apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

is it possible to put your bed in the dining area and create a dining area/living area in the living room?

I think the bed goes in the corner by the bathroom - the head against the side wall and the feet facing the dining area - small nightstands on both sides.

Your sitting area is anchored by the sofa facing the window bay, it's back to the bedroom nook created by your draperies. A couple of upright armchairs or wing chairs on either side of a small 30" high round or octagonal pedestal table round out your seating area in the window bay - this is where you'll enjoy a nice intimate dining area. This area is also needs a nice large area rug for more underfoot luxury and to help separate the spaces. TV and media belong on an extra-long credenza placed on the wall that is against the walk-in-closet - this can easily double as your landing strip given that there's plenty of drawers and storage below.

In the area designated "Dining Area" - place another cozy armchair and table with a lamp, and perhaps a floor mirror and anther smallish area rug (perhaps a round?) - This can be your new dressing area/reading nook.

I've lived in 3 studios now, so I know how fun it is to try and arrange everything.

I would put the bed in the corner by the bathroom, preferably oriented so the the head is on the long wall, if there is room. I would then get a couple of benches, with storage, and place them under the windows for extra seating, and put a couch facing them. A big bookshelf or entertainment center could go on the wall that is shared with the closet. Obviously this will all be more than your $400 budget, but Ikea and Craigslist are definitely your friend.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

First off - the bed belongs in the back corner by the bathroom, agaisnt the side wall and a small nightstand on either side. This is enclosed by the draperies you've mentioned...

Your seating area is anchored by your sofa which faces the bay window - the back against the bedroom draperies. In the bay window - place a pair of upright armchairs or wing chairs on either side of a 30" high round or octagonal pedestal table - this can be your new intimate dining area. Anchor the seating area with a large wool area rug and place a long credenza against the wall that backs up to the walk-in-closet for your TV/Media - make sure it has lots of drawers for storage. Don't forget lighting - perhaps a nice end table/floor lamp by the sofa and a smaller lamp on the round table and a lamp on the credenza.

In the area designated "Dining Area" - find a nice little area rug - round? Add a cozy armchair, a side table w/ a lamp and perhaps a floor mirror - This is your new reading nook/dressing area.

Finally, on the little 2' wall at the kitchen entrance across from the bathroom door, you need a few hooks to catch your bag and housekeys.

Grrr - I didn't think my first reply took...

Sorry for the double-post!!!

what is the ceiling height in this unit? you may be able to slightly raise your bed (a few feet) to gain much needed shelving underneath it. this would also make it easier to visually separate it and allow the sleeping area to feel like it's its own space.

Agree with bepsf on the bed location and "dining area". I would suggest not buying anything right away if you can wait. Live in the space with what you have, and try a few options first, until you find whatever feels right for you. It'd be a shame to pick out furniture for a specific set-up only to think up some other arrangement that would've worked better. Plan out the space around how you really use it every day.

I say bed against the closet wall. Your bed near the window bay. I mean, really, its your home, put your bed in the best part. Living area opposite the bathroom with a TV on the wall, and sofa parallel with the walkway from the door. Chairs to left of sofa to see the windows. Mirror on wall above chairs. Dining area looks mighty small. I would put two counter height COMFORTABLE stools there.

I third the suggestion to make the dining area the bedroom. Looking at the 2 spaces adjacent to it, are those closets? Do it! :)

I Hate the open bed thing.. You can have tons of space if you do this
http://www.zoom-room.com/index.asp
It's a lot of money but worth it, then you can have a big open space.. you can do this on the bathroom wall or any other wall

If that is a full height wall between kitchen and dining I'd also put the bed there, right next to the walk-in closet. This frees up your lounge area for dining, chatting, living.

Depending on size, you could also put the bed IN the closet.

I hate the idea of a bed in the living room. Even when I lived in a teeny-tiny studio, I invested in a decent futon and used it as a sofa, during the daytime or when I had company over.

If a bed fits in that dining room, DO take advantage of it! I love small rooms that JUST fit a bed and not much else. This is where creativity shows!!

I love that Zoom Room idea. It also can be made to work into that closet space. Then you don't have a bed out in your space. I always think it's odd to walk into someone's apartment and feel like you're in their bedroom.

I think you should put the bed by the bay windows and hang the curtain to partition off the rest of the apartment, elongating the dining room wall across the apartment. Then you would have a living room/dining room combo where they currently are. If you did that, you'd have a large 10' x 12' bedroom and a 10' x 12' living room.

I don't think you should put the bed in the dining room because of the two closets. You would essentially lose that storage space. If you put the bed up against the bathroom wall, I think it would make the flow terrible.

As far as your budget goes, craigslist will surely turn up all the seating you need with money left over. I don't imagine $400 will get you that ridiculous zoom room though.

Also, for studio inspitation, see Laura's Pared-Down studio.

Agree with the bed-in-the-dining-room. You can use curtains to separate it from the living room (and to cover what looks like a pass-through window to the kitchen. Then you have a real living room.

Put your bed into the big closet,Hey Presto! It's a one bedroom. Fitting everything into the one leftover closet may be tight, but not sharing your bed with other people is priceles! Now you have room for a desk/dining table against the bathroom wall, a couch on the long wall with matching chair in the bay window and bookcases/electronics on the shorter closet wall. If you add the chairs from your dining area, you can seat the eight you need easily! Wall mounted shelves (if you can) over the dining table area will be a help with storage and not take up floor space when needed.
good luck!

Maybe Lydia's subtly divided studio will help you? Put the bed facing the windows, with a nice chair/reading corner or use some storage benches to create a banquette/window seat.

Get some comfortable stools for the breakfast bar, and create a "living room" in the rest of the apt.

i think your space could possibly be something like this one.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/small-cool-2007-entries/east-semifinalist-1-rons-hotel-sweet-022909

it's by far one of my favorite studio layouts and designs.

The zoom room bed is interesting, but I would be concerned about the quality of a mattress that curves up behind the wall. It's probably not as bad as a fold-out sofabed mattress, but still...If I were going to spend a ton of money to hide a bed, I would first want to sleep on it at night. A regular Murphy bed with a non-fold-able mattress would be my choice.

Murphy bed in closet in "dining area", the rest is perfect for dining and living!

Don't know about Zoom room beds, but the mattress in it COULD easily be a 9" memory foam which could be made to slide up into a wall pretty easily and still be comfortable.

I support the idea of the bed nook in the corner by the bathroom, surrounded by curtains (maybe floor to ceiling sheers, thickly gathered...) Then arrange the remaining living room space as you like, bepsf had a good plan. I'd keep the dining room space for dining (it looks like a snackbar/pass thru to the kitchen, might as well work with it.) You could add some curtains across the entry, though, to close to use the space as a dressing room if desired. (And keep them swagged back for ambience the rest of the time.)

I've lived in 2 studios with hide-a-bed sofas, and it's a luxury to have a studio where you have the option of a real bed always ready to flop on. (Coming home from work sick and having to assemble a bed is NOT fun, FYI.) But it's nicer to have it semi private, at least.

Good luck making your $400 go far enough!! Thrift stores, flea markets, Craigs list, etc. are going to be a must for you.

I like the idea of the bed in the bay window (assuming its not too drafty!), centering it in the middle window and putting a 4'-5' bookcase at the foot of the bed to separate it from the rest of the space while still preserving views (?) and allowing light to pass through. No ceiling drape installations necessary!

I'm not a huge fan of sleeping in tight quarters, so I personally wouldn't be able to live with the bed in the WIC. I do like the idea of hanging curtains porte-cochère style in the opening to the dining room, and making a private dressing room area (or impromptu guest bedroom with a blow-up matress).

Benches make great seating. If you hadn't already bought that coffee table, I would suggest using a pair of stools instead that can serve double-duty.

I like the bed in the dining area if it will fit with enough room to get into the closets - sad that we can't see dimensions for that area. You would only curtain it off with just a straight piece of draperies and either use another piece on the bar area or use some tall vases or something as a visual division. If that is possible, the studio would feel so much more like a one bedroom and you'd have a huge entertaining area.

Forgot to add my ideas for the rest of the apartment -- place the dining area by the bathroom (you could probably get seating for six at least there), put a sofa facing the window to divide the space visually (we got a nice large comfy one for our apartment that when the back cushions are off it closely resembles a twin bed besides being a little short), and put a couple chairs in the bay window area with a small end table or you could probably just use a normal wooden stool as the end table.

You'd get all the functions of a one bedroom apartment with less rent.