How to arrange a small bedroom
Compare two bed orientations in a 3.2 m × 3 m bedroom, measure space for storage and edit a furnished layout in the free room planner.
Place the full bed frame first, compare its two orientations, then draw the storage and the route from the door. A bed fitting inside the walls is only the first check.
A furnished 3.2 m × 3 m bedroom to edit
This 9.6 m² starter contains a double bed frame (145 × 202 cm), wardrobe (120 × 62 cm) and bedside table (45 × 40 cm), plus a door and window. These are the outer footprints in this editable example. Your products may be different.
1. Measure the room and the whole bed frame
Record the room’s inside width and length, the door position and swing, windows, radiators and projecting walls. Use our room measuring checklist before drawing. Measure the bed’s outer frame, including the headboard and any protruding feet. Mattress dimensions alone can understate the space it takes.
If the bed has drawers or lifts for storage, record the space it needs when open. Also measure how you will get it into the room; fitting its assembled footprint does not establish that it can pass through the delivery route.
2. Compare two bed orientations
For this comparison, centre the 145 × 202 cm bed with its head against a wall in an empty 320 × 300 cm rectangle. The diagrams below show the bed only. The furnished starter above has a different, off-centre placement.
Head against the 320 cm wall
87.5 cm each side and 98 cm beyond the foot, before adding any other furniture or openings.
Head against the 300 cm wall
77.5 cm each side and 118 cm beyond the foot, before adding any other furniture or openings.
| Bed-only calculation | Head against 320 cm wall | Head against 300 cm wall |
|---|---|---|
| Space at each side | (320 − 145) ÷ 2 = 87.5 cm | (300 − 145) ÷ 2 = 77.5 cm |
| Space beyond the foot | 300 − 202 = 98 cm | 320 − 202 = 118 cm |
Turning the bed gives 20 cm more space beyond the foot, while taking 10 cm from each side in these centred arrangements. Choose which space you need most, then add the rest of the room. These calculated gaps do not account for furniture, door swings or individual access needs.
3. Add storage where you can use it
Draw the wardrobe at its full depth, then show its doors or drawers open. In the starter, the wardrobe is rotated along the left wall: its 62 cm depth projects into the room and its 120 cm width runs along that wall. Check the gap between its front and the bed at the narrowest point.
A sliding door changes the door-opening space, but you still need room to stand and reach storage. Compare a shallower wardrobe, a different position or fewer storage pieces using the actual products’ measurements. Under-bed storage also needs an opening and reaching check.
4. Walk the layout before buying furniture
- Move the starter’s door and window to their measured positions. Draw radiators and other projections.
- Check the route from the entrance to the bed, wardrobe and window, including the door when open.
- Consider who needs access to each side of the bed and their own space requirements.
- Mark the furniture footprints on the actual floor. Open existing doors and drawers, and try the routes.
- Switch to 3D to compare sightlines and whether furniture obstructs the window. Confirm physical measurements separately.
Keep two layouts to compare
Start with the furnished bedroom, then change one decision at a time: bed orientation, storage depth or position. Download a separate editable project file for each alternative. Planning and local exports are free, with no account or card required. Paid plans add cloud saving and sharing links when you want to keep a project across devices or invite someone to explore it.
For a larger sleeping space, try the main bedroom template. To fit a desk into a sleeping room, use the guest bedroom and office example and measure the chair when pulled out.