Furnishing examples for living room and bedroom in one room: Functional and stylish ideas for the one-room apartment
Little space, an unfavorable floor plan with niches, sloping ceilings or many corners: making a small room functional and stylish at the same time is no easy task. One bedroom tenants or owners need to fit multiple living areas into a cramped room, which can be a challenge. With limited living space, good planning comes first. With a clever room layout, multifunctional furniture and a well thought-out storage concept, even the 20sqm apartment can look big. We give you useful tips and show numerous examples of furnishing for living room and bedroom in one room.
With clever tricks, a cozy and chic interior can be created even in a limited space. Whether simple in the Scandinavian style, with an industrial touch for the loft apartment or with a vintage touch: Even a small apartment can be effectively presented with the right decoration. In a small room, a clear division into different areas is possible and quite feasible. A uniform color scheme creates a visual connection between the living areas.
Furnishing examples for living and sleeping areas in one room
In many densely populated cities, the apartments are getting smaller and smaller due to a lack of space. One-room apartments are traditionally preferred by students, singles, couples and families without children. Since renovation projects in a rented apartment are only possible after the landlord’s approval, renovation projects can rarely be carried out. In these cases, creativity is required. First and foremost, inspiration is provided by the Scandinavian interiors, which fascinate with their simple and stylish furnishings. Then come the industrial-style loft apartments, which are enjoying great popularity in New York. The Asian interior designers also specialize in space-saving and, at the same time, state-of-the-art room solutions.
Regardless of the style of living, functionality comes first when it comes to the interior design principles for a small one-room apartment. White walls and a light flooring provide the perfect neutral background for imaginative furnishings and decorations. They make the room appear spacious and bright. Furniture is rather sparing, with space-saving furniture in neutral colors. A two-seater sofa is of course part of the basic equipment of the one-room apartment, ideally it offers storage space for bed linen and is extendable, so it can be converted into a guest bed if necessary. Together with designer armchairs and one or even two small coffee tables, the sofa forms a comfortable seating group that can be rearranged as required. A small wool rug in plain color visually separates the area in front of the sofa.
1. What to do with the bed?
A comfortable double bed should not be missing even in a small one-room apartment. There is a wide range of space-saving models to choose from in stores, but which one fits harmoniously into a small apartment? Furniture manufacturers in Europe and the USA do not agree on this. Most European interior designers decide against a wall bed and in favor of a high day bed with drawers for bed linen and co. In Scandinavian interiors, the bed becomes a real all-rounder that can be staged in different ways. One corner, for example, offers the opportunity to set up a comfortable sleeping alcove. So the bed is not in the way and takes up little space. If there is no suitable niche in the room, the bed can be arranged with the sofa and armchairs to create a comfortable seating area. Several wall shelves made of wood or metal traditionally hang above the bed, offering storage space for home accessories and favorite books. If living and sleeping areas are combined in one room, a seamless transition between the different areas should be created. The color scheme and the wall design visually connect the individual areas so that the zones flow into one another. Photos on the wall hanging over the sofa and double bed direct the viewer upwards. Especially in apartments in old buildings, the high ceiling comes into its own and the apartment looks larger.
Modern four-poster beds are also enjoying increasing popularity. Semi-transparent fabrics let the sunlight through and at the same time separate the sleeping area from the rest of the living room. If desired, a small home office can be set up right next to the sleeping area. Of course, the rest of the room must also be furnished appropriately. A vintage-looking interior with a velvet sofa, a side table made of tree trunk and matching home accessories in pastel colors give the room character. Soft lavender and pink nuances bring a touch of romance into your own four walls. Vases and decorative bowls made of marble or with a gold or copper look also enhance the furnishings.
These double beds are suitable for the one-room apartment:
1. The four-poster bed is separated from the rest of the room without a partition. The bed fits in harmoniously in spacious apartments with a square floor plan. If you don’t want to invest in a four-poster bed, you can achieve a similar effect with curtains. A rail is mounted on the ceiling for this purpose. Not only can the sleeping area be separated with curtains, open shelves can also quickly disappear behind curtains and the apartment looks tidier right away.
2. The storage bed, also known as a day bed, is high and can therefore perfectly replace a sofa. Several drawers provide storage space for blankets, pillows and other bedding. The day bed is a space-saving alternative to the classic double bed, especially in confined spaces.
3. The loft bed is not suitable for a small one-room apartment. The living space can be used optimally, and there is still space for a sofa, desk, etc., but a loft bed offers less sleeping comfort for adults.
4. The Murphy bed is causing a sensation in New York. When folded up during the day, the space-saving design protrudes only a few centimeters into the room. At the same time, modern fold-away beds are in no way inferior to double beds. The acquisition costs for a Murphy bed are about higher than for a four-poster bed or a storage space bed and the construction is mounted on the wall. Therefore, this bed is only partially suitable for use in rental apartments.
2. Furnishing examples for living room and bedroom: bed or sofa, or both?
If the one-room apartment is only 20 m² in size, then most tenants ask themselves the question: should I opt for a double bed rather than the sofa? Sometimes it makes more sense to go without a sofa. In many cases, however, it is not necessary. There is a wide variety of space-saving two-seaters available in stores, many of them with storage space. So it depends less on the available living space than on the clever distribution of the furniture in the room. A well thought-out concept makes it possible to combine living room and bedroom in one room. Every centimeter counts in a small apartment. So it is worth making a sketch and distributing the furniture in the room.
Try out different variants in an online room planner to find the best for your own living conditions. Or you can line the floor with cardboard boxes and check if the room looks crowded or the furniture is in the way. First, put the bed where you will feel most comfortable lying down. Next to the bed, put a side table, and after that – the sofa. Then try to separate the bed from the sofa. This is where shelving systems, screens, wardrobes and the like come into play. Small or large pieces of furniture can serve as room dividers and screen the bed.
Bed opposite the sofa
It is not possible in all rooms to screen the bed with shelves or screens. With rectangular floor plans, the bed and sofa are usually placed at two corners. In between, a desk can be placed or a small dining area can be designed. A neutral color scheme creates a visual connection between the different zones in the one-room apartment and relaxes the eyes at the same time. The colors cream, camel, light gray and snow white, for example, harmonize perfectly with each other. They create a cozy ambience where you can relax after a long day at work.
Even non-colors such as gray, white and black or anthracite are popular color partners in one-room apartments. Green plants, fresh flowers in a crystal vase and modern pendant lights with gold accents add splashes of color and loosen up the austere living environment. With cozy bedspreads and soft pillows you can make yourself comfortable in bed as well as on the sofa. Perfect for lingering on cold winter weekends. By the way, you can create another positive effect with textiles: They connect the bed and the sofa, at least visually, and ensure a seamless transition between the sleeping and living areas.
Bed behind the sofa
Another option is available: you can position the bed behind the sofa. A chest of drawers with shelves can serve as a room divider as well as a bedside table. In this case, you don’t have to “hide” the sofa in a corner and the bed in an alcove, but can display them in the middle of the room. Since the couple is guaranteed to attract everyone’s attention, keep the walls simple. It is better to opt for handleless wardrobes that remain discreetly in the background than for wall shelves.
At the front, the sofa, together with a designer armchair, forms a comfortable seating area in front of the TV, while the double bed offers a retreat at the back. The facility presents an exciting eclectic mix of old and new. Retro furniture is skilfully combined with modern pieces of furniture, so that a harmonious interplay results. Similar natural materials – wood, leather and cotton – help to find a balance between modern and country style.
Another interesting idea for a bed behind the sofa is offered by the next example. In this case, the sofa and double bed are separated from each other by a glass wall. If desired, curtains can completely separate the sleeping area from the living area and protect the resident’s privacy. It’s the perfect room layout for singles who like to invite friends over to their home.
Whether modern, Scandinavian simple, vintage or perhaps eclectic: You can create functional and stylish furnishings even on a few square meters. In the photo gallery below you will find more exciting examples of successful room layouts in the bedroom and living area. Let yourself be inspired by the suggestions and create your own oasis of calm and serenity.
Living room and bedroom in neutral colors
The bed blends in harmoniously with the furnishings
Furnish the one-room apartment in a Scandinavian way
You can also build room dividers from recycled wood yourself: the perfect addition to the furnishings in vintage or shabby chic style
Partition wall with sliding doors separates the sleeping area from the living area
Shelf systems not only offer space for books and the like, but can also serve as room dividers
Furnishing loft apartment in industrial style
Gray and white form the perfect background for a modern interior with exotic accents
Pictures on the wall visually separate the living area from the sleeping area
Half-height wall provides privacy protection for the sleeping area in the one-room apartment
Two-seater sofa offers maximum seating comfort and invites you to linger on rainy weekends
The white walls and furniture make the one-room apartment appear larger
Vintage style interior with sofa in front of bed
Wardrobe separates the bed from the sofa
Half-height wall shields the sleeping area
Example of a living room and bedroom under a sloping ceiling
Bed under the sloping ceiling behind the sofa
Separate the kitchen from the bedroom
The bedroom goes into the living room
Partition wall and sliding doors divide the room
Furnishing in Scandinavian style: 20 sqm apartment
Furnishing a loft apartment: an idea from the USA
Curtains as room dividers in the one-room apartment
The shelving system Kallax from Ikea serves as a partition
Bed with drawers offers sufficient storage space for duvet covers
Puristically furnished bedroom with adjoining dining area
Place the bed opposite the sofa
Rocking chairs instead of sofas in the one-room apartment
Wardrobe with glass doors and fold-away bed
Metal shelving system as a room divider
Furnish the bed niche in the Scandinavian style
Separate the bed with curtains
Puristically furnished one-room apartment
Corner sofa in the one-room apartment