In a tiny home, space is limited, so making the most of every available square inch is vital. But that’s not to say that each part of your home should only be functional; it should also be utterly comfortable, and one of the most important areas to be comfortable is your sleeping space.
Designing a bed solution that not only works with the space available but provides you with a restful zone to catch some Zs makes a tiny house a tiny home, and I don’t need to tell you that good sleep contributes to a good life – you know that already, you smart cookie!
1. Loft Bedroom
The most common style of bedroom or bed set up in a tiny home is a loft bedroom; this consists of a raised platform in your tiny house on wheels – which is where a mattress can be placed either directly on the floor or slightly raised to avoid condensation collecting under the bed.
2. Sofa Beds
Commonly used as a tiny house guest bed, a sofa bed can add an additional sleeping space – or provide an alternative to a loft bedroom.
For older tiny home dwellers, a ground floor sleeping space can be preferential to climbing up stairs or a ladder to a loft space.
3. Murphy Bed
Creating multi-purpose space is a game changer when it comes to tiny living, and murphy beds can provide just that.
Who wouldn’t want to turn their office into their bedroom with the pull of one handle?
Not to mention it’s a great way to ensure you’re not tempted to work overtime when you should be relaxing instead!
4. Murphy Bunk Bed
There’s a common misconception that tiny living isn’t suitable for families with kids, but alas, there are many smart solutions for comfortably and contently fitting an entire family into a small living space.
A murphy bunk bed is a phenomenal solution, and if I’m being honest – I kind of want to add a murphy bunk bed to my own tiny home, purely to host girls’ sleepover weekends!
5. Futons
Sofa beds aren’t always the most comfortable long-term solution, especially for those who have back issues – but with a futon, you can combine a comfy and stylish couch with an excellent long-term sleeping solution.
6. Bunk Beds
Large families in tiny houses – it can’t work, right?! Wrong!
Adding a bunk room to the end of your tiny house can provide your kiddos with their own zone to have some privacy and play their video games in peace!
An add-on room doesn’t have to take up much space, but if you’re unsure whether you have the room – you could always opt for a Murphy bunk bed with a privacy curtain.
7. Day Beds
Who said you need a couch? With the busy lives that most of us lead, when do we have the time to sit down and chill anyway? And when we do, wouldn’t we rather be able to put our feet up?
Opting for a day bed can provide the same aesthetic as a couch – with strategically placed cushions, and yet also provide better comfort and support for sleeping – not to mention you can buy day beds with plenty of added storage space built-in.
8. Retractable Ceiling Bed
A bed hidden in the ceiling? Yes please! More and more tiny houses are boasting flipping cool loft beds that sit atop hydraulic legs and can be lifted up to the ceiling to be almost invisible and then lowered when needed to provide a cozy and comfortable bedroom zone.
Let’s be honest – I wish I had this; it looks like the coolest possible bed option for a tiny house on wheels.
9. Bookshelf Bed
If you’re a bit of a bookworm and worried about how on earth you’ll fit your precious books into your new downsized living arrangement!
Fear not – a bed with a built-in bookshelf can be aesthetically pleasing and provide space for a whole heap of literature.
10. Pallet Bed
Looking for an affordable bed option that will stand the test of time?
Pallets not only provide an affordable and environmentally friendly material – but require very little work to take from zero to hero.
A quick sanding down, varnish, and a few bolts are all you need – not to mention using pallets that are predominantly hollow, thus providing space to slide in storage boxes or baskets – and voila, you have yourself an affordable, quick, and multi-purpose tiny home bed!
Even if you don’t have the time to create your own, buying a pallet bed is also an incredibly affordable option.
11. Storage Bed
Not everyone that lives in a tiny home is a minimalist, and that’s A-OK. If you have a lot of belongings and adventure equipment, storing these in a tiny house can be a bit of a nightmare.
An excellent solution for items that are only occasionally used, such as skis or wetsuits, is to purchase a bed with storage cupboards or drawers built into the base.
12. Ottoman Bed
If your floorplan doesn’t include enough room to be opening drawers or cupboards that are located under your bed, as luck would have it – it doesn’t mean that you have to give up this precious storage space!
An ottoman bed is a storage bed that allows you to lift the mattress and base up to unveil the storage spage galore that lies within, and before you start wondering how on earth you’re going to lift up your heavy mattress, these beds usually come fitted with hydraulic arms that do most of the work – so that you don’t have to.
13. Wardrobe Bed
Clothing space doesn’t have to be limited in a tiny home; you just have to get creative!
Opting for a bed with a wardrobe built into the base might sound made up, but I’m here to tell you that they not only exist, but they’re also very popular!
14. Tall Bed
Many beds are designed to waste space, there I said it – but you know it’s true. And by golly, is it such a pity because beds offer so much storage potential.
If you’re on the lookout for an affordable and lighter-weight bed that boasts plenty of space for storage, you might want to consider a simple bed that’s weight bearing is not around the entirety of the bed.
This allows you to add baskets or other storage drawers under the base of the bed, and if you get really creative – you can use this as a design feature!
15. Trundle Bed
It’s a bed in a bed; what’s not to love?
A great option for the tiny homeowner that likes to have guests come and stay is a “day trundle bed,” aka the main bed is used as a couch but can be converted to a guest bed, with the benefit of an additional guest bed hiding within.
I’d only recommend this to the very sociable tiny homeowner or the owner of a tiny house Airbnb in Scandinavia because the base of a couch or day bed could otherwise better be utilized for storage.
16. Underfloor Bed
I bet you never thought of hiding your bed inside of the floor – but it can be done.
I’ve never seen a solution like this in person, and I do wonder whether dirt would get between the cracks in the floor or if, when you mop, water might get on your bed? But I’m sure there must be handy-dandy solutions to this.
While I’m not 100% sold on this for a full-time bed, I think it’s a great option for a guest bed or a vacation rental tiny home that needs to find some extra sleeping solutions.
17. Loft Framed Bed with Home Office
Do you remember being a teenager, and all you wanted was one of those raised bunk-style beds that had your own mini office underneath?!
Well, maybe your time has finally come to make those dreams come true.
They’re not only a smart idea for teens in a kid-sized bedroom that want more space – but also for tiny living adults that want to capitalize on every inch.
18. Convertible Bench Bed
There’s nothing quite like having a breakfast nook – aka a built-in dining area in your home. There’s something so cozy about being in an enclosed space to chill out with your morning coffee or come home and have dinner.
Well, how about easing the woes of space eaten up with a built-in dining zone by drawing inspiration from vanlifers and designing a convertible bench and table that can be turned into a bed?!
19. Split Level Basement Bed
What do you do in your living room? You sit down and relax! And that’s why more and more tiny-housers are opting for split-level living rooms with storage space underneath.
But I see your storage “basement” and raise you a “basement” bedroom – is it just me that feels like that would be the coziest little nest of all time?!
OK, here me out, imagine if you had a “basement” bedroom, a sofa bed in your living room – and a loft bedroom on the opposite side! You could host the whole family next Christmas.
Final Thoughts
With so many ingenious sleeping solutions for tiny living, living in a tiny home really can be for anyone.
Whether you have a whole bunch of kids, a bad back, mobility issues, or like to have guests over; we hope that we’ve included a solution in this post that can work for you!
Keep Living Tiny xx
Nadia.
