spanning above it, so the bed sits in an alcove you have created.
The towers take hanging or shelving and double as bedside storage. The bridge over the bed takes the things you need rarely, because it is the least accessible spot in the room.
Done well the bed looks deliberately framed rather than boxed in, and the room reads as designed rather than crammed.
How do you stop it feeling like it is closing in?
Keep the bridge shallow, leave clear height above the pillows, and light the recess.
The bridge does not need to be as deep as the towers. Making it shallower keeps it away from anyone sitting up in bed, and it is the single change that most affects how the arrangement feels.
Height matters just as much. Sitting up in bed should not bring your head near the underside. That is measured against your actual bed rather than a standard, which is why the design visit happens in the room.
What goes in the towers?
Full height hanging on one side, shelving or drawers on the other, with a niche at bedside height for a lamp and a phone.
The niche is the detail people appreciate most afterwards. A recess at the right height with a socket and a USB point in it removes the need for bedside tables entirely, which in a small room gives you back the floor.
Sockets have to be planned at design stage because they sit inside the joinery. Retrofitting them means taking the unit apart.
Does it suit a small bedroom?
It is at its best in a small bedroom, because it uses the one wall that is otherwise doing nothing.
In a room where a normal wardrobe leaves no walking space, moving the storage to the bed wall is often the only arrangement that works at all.
Where the room can take a run along a side wall instead, that is usually easier to live with. We will tell you which suits your room at the measure. Our <a href="/fitted-wardrobes/sliding/">sliding wardrobes</a> page covers the alternative.
Everything we make in wood carries a two year warranty against defects.
How it works
We call out, measure the space and talk through what you want. Our designers draw it in 3D so you see the finished piece in your own room, and you get one complete itemised quote within two working days. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
One team for this and the rest of the job
The same team that makes this fits it, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes, internal doors and windows. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact rather than four. See the rest of our work.
Frequently asked questions
Will it work with my existing bed?
It is designed around the bed you have, or the one you plan to buy. Bring the dimensions to the design visit.
Can you put lighting in it?
Yes, and it makes a real difference. Lighting in the recess and inside the towers is wired in during the build.
What if I change the bed later?
The opening is sized to a standard bed width with tolerance, so a like for like replacement fits. Going from a double to a king would not.
What areas do you cover?
Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The design visit is free and there is no obligation.