How To Create A Bedroom If You Live In a Studio Unit
There are several ways to create a private bedroom, even if there's no room at all!
Studio units in condominiums are fantastic homes to live in—there’s the convenience and accessibility of living in CBDs, plus your space is tiny enough to furnish and maintain easily.
But the common problem in studio units is: where do you put the bed? How would you feel if your sleeping area faces the kitchen? And what if you have some guests over and you absolutely need some sort of privacy?
Surprise! There are several ways to create a cozy, private bedroom/sleeping space in a studio, and it doesn’t involve a wobbly divider! Here’s how:
Use “transformer” furniture
Would you believe that this 30sqm unit in Tagaytay can sleep 8 to 10 people? Architect Ivy Tablante-Darilag made it possible by customizing furniture that can be pulled out or transformed into beds. Two to three guests can sleep on the queen-size bed, the sofa at left has a pull-out trundle bed, and the wall panel at right can be pulled down to reveal a full Murphy bed (below).
READ: This Pretty Studio Unit in Tagaytay Features Space-Saving Pieces
Tuck it into an alcove
Even if you don’t have a partition, you can create the feeling of privacy by building a cozy alcove to tuck yourself into when you sleep. In this 18sqm studio unit, Bash Batara and Jolo Francisco created a private space separate from the other living areas by elevating it and highlighting the alcove with a change of material (wooden strips instead of painted wood paneling).
READ: This 18sqm Unit Is Full of Surprises
This studio unit by eco-designer Willie Garcia is another good example of a sleeping alcove. Here, Willie visually separated the sleeping space by wrapping the walls, headboard, and ceiling with leatherized water hyacinth (a sustainable material).
READ: Divisoria Finds Complete this 17sqm Unit in Manila
Create a low partition
Sometimes, building a high partition won’t work, especially if you’re dealing with an extremely small studio unit. In this pastel-pretty studio unit, interior designer Nikki Audine separated the living and eating areas from the sleeping area by building a low partition, which acts as the bed’s headboard, and also houses the wardrobe cabinets on the other side (see below).
READ: This 30sqm Condo is a Pastel Dream
Lift it up in a loft
In another project by Nikki Audine, the designer decided to keep the open layout of the 21sqm unit, but added a semblance of privacy by elevating the sleeping space in a loft. She then tucked the sofa underneath this loft—super-cozy!
READ: A Loft Exists in this 21sqm Condo Unit
A loft really does the trick of adding a bit of privacy in an open-space studio, as seen here in this really tiny 13sqm unit. A roomy sofa is also added underneath the loft space (it doubles as a guest bed).
READ: Take a Peek Inside this 13sqm Condo Unit in Mandaluyong
Carve out a “room” with a translucent partition
One common problem of studio units is that there is only a single window—the sole source of natural light—so that closing off a bedroom with a wall isn’t an option. The common solution is to use a translucent metal partition that doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, as seen here in this hip, mid-century-style unit by Wilmer Lopez.
READ: Industrial and Mid-Century Modern Styles In a 30sqm Studio
The same partition is also used in writer Mabi David’s 30sqm unit, only this time, with a cool, vintage-bohemian touch (we’ve loving her mom’s crocheted bedspread).
READ: Recycled Vintage Pieces and Quirky Finds In a 30sqm Condo
