I have three suggestions
1. bigger artworks above the bed
2. Try adding more cushions to the bed that you can rearrange along the wall side when you aren't sleeping so it's more like a day bed look
3. a side table style night stand with books and some stuff on it. You could even get something low that you can pull in front of the day bed during the day, like a coffee table style and move out of the way when you pull the bed out at night.

Also maybe a plant?

Have you tried the Ikea panels (or priced them) They are a good alternative to hiding your bed or you could try curtains or shower curtains. Personally, I would use a few good sturdy bookshelves and make a barrier around the bed.
I have done this before; taken two bookcases and placed them at the end of the bed facing outward, then used one near the head of the of the bed, to the left as the bed was in the right-corner wall, facing in, about a foot from the bed, to use as a night stand/stash-all.
The two bookcases at the end of my bed became a desk/bookcase/stash-all, there are so many ways to use bookcases/wardrobes to your advantage.

I think that bed could totally work but you need to dress it like a sofa! I'd get a lovely throw-type blanket or quilt and then a row of pillows for the back. Maybe two big round bolsters for either end to act as "arms"

Like this http://info.ikea-usa.com/Moving/Content/img/gallery/bedroom/hemnes_daybed.jpg (see the bolster on the left?) or this http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chi-september-2007-questions-39219

Put a big basket next to it to throw all the pillows in at the end of the day. You could also put your actual sleeping pillows in it during the day.

I think what makes a dorm a dorm is the fact that the only place to sit is where you sleep. Can you get 2 small chairs from IKEA to somehow take attention away from the bed?

Agree with the above suggestions (esp acrimonious jess), the bed needs more cushions! Lots of cushions! Is that table a desk or a dining table? Can it be made homey? Maybe some shelves above it with knick-knacks. Do you have a gateleg dining table? It can be folded away for more space when not needed. Also, I'm not a huuuuge fan of the purple, it seems a bit youthful in a dorm-y way. Or maybe it's the clip-on light. I had those in college! Can you paint? I'd go for a warmer tone perhaps.

I don't get the impression that people actually sit or hang out in her bedroom (which is now located in the living room area). I think the idea was to swap the rooms so everyone could hang out in the room that got more light, not encourage people to hang out in the bedroom.

Your bedroom looks like a dorm because you don't have any plants or eye catching artwork. Make it more personal, and more colorful, and you'll see a big difference. Is there room for a rug?

Where is the door into this unit?

I agree with Genevieve_G on all counts. Bigger, or more, art above the bed and some plants will definitely help make it feel more homey. And certainly more cushions to make your day bed look more like a couch than a bed. I realize the idea is to use the other room as your living space (I would do the same) but if you have people over while you're cooking then they are going to inevitably look for a place to sit and chat with you, so something couch-like would make them feel more comfortable. Perhaps you should use extra large pillows so that they can double as floor cushions in your living room for when you have more guests than can fit on your couch. I'm kind of weird about people's jeans touching my comforter so I would probably also get a tapestry, or other large piece of fabric to act as a slip cover when people are coming over (just cover your comforter and tuck it under your mattress as tightly as possible). And ditch the clip on lamp; it screams "dorm room".

Get an interesting folding screen (Target has some nice ones) and put it at the end of your bed, perpendicular to that slanted wall and somewhat angled around your bed to create a cozy alcove. It doensn't have to be a solid screen, you just want to create a sense of separation between your bed/desk nook and the stove and kitchen trash can. Add big pillows to your bed in interesting patterns and more lighting for reading in bed, you've got an outlet right there where a standing lamp can live. This can be super cute, you just need some more layers.

P.S. I would also add a rug between the bed and desk to further visually define that space.

I agree with everyone saying you need to dress your bed as if it's a couch. I would get less dorm-ish bedding too (how about solid white?) and then accessorize with large pillows in different prints/colors. if you can, try to squeeze in an end table or two, even a coffee table! That would make it appear as if you have two lounge areas, which is a lot less intimate than people walking in and immediately seeing where you sleep.

Keep the bed it does great b/c it’s multi functional. When guests come over set it up like a sofa (lots of pillows and the comforter tucked in tight). Use your desk as a dining table (best if your desk is a dining table that functions as a desk on its “off” days) and push it next to your bed to be used more like a dining room now with your desk chair (best if it’s more of a dining room style chair) on the other side or in the space where the desk was. See http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/small-space-solution-sofa-seat-69858

Using space dividers would work if you had a little bit more space. If the pictures are accurate you’re just going to lose more room and confuse people when they walk in.

If you can't move the desk b/c you have a desk top you can get a table that has folding sides like this one from ikea you can stick somewhere when it's not in use...
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20104718/

Even with pillows, the bed will still look like a bed. Here is how I solved the problem: I bought a single salvage bi-fold door (one 11"panel for $1, a piece with a fancy old fashioned panel). These doors are about 75 inches long which is just right for your bed frame. Lay it across the back of your bed, then add back pillows. It will look like a sofa with a sofa table, and completely change the character of your room. You will also have the ability to determine the right amount of depth so you will feel like you are sitting on a real sofa and not a daybed. These doors are lightweight and easy to remove at night. You could also just buy a 10" or 12" pine board and paint it to match; a strip of molding on each end will keep it put. Add two wall lamps or substantial sconces, and hang an art piece between. I will be getting a fitted linen sheet to coordinate with the sofa pillows soon, for a more tailored sofa appearance. I have a flat flannel sheet that I use as my bottom sheet, and duvet comforter that I just roll up under the sofa table, three square pillows are leaned against the table, hiding the sheet and comforter during the day. At night, I unroll the sheet and comforter in about 5 seconds. No tucking or anything; the flannel sheet stays put at night and doesn't bunch up. I am not done with my studio yet, but hope to do a tour in the future.

I personally would swap the rooms back and buy a window-paned door to put in between the two rooms to let light into the interior. Your landlord might even pay for it (or reimburse you when s/he sees how nice it looks) and you can use the old door as a tabletop. Everyone hangs out in the kitchen, and in the current layout your bedroom is in the kitchen, which is part of the reason it feels dorm-like.

http://www.homedepot.com/Doors-Windows-Doors-Interior-Doors/h_d1/N-5yc1vZar1h/R-100035528/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.ULd2ONPjn5k

I have that same bed in a guestroom/office. I have a nice blanket on it and lined the sides with pillows. It looks like a cozy lounge area instead of a bed.
During the day, take off your bedding and put it in the drawers and instead use a big throw and the pillows to transform the bed into a lounge. After a while it'll take you less than 5 minutes to do (I used to live in a studio and do the same thing) and it'll make the whole place feel more put together.
Think reading nook for this (even if you don't read much) - some shelves above the bed, a nice lamp, more artwork, lots of pillows, a cozy rug in front of it, maybe even a different wall color to define the space?
I would resist screens to avoid making the room feel cramped and even darker than it is.

I'm not quite seeing how the photos jive with the layout. There's a door to the right of the sectional, but on the bedroom side, it's a wall.

That said, I would go with separation: divider, ikea panels, etc.

I love the idea about the artwork, but where can a person find good artwork for not a lot of money? If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it (especially Art Deco).

@lmcrun19 - Artwork doesn't have to be originals. Large prints don't have to be very expensive (hello, etsy!) and you can always look through flea markets for original artwork, as long as you don't care about who painted it. Heck, take some photos and have them printed. That won't cost much, either.

One of the difficulties that is leading to the "dorm room" atmosphere is that you are cramming a lot of functions into the main living area--sleeping, cooking, eating, desk work, while the other space is just for lounging and TV watching. In effect, you've created a small studio apartment within your apartment.

I think you need to treat your sleeping/kitchen area as a studio in terms of furnishing and decorating it.

What I notice first is lack of function. There's no bedside table at all. Where do you put your glasses, phone, glass of water, current book, etc. No bedside lamp at the head of the bed to turn off last thing before bed. Not a lot of lamps and little daylight, so a dark, gloomy room.

Define the functions that this room will have--sleeping, eating, cooking, studying, surfing the net, whatever else you want to do in here. How many people would you have over if you entertained? Where will they sit to eat--in this room or the living room?

I'd add a table that would function as an end table when you are sitting on your bed and a nightstand at night. Lots of lamps--on the end table, a floor lamp, a desk lamp. If that's a table and not a desk, get a second chair, which you can store over by the window. That will give the table more function if you have a guest over for a meal, and can be used to hold a plant or books at other times.

I'd get a more tailored bed covering that reads more as fabric covering a piece of furniture than a comforter on a bed. Lots of pillows to make it look like a sofa.

Since the overall space is still very small, I'd consider painting the bedroom walls a gray that coordinates with the gray sofa in the next room, and use the same red, white and black accents in the bedroom/kitchen. I think it would help to unify the space and make it seem more sophisticated and grown-up. The bed's already white, you could get a red bedcover, or a red and gray cover, then add some red, white, and black pillows with some pattern to them. A patterned rug with some combination of red, black, white and gray. Other accent colors than red would work, too--think yellow, or turquoise, or teal.

I think homebody is on the right track: Flip the rooms back. As it is, the flow from public to private is all messed up, and I think that's what makes it feel dormy. I would remove those sliding doors all together making a large opening and leave the swinging one closed all the time.
I'd put the bed where the TV is now, following all the great suggestions about transforming it to a daybed. Leave the couch where it is, and put the TV where the now closed swinging door is. Then you have a living area with more seating on the daybed if you need it. Get a small dining table with a few chairs to put near the inner window by the stove. That will give you more worksurface for cooking and a better place to entertain.
I'm confused by the picture of your current bed. Was that taken in your old studio? It shows a solid wall at the head...

I was in a similar situation at one point, living in an efficiency. I used an Expidit bookcase along the side of my bed to act as a room separator - it allows enough air and light through to make the bed area not too claustrophobic but also blocks it off enough visually to make it seem like a separate space. The downside is that you have to get in to bed from the bottom, which in this case would be difficult because it's a day bed. But I do think that something like that would be a good idea, since it would add storage and visual separation and effectively create a bed-nook.

I think you can make it work the way you have it. Add pillows and art work as suggested and maybe a storage ottoman or something to store your pillow in during the day. It's hard to tell what the color of the wall is between the picture and how it shows on my screen, but it looks to have a purplish undertone. If it does, see if you can paint. Actually, paint either way if you are allowed.

Paint the bed gray and get matching sheets. Solid colors or stripes. Lose the floral.

I have three ideas:

1) CAMOUFLAGE THE BED: Like many people said, dress the bed like a couch so it seems like additional seating. Here are some examples.

2) HIDE YOUR BED: Install curtains (example 1 and example 2) or panels (example) that you can pull around your bed during the day to hide it.

3) COVER YOUR BED: This is a crazy idea, but find a handy friend to help you make a solid wooden top for your daybed (big enough to rest on the bed's raised frame) and turn your bed into a table when you have guests over.

Where did you get that little table attached to the couch?

Along with the helpful comments above, can your bed fit on the opposite wall where the desk is now? If the entry to your apartment is on the wall across from the stove, then you will walk in and see the desk first instead of the bed. If that desk is multi-purpose as an dining table, creating a friendlier place to sit around that table would also draw people away from sitting on your bed. Perhaps getting a loft bed might be in order.

I recommend against any room dividers, screens or panels to hide the bed. If the room is already dark, something like that will turn it into a cave. You can disguise the daybed with cushions and add a coffee table and style your bedroom like it's a living room, but then your guests will obviously be confused and think you want them to hang out in there. I really agree with those who have said flip it back. With the kitchen all the way over on the far side, and presumably the entry door there as well, you'd have to do a pretty tricky job to have a bedroom that you don't have to disassemble every night and put together *just so* every morning. Instead, put the bed back in the bedroom and make it a place where you like to lounge when you're not entertaining. Put a tv in there, get a comfy chair. Then in the living room, either invest in some good lamps, or go with a lounge-y low-light decor.

I agree with getting some bookshelves or some kind of screen to sort of "wall" off the space without necessarily completely walling it in. Even a Chinese folding screen at the end of the bed to create a separate space from the kitchen would be good.

And more pillows, some kind of shelves above the bed, perhaps? Or a large art piece.

If you can get those sliding panels that someone suggested or a bookcase to create a den around the bed, hide it from view: that's what I'd go for!!! You can put a short half-bookshelf at the foot of your bed, and add panels or curtains on the long side?

What about a Murphy bed? I don't know if they are convenient for daily use, but it might be a good way to hide the bed in a space-saving way when you're not sleeping.

RE: the sliding doors on the wall between the bedroom and living room. I think that they are not sliding doors. They are the closet doors for the bedroom closet.

I think also that having an end table with lamps at BOTH ends of the bed would help it look more like a sofa than a bed.

Homebody hit the nail on the head.The bed in the kitchen just doesnt work,though I understand the reasoning.It makes it look like you have an efficiency.

Hey there!

I read some of the other entries and although they were all very good I thought moving furniture would be the best solution. I went a little crazy and modified your picture: You can see the new Layout here:

http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/11521606/img/11521606.jpg

I moved the bed back to the living room (I hope your layout is accurate and it fity in that corner) - This way you can enjoy the nicer room for both sleep and living, and if you have guests over or want more of a living room feel I would just throw a very nice blanket and some pillows on it (as many already suggested) - The Ikea bed looks like a daybed/sofa already anyway and you could even paint it light gray to match your couch.

I moved the TV to the wall between the windows so you can enjoy the view while watching tv and can watch cozily from both the bed and the couch.

If it is possible i would also move the couch so it faces the window instead.

The red marked area by the upper window would be a great place for an extra container shelf with storage beneath ( for stuff you rarely need, as you would have to move the tv set - If you put it all on wheels it's still very easy to access!) - and the top could be used as an extra couch side table - maybe eliminating the need for another one.

I tried to move everything else (wardrobe, closet, any storage) to the other room. - At least in this model there was plenty of more space after moving the bed!

I put the table on the other side, so as to be able to look out the window and get the daylight on the workspace as well. I would suggest adding a wood panel to your desk at the corner which would give you more space directly at the window and would be extremely cheap as you can get some hardwood from the store already cutted to your measurements ( red checkered area).

everything else from your layout now easily fitted in the now open space, you could even have room for a small dining table.

I wasn't sure what the one thingy was and just left it out of the layout, but there's plenty space where the table was now.

Also is this a cat in the basket? If so i would put her next to the table so you can enjoy having here near while working.

I think this would be much better as you would have a nice cosy living /sleeping area and a more structured work and kitchen area. I guess it is also much nicer not having to sleep were all the cooking smells are.

Hope this helps, if not i still had fun ;)

- cheers!

me again.

saw on the picture now it's a dog! very cute. I modified it again a bit, so the fridge (?) is more in the corner. You would have to walk two more steps for cooking but this way the room seems bigger maybe? recognized the white drawer next to the couch and moved it next to the table. I would try to keep everything in the kitchen room and just not clutter the living space.

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/11521713/img/11521713.jpg

You could also move the TV inside one of your wall closets, so you can easily transform the room and use the closet as book shelf and media unit.

Do you maybe have more pictures of the place? and can you paint? I also liked the idea of having a glass door a lot. But if you make the kitching your day working area you could just leave the door open and let in the light.

cheers

cheers

@cay

It's not attached, but it's the cb2 slip c-table.

The couch looks pretty small... I would get a couch I could sleep on and ditch the daybed entirely. XD A sofabed, but not a foldout. allerum, lessebo, lubi, etc. Then again, I'm short and wouldn't miss the sprawl-space.

Assuming the chaise isn't long enough to sleep on, already.

thanks!

I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to have the living room with the kitchen (I WISH my apartment had that - plus cooking smells on your bed = bleh!! :P) but I think screens around the bed would definitely help. Since it is where you sleep anyway, who cares if it's dark? In fact, darkness is preferable (my current bedroom is really bright and I hate it, so hard to sleep)! I also like the idea of a glass paneled door to let light in throughout the apartment.

Btw, where is that couch from? It looks SO nice and I need to buy one soon! Thanks ^_^

@maria88

If it's not karlstad, well, it looks like it could be.

(Max depth 62.25"? Guess most ppl couldn't/wouldn't sleep on that....)

Hm... to go with lemonbutter's suggestion, if you get a loft bed, maybe you should just loft it in the sunny room over the sofa instead of your kitchen.

If you're open to get something new (you obviously are) then I'd get a bed sofa that will work both in a living room and bedroom. maybe even a bedsofa version of the karlstad so it will match the sofa you already have. you could even exchange a bedsofa for both the daybed AND the living room sofa and remain with one thing. ...and sleep in the living room.

or if you don't want to make huge changes - maybe try to make the daybed look more like a sofa by using a huge cotton spread. and instead of a clip on lamp you could mount it to the wall (see Ikea Kvart spot, it offers both options) or if you are not allowed to drill in the walls try a floor lamp (by chance there's also a Kvart standard version). I think both lights look less like dorm room and more like living room.

Hanging an eye catching large picture I think is also a good idea.
(maybe from a yard sale, craigslist, ikea artwork or a random poster in a huge frame (ikea ribba?) to keep it affordable).

Maybe get a neat and simple box on wheels to store beddings (if needed) and that will work as a coffee table at the same time.

But again, I personally would go for the more space saving option of having one piece in one room and thus get a bedsofa and exchange it for both the bed and the current sofa.

(btw sorry for all the Ikea advertising here)

this is a good example of why extended chaise sofas are a bad idea, when a sofa w/matching ottoman is much more flexible. considering the safety of sleeping too close to a kitchen (particularly if the stove is gas), move the daybed back into the other room as previously posted and replace the sofa w/ regular or two chairs, not too big, maybe one matching ottoman w/tray on it for coffee table use. armless chairs open up space but not as cozy. table between chairs or in corner could be storage. bolster at back of daybed provides more sofa-like use, esp coordinated to bedcover in LR-like fabric.