Living in an open plan apartment means adopting clever styling to maximize the limited floor space. It ain’t easy – especially if you’ve got no choice but to sleep in a makeshift nook – but with the right small studio apartment ideas, it’s quite possible to build a beautiful, cozy bedroom you’d be proud enough to show off (you have no choice, it’s a studio apartment after all):
Making Spaces
The first step to building a sleeping area in an open plan studio is making a distinction between “rooms,” which we’ve already featured in this helpful guide. One of my favorite studio apartment ideas when it comes to separating the bedroom from the rest of the space is to use a bookcase. Why? It gets the job done with extra storage space to boot!
If you’re space-strapped like yours truly, you need all the storage space you could get your hands on. A bookcase creates a physical separation in a space without blocking the sunlight. A small bookcase won’t cut up the square footage of a small space too.

Photo Credit: houzz.com
But if say, you’ve got no room to spare for a bookcase, try using a room divider or even curtains to create a separate space for sleeping.
The Bed
The heart of the bedroom is, of course, the bed. Full-sized beds aren’t suitable for a small studio apartment so choose a bed alternative that’s perfectly sized for a tiny space. We’ve already outlined some of the best space saving beds for a small apartment, which you can read here.
I highly suggest getting a bed that comes with extra storage for your bedroom essentials. Mike’s happy with his setup from Murphy Bed Express, which is a fantastic company in NYC that makes beds for small spaces. Check out his sweet setup:
Flooring
Now that you’ve got a nice setup going on, why not enhance the distinction between your bedroom and living area with rugs or carpets? These details warm up and add texture to a space.
As far as design goes, consider the foot traffic, color scheme, as well as the patterns of the carpet. Shag or plush carpets aren’t the best in high traffic areas because they show every foot print. On the other hand, cut pile carpet keeps footprints from showing.
If you’d like to maintain the pristine appearance of a minimalist bedroom, consider neutral colored or monochromatic carpets. But if you’d like to break the monotony of the interiors, a rug with bold or graphic print adds an interesting detail to the bedroom.
Dress Your Space
This is where you get to be as creative as you can be, adding pieces of furniture in the bedroom to enhance the functionality and style of the space. Since you’re working with limited floor space, always choose pieces that are designed specifically for small apartments.
Vanity, dressers, clothing rack, these pieces are bedroom staples. However, the type of furniture to get for your bedroom will depend on many things. After all, what you consider as essentials might not apply to others.
Are you the type who uses the bedroom exclusively for sleeping or would you like to squeeze in other bedroom activities too? Is a stripped-down clothing rack enough to organize your clothes or would you like to get a wardrobe or a dresser for extra storage space?
These are just some of the many questions you need to ask yourself before dressing your space. You don’t want to waste precious floor space on pieces you don’t really need. Opt for space saving pieces that pull double duty to maximize what little space you have in the bedroom.