The $0 Swap That Made This Tiny, Narrow Bedroom Feel Bigger (No Shopping Necessary!)

A tricky layout might be a deal-breaker to some. But to others, like Sarah Ingle, who rents a 325-square-foot Brooklyn apartment, it’s an opportunity to be creative. Her bedroom was so narrow, and placing her queen-sized bed in the typical orientation would have blocked the closet and taken up nearly all of the floor space of the room’s depth. The only solution would be to get a smaller mattress, right? Wrong. 

The bed (and an Article couch sourced from Facebook Marketplace) was one of only two items that Sarah brought into the apartment when she moved in, and because her goal was to thoughtfully, intentionally source other finds from secondhand stores and keep a low budget, replacing a perfectly good bed wasn’t something she wanted to do. Thinking outside the box, she decided to position the mattress more like a daybed. 

It’s common for people to have small, unconventional bedroom layouts, but that shouldn’t require you to spend more money to make amends with it. The room should work for you! Sometimes, making a room work is simply a matter of rethinking how you use the pieces you already own. 

“The layout presented its own set of challenges, especially in the bedroom,” Sarah explained at the time of the House Tour. “It’s incredibly narrow, and my bed wouldn’t fit in the traditional orientation. I couldn’t afford to replace it, but I also needed to be able to open the closet, so I ended up rotating it horizontally and styling it more like a daybed.”

By swapping the bed’s orientation, Sarah was able to access her closet more easily and make the room feel larger, and she didn’t have to purchase a smaller mattress. Plus, the vintage headboard is skinny enough that it doesn’t push the bed out too far. The two sourced vintage side tables are also slim, not taking up much floor space, which helps the room feel larger. And just because the bed’s direction isn’t placed in a typical way, it doesn’t make it look any less cozy to jump into.  

“I honestly didn’t know if it would work until the day I moved in, but it ended up being one of those constraints that pushed me to get creative in a way I really love,” Sarah said at the time of the House Tour. 

If you’re struggling with an awkward, narrow layout, try experimenting with furniture placement before buying something new. Follow Sarah’s lead and get creative with how you place your pieces; it might save you money. To see more of Sarah’s wonderful home, visit the full House Tour.