Small Sleeping Nook, High Comfort

Twins came as a surprise to this California mom — a pleasant one, but she still wasn't prepared to fit two newborn babies into a two-bedroom house with her 4-year-old son. This 12-by-4 nook was the only available bedroom space left for her oldest, and it was barely big enough to squeeze a twin bed into.

Designer Jessica McClendon worked with the family to turn the nook into a special new space that would make it easy for this toddler to leave his old nursery behind. Classic and cozy furniture in boyish hues makes the room feel like a secret fort that this toddler now loves to spend time in.

Bedroom at a Glance
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 48 square feet
Budget: $2,800, including design fees, materials and furniture

The room is 48 square feet, but a walk-in closet and the entry door meant that McClendon could use only 32 square feet. "But for kids, small isn't necessarily a bad thing," she says.

The bed becomes the immediate star of the narrow room, so they wanted it to be "nice and striking," says McClendon. "It was important to have a soft, comfortable bed and linens, since that's all he would really have in the space." The new bed, custom linen headboards and bedding cost about $1,500.

Gingham comforter: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child; red checked blanket: antique, owner's


BEFORE: A total blank slate, the room held nothing but a daybed that the family used on occasion.


The shape of the bed presented some problems. McClendon and her client worried about the son's potentially slipping into the gap between the bed and the window. They also wanted to access storage underneath the bed easily.

The custom L-shaped headboard solved both problems. The short headboard against the window attaches to the bed itself, but the longer headboard attaches to the wall with bolts and to the bed with Velcro straps. Mom can unhook the Velcro and pull the bed out on its wheels to access the storage underneath.

Sheepskin: Ikea; wall paint: Paradise View, Benjamin Moore; wall decal: Etsy


The mom plans to move to a bigger space eventually, so she splurged on a quality campaign-style nightstand that will fit into another home.

Campaign dresser: Serena & Lily


The son has a downstairs playroom, so they didn't need much storage for his toys in the bedroom. McClendon put his favorite things in a cabinet next to the walk-in clothes closet.


A sketch of mother and son that was once in the old nursery now hangs above the nightstand. This piece and a few other items from his old room give his new space a familiar feel.


Little touches make the space feel like a secret fort. The light switch to the lamp was carefully measured and placed right above the headboard for easy access when it's time to read or sleep.

Union Jack pillow: Cody and Foster; black Lab pillow: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child; pug pillow: Areaware

More: See how to make a corner headboard

URL: Small Sleeping Nook, High Comfort http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-21114.html