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Ideas for a Teen Loft Bedroom At The Cottage

Is there a way to make time stop? Chloe graduates from Grade 8 next week and I am in no way ready to be mom to a high-schooler in just a few months. She, on the other hand, is ready to cast off all the trappings of being a kid. The latest casualty? She wants to ditch her cottage bedroom and move up into the cottage loft.

I get it. Sleeping up in the open loft is much cooler for a teen.  Now while I'd really like her to be sleeping at ground level, I'm not fighting this idea too much - because it means I get to redesign two rooms! Yay!


Unsurprisingly, I don't have any current photos of the loft so these photos from 2016 will have to suffice. Fun fact, you become more afraid of heights as you age and that has been the case with me. I can ride roller coasters no problem, but these days if you put me on a ladder, I instantly feel a sense of imbalance. Have you felt that too?  

As you can see, the loft has slanted ceilings and low walls (the right side much more slanted than the left) which will make furniture placement a challenge. It's a good sized space at 17'x12'. We currently have an IKEA sectional sofa up there and a coffee table, both of which are staying.




Loft Bedroom Layout


When designing a room, I start with the layout. Scratch that - I start with determining the function first. That's one of the things I teach in my course Room Design Simplified.

When you know how you want a room to function, you can then determine what furniture you will need to meet those functions. Once you know your furniture, you can figure your layout. And once you decide your layout, you can start shopping and decide on your decor. See? Designing a room is easy if you take it step by step.

Teen Bedroom Function


For this loft bedroom, we had a few requirements:
- a place to sleep
- a place to lounge/sit/hang out with friends
- clothes storage
- a private place to change your clothes
- maintain access to the small storage room door on one of the short walls

Though Chloe will be watching movies or shows up here, she decided she didn't want to have a TV. She'd prefer to watch on her laptop, with her headphones on, which is actually more convenient because then her sound doesn't interfere with the sound of the living room TV which is just on the other side of the railing on the ground below.

One also important consideration was maintaining access to a small storage room on the right hand wall. The room is used for off-season storage so it needs to be accessible though we can have something in front of it, as long as its not there permanently.

Knowing those functions, I knew we had to add a dresser, bed, and dressing area to the furniture we already had. Want to see some of the layout options? 

Option 1: DIY Canopy Bed


In laying out a room, I feel you should explore all your ideas, no matter how crazy and impossible they might seem. I've had this DIY canopy bed idea stored in my memory bank for years and thought the loft might be a place to replicate it.

diy canopy bed
DIY canopy bed by Margot Austin


Having curtains around the bed would allow for two things:
  1. Providing a sense of coziness in the open loft space
  2. Allowing for privacy when Chloe is changing her clothes
Here's how this layout could work, with a sleeping zone and entertaining zone. All of the 2D and 3D plans you see below were created in Floorplanner. 

teen loft bedroom layout, loft bedroom 2d plan, loft slanted ceiling

teen loft bedroom layout, loft bedroom 3d plan, loft slanted ceiling

While this does create a cozy sleeping spot, the curtains really "clutter" up the open and airy loft space. They make the space feel smaller, shorter, and chop up the layout in two. Having a curtain track on the ceiling also might not work because of the slanted walls. 

Option 2: Loft Bedroom With Dressing Zone

The next option I considered was having a dressing zone at the back half of the loft. There would be room for a larger dresser, plus a changing area blocked by a room divider.


teen loft bedroom with changing area, loft bedroom dressing room

teen loft bedroom with changing area, loft bedroom dressing room

While this did provide ample space for dressing, having the foot of the bed up against the railing just didn't feel right. Looking at the plan in 3D, the bed felt squeezed up against the wall. There was ample floor space, but all the furniture looks awkward and pushed out to the perimeter of the room.

Option 3: Loft Bedroom Balanced Layout


With this third option, you see how the layout is much more balanced and pleasing to the eye. By placing the bed with the headboard against the wall, you create space on either side and still allow for traffic flow.

Using a short but wide dresser provides needed storage space and allows the dresser to act as a night stand. This leaves just enough space on the other side of the bed for a small dressing area with a mirror, laundry hamper, and room divider.

teen bedroom layout, loft bedroom layout, loft bedroom floor plan

teen bedroom layout, loft bedroom layout, loft bedroom floor plan

teen bedroom layout, loft bedroom layout, loft bedroom floor plan

The sectional and coffee table are in the optimal position as well, with the right amount of headroom to sit under the slanted wall. This allows for conversation if one person is sitting on the bed and others are on the sofa.

This plan also makes the room feel much more like a bachelor apartment, with different zones and an optimal use of the space.

teen bedroom layout, loft bedroom layout, loft bedroom floor plan

With the floor plan finalized, it was time to have some fun and pick out decor items. Since our cottage sits amongst the trees, the idea was to bring in botanical motifs and white accents. Chloe loves white walls and white furnishings so we kept the look bright and fresh.

teen loft bedroom decor, teen bedroom decor white scandi floral

I wanted to decorate this room on a budget so I'll be re-using some items that were already in the space and bring accessories from home.
  • We've had the IKEA Soderhamn sectional with chaise for years in a light aqua colour. It's very comfortable and a few guests have slept on it with no complaints
  • The coffee table currently has a faux wood top. I'll be whitewashing it to give it a lighter look.
  • The existing ceiling light is not something I think needs replacing. It's simple and casts a good amount of light so we'll stick with it. I will be using one of my remote bulbs as the only switch for this light is at the base of the ladder. With a remote, Chloe will be able to turn the light on and off herself.
  • This basket turned hamper, a vintage metal street sign, and jute-wrapped brass hooks are items I've had for years and will find their way into this room
The rest of the decor items reflect Chloe's tastes - contemporary, clean-lined, with a Scandinavian feel - with a few pretty florals to keep mom happy, ha!
So that's the plan for this teen loft bedroom. All we need to do now is get everything to the cottage and lug it up the scary ladder! Follow along on Instagram where I'll share our progress.

P.S. Do you have a space of your own to decorate? Learn the exact process and tools I've used in my course Room Design Simplified. It's 7 easy steps to decorating any room in your home.

room design simplified, interior design course for beginners

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