Houzz Tours
Room Tours
Room Tour: A Child’s Room With Storage That Can Evolve Over Time
A layout challenge inspired designer Karen Knox to create a cool, functional wall of storage for her son’s bedroom
When it came time for her son to move from a toddler bed into a single, interior designer Karen Knox of Making Spaces had to work around a rather awkward layout. As with many homes, the bedroom had a protruding chimney breast that made furniture positioning tricky, but Karen came up with a long-term and cost-effective solution that’s both stylish and practical.
“It was difficult to fit in a standard single bed as the chimney breast was in the way,” Karen explains. If the bed had been positioned along the opposite wall, it would have overlapped the window or impeded the doorway, so it was tricky to find an expanse against which a larger bed could sit.
“We could have knocked the chimney breast down, but as we’d already converted the loft with the chimney intact, it would have needed a steel support,” Karen says. “That’s a lot of work for a very small gain, and we decided it wasn’t a good use of funds.
“The solution was to create a straight wall,” she says. “Instead of making room to push the bed right back, we brought the wall forwards.”
“We could have knocked the chimney breast down, but as we’d already converted the loft with the chimney intact, it would have needed a steel support,” Karen says. “That’s a lot of work for a very small gain, and we decided it wasn’t a good use of funds.
“The solution was to create a straight wall,” she says. “Instead of making room to push the bed right back, we brought the wall forwards.”
“With all my projects, I work out the layout issue first and the solution informs the design,” Karen says. In this case, that layout solution led to the creation of a practical wall of storage.
Karen chose birch plywood for the shelving and wall cladding. “We looked at other options, including Valchromat, but it would have been very expensive,” she says. “We went back to our old favourite, plywood, which we’ve used throughout the house for things such as staircase spindles and flooring.”
“It’s a relatively cost-effective sheet material that comes in different grades,” she says.
Find an interior designer to help with your space in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Karen chose birch plywood for the shelving and wall cladding. “We looked at other options, including Valchromat, but it would have been very expensive,” she says. “We went back to our old favourite, plywood, which we’ve used throughout the house for things such as staircase spindles and flooring.”
“It’s a relatively cost-effective sheet material that comes in different grades,” she says.
Find an interior designer to help with your space in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Karen designed the storage by first looking at the items Charlie would need to store. “It was a case of working backwards and measuring what we had,” she explains. “I measured his biggest toy and the tallest book, and that informed the size of each cubbyhole.”
Karen also thought about longevity, and considered the size of things such as lever arch files and digital equipment that he might need to store when he’s a teenager.
“I then created an even spread to keep it balanced, and went for a mix of open storage and closed cupboards,” she says. “Charlie can grab things easily from the shelves, and anything ugly or cumbersome can be put in the cabinets.”
Karen also thought about longevity, and considered the size of things such as lever arch files and digital equipment that he might need to store when he’s a teenager.
“I then created an even spread to keep it balanced, and went for a mix of open storage and closed cupboards,” she says. “Charlie can grab things easily from the shelves, and anything ugly or cumbersome can be put in the cabinets.”
Karen asked her tried-and-trusted team of carpenters at Bare Joinery to help with the project.
“They built the cabinets in their workshop, numbered all the parts, then disassembled them,” she says. “They then rebuilt the shelving in situ.
“The ceiling is 2.4m high, so it was a challenge to lift the large, completed units and fit them into the alcoves,” Karen adds. “There’s always a danger you’ll scratch the ceiling as you push a section up.”
Curtains, Ikea.
“They built the cabinets in their workshop, numbered all the parts, then disassembled them,” she says. “They then rebuilt the shelving in situ.
“The ceiling is 2.4m high, so it was a challenge to lift the large, completed units and fit them into the alcoves,” Karen adds. “There’s always a danger you’ll scratch the ceiling as you push a section up.”
Curtains, Ikea.
Plug sockets were already in place behind the cabinets, so the team cut the plywood around them. Charlie’s reading light has a lead that fits through a hole in the adjacent shelf.
Karen chose to have cut-out finger-pulls on the cupboard doors, rather than knobs. “The flush design means they won’t bang onto the wall when the doors are opened, and Charlie won’t knock his head when he’s jumping on the bed,” Karen says. “It’s also more cost-effective without knobs.”
The walls were painted when Charlie was a toddler. “It was completely white when we moved in, but as he started toddling around with sticky hands, the walls got quite a battering,” Karen says. “I didn’t have time to paint the whole room between naps, so I covered the lower half with scuff-resistant emulsion.”
Walls painted in Evening Blue, Benjamin Moore. Wall light, Ikea.
Karen chose to have cut-out finger-pulls on the cupboard doors, rather than knobs. “The flush design means they won’t bang onto the wall when the doors are opened, and Charlie won’t knock his head when he’s jumping on the bed,” Karen says. “It’s also more cost-effective without knobs.”
The walls were painted when Charlie was a toddler. “It was completely white when we moved in, but as he started toddling around with sticky hands, the walls got quite a battering,” Karen says. “I didn’t have time to paint the whole room between naps, so I covered the lower half with scuff-resistant emulsion.”
Walls painted in Evening Blue, Benjamin Moore. Wall light, Ikea.
The end of the 190cm-long bed lines up with the edge of the cladded chimney, a detail that adds balance to the room.
To the left of the chimney is a wider opening, which is ideal as a ledge for building Lego. “When Charlie’s older, we’re planning to insert another piece of birch plywood on top, which will protrude slightly to form a desk,” Karen says.
The storage makes it easy for Charlie to put things away, and has freed up space in the living room, where his toys used to be housed. “It’s always a good idea to make storage a part of the architecture of a room,” Karen says. “Charlie now has an official space for all his stuff, and this will be here forever.”
Mr P lamp, Nuku.
Tell us…
What do you think of this practical storage? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
The storage makes it easy for Charlie to put things away, and has freed up space in the living room, where his toys used to be housed. “It’s always a good idea to make storage a part of the architecture of a room,” Karen says. “Charlie now has an official space for all his stuff, and this will be here forever.”
Mr P lamp, Nuku.
Tell us…
What do you think of this practical storage? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? Interior designer Karen Knox, her husband, Pete, and their son, Charlie
Location Leeds
Property A 1960s semi-detached house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms
Room dimensions 3 x 3.8m
Designer Karen Knox of Making Spaces
Joinery Bare Joinery
There was plenty of space in this room for a toddler bed when Karen’s son, Charlie, was very small, but the layout proved more challenging as he grew.