Smallest (bed)rooms

[Martin Angove]

Just cos it's piqued my curiosity, remember that in the "new houses" thread I admitted I'd done a survey of garage and bedroom sizes... well... would anyone care to admit the size of their smallest bedroom? It'd be interesting to see what is out there, and whether it varies in the expected way with house age.

So, if you feel like it, can you tell me

a: the dimensions of your smallest bedroom (better keep everything metric)

b: the approximate age of your house and how many bedrooms it has.

c: whether you think that the room is really useful as a bedroom, or is it just for show?

To start everyone off;

a: 2m35 by 2m.

b: 1930s - 70-odd years - 3-beds.

c: although we *have* squeezed the double bed in the room (minus headboard), it is really only suitable for a single bed. It does make a reasonable size room for a guest or for a young child, but would be far too small for a teenager who might also want a desk.

Hwyl!

M.

[jonathan]

Mine is a 1932 red brick semi. The smallest room is above the stairs, I can't mesure it as I'm at work, you can get a single bed in but not really much else. It was a room for the baby so OK for a cot, I have my computer in there now and my two boys, 5 & 2 share a room. When all the extending is done they will have their own rooms and my computer will be in the converted loft space. The stairs to the loft will be in the doorway of this little room, we are cutting a door way in from our bedroom and turning it into an ensuite shower room thought the archi has squeexed a bath in on his drawings.

Cheers Jonathan

[in2minds]

a. 2.1m x 3m

b. 1912 terraced miners house, was 4 bed, middle bedroom (2.5m x 2.5m) was turned into bathroom approx 10 years ago.

c. has built in wardrobe with overhead cupboards along the longest wall and the bed underneath the cupboards. the large window makes the room look much bigger, window sill is only 0.3m above floor and ceilings are 2.5m high. ok for guests but no use if you have teenagers.

LJ

[Neil Jones]

I'm a long-time lurker on uk.d-i-y, but this is the first thrread I've felt compelled to reply to:-

a) 3.5 m x 2.25m

b) House was built early 16th century so approx 500 years old. Extended in 1995 and I think the current upstairs layout was implemented at that point

c) Currently study/2nd spare room. Houses PC, desk and sofa bed - I think it's big enough for a single, some furniture and a desk. Big enough for a child - and hopefully will cope with a teenager, but won't test the theory for at least 13 years and 9 months

Regards

Neil

[Martin Angove]

Thanks for everything so far - keep the dimensions coming!

Since there seems to be some interest in this, when I think I've got enough I'll post some kind of results. Judging from the replies so far though, I can't see any definite pattern yet!

Hwyl!

M.

[IMM]

This sounds alike a closet with windows. Built 1932, and lots here were on about new houses having small rooms!!!

[John Lang Wilson]

2.50m x 3m

4 beds built 1976

Housed 2 x preschool in bunks, then largest boy (1.92m) in single bed until he went to University.

He was given chance to move to larger room if he kept the exisiting one tidy but he never did.

Now PC, junk store.

[Hugo Nebula]

From the chaotic regions of the Cryptosphere, Martin Angove wrote on Thu, 17 Jul 2003 14:08:06

+0100:

3.55m x 2.89m (less a 1.1m x 1.1m airing cupboard).

5 year old, two bedrooms. Standard Crest estate home.

Definitely a (potential) double bedroom.

One of the reasons I chose my house was the well proportioned bedrooms. The architects have taken the first floor and divided it into two almost equal sized bedrooms, with the landing & bathroom in the middle.

If I can muddy the waters, my parents ca. 1900 three bed terrace had a smallest bedroom of 1.98m x 2.43m which was a squeeze to get a single bed and any storage in there. I know; I spent 18 years in that room.

[mark]

Smallest bedroom:

about 1.90m by 2.10m...I use it as a study at present but it does have a single bed in it.

House was built in 1893 (I have the original deeds as the last time it exchanged hands was in the '60s before the computerised land registry), and has 5 bedrooms, three recs.

Cheers!

[Snowman]

a: 2.5m x 2.55m PLUS 1m x 0.65m built-in cupboard off it over the stairs.

b: built about 1960 as 3 bedrooms, but it's now 4 after a loft conversion.

c: yes it has been used as a bedroom, but is now used as a study and occasionally has a chairbed moved in.

Peter.

[Christian McArdle]

Congratulations!

Christian.

[Martin Angove]

Add one to the list: my parents' house:

a: 2.4 by 2.4m (but 2.7 into door)

b: 1960s, 4-bed. Two smallest bedrooms exactly the same dimensions though one has wardrobe off (abt 1m by 0.7m) and the other has airing cupboard over stairs off (abt 2m by 1m overall).

c: One room has single bed plus cot plus small chest of drawers in it at the moment, though getting into the airing cupboard is a squeeze! This same room was originally shared by me and my sister when we moved in in the early 70s - we used bunk beds. As soon as the lodger moved out, my sister had the other small room, and then when my grandfather died, I had his room (bed 2) and my sister had both the small rooms. It stayed this way through most of our teenage years. Both small rooms fine for a single bed plus one other item of furniture, but anything else is a squeeze.

Hwyl!

M.

[Martin Angove]

Just realised that door to this room is recessed too, so it's 2m35 by

2m, but 2.3m to door. I think I'm going to ignore doors and cupboards from now on and just consider the "square" dimensions of the rooms.

Ditto.

[Mary Fisher]

Ours is about the same - dimensions and house. We had two teenage girls in an ex-army bunk bed in there until they left for university. A military wardrobe and to chests of drawers, on over the other, were their storage. There wasn't much floor to be messy.

Mary

[Martin Angove]

Hello Martin

I'm a regular uk.d-i-y lurker without usenet posting ability from here (at work) so perhaps you can post this for me:-

a: from memory, about 3.5 m x 2.5 m

b: built early 16th century, so about 500 years old, 4 bedroom detatched house. The house was extended in 1995 and I think the current upstairs layout was established at that point

c: currently used as office/2nd spare room, with double sofa bed. Couldn't really use it as a double bedroom but I'd have thought it large enough for a single bed + furniture + desk for a child or teenager. Regards Neil

Done!

Hwyl!

M.

[Martin Angove]

That leaves a very thin room - 2.4m by 1m. Is that right, or do you mean that you have chopped 2.4m by 1m off, leaving the room 2.4m by 1.9m?

Thanks for your measurements. We're now up to 14 rooms in uk.d-i-y, and I have 34 from developer brochures. I'll leave this another few days and then make some results.

Hwyl!

M.

[Bob Eager]

Our smallest bedroom....3.6m by 2.1m. Five bedroom house, built in

1903, originally detached, now middle one of three in an asymmetric terrace!

[Bob Eager]

What wouldn't?

[David W.E. Roberts]

Errr...well we did stand the 5' bed on end so we could sleep in it - there was about 1'6" between the headboard and the ceiling for a small beside cabinet.

Alternatively the two rooms are:

2.4m * 2.9m bedroom/office plus 2.4m * 1.9m en-suite

giving an original room of

2.4m * 4.7m

Choose your own view of reality :-))

This would make our 4th bedroom of approx 2.3m * 3.7m the smallest. Again you could squeeze in a double, but not without removing the built in wardrobe and desk/bookshelves which is across one end.

Cheers Dave R

[Mary Fisher]

Thast reminds me of the displays of upright baths in the sheds ...

Mary