20 Ideas for Putting Two Beds in One Small Room

Whether you are designing a beach house guest room that can handle any type of guest or a spare bedroom that's always ready when the grandkids come for the weekend, there are plenty of reasons why you might find yourself trying to figure out how to stylishly squeeze two beds into one small room. Here are some ideas for mini bunk rooms in a range of styles and layouts that will make people of all ages feel at home, and remind you of the childhood joys of sharing a sleepover.

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Mix Colors and Patterns

Design by Atelier Davis / Photo by Heidi Harris

This cheerful and welcoming guest room from interior designer Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis has a vibrant mix of color and pattern that combines cool and warm tones.

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Source Antique Headboards

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

This whitewashed room from Leanne Ford Interiors features a pair of antique twin bed frames grouped closely together in the space between the windows. The richly stained, decorative wood beds are dressed with simple linens in shades of white and pale pink.

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Use Mismatched Lighting

Design by Ghislaine ViÃ±as / Photo by Garrett Rowland

This Hudson Valley guest room from interior designer Ghislaine Viñas has identical black iron bed frames and linens, while a pair of mismatched bedside lights adds a sculptural touch. A shared nightstand with double drawers offers closed storage for each side of the bed.

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Use Paint to Divide Space

Design by Vanessa Scoffier / Hotel Henriette

In this small Parisian hotel bedroom designed by Vanessa Scoffier at Hotel Henriette, twin beds are separated a stool's width apart. But the designer found an inexpensive and inventive way to create a virtual separation between them by painting the wall in complementary shades of pastel green and pink. The beds are dressed similarly but given their own distinct throw pillow, and matching gold-toned wall sconces above the beds create cohesion.

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Play with Height

Design by BHDM Design / Photo by Reid Rolls

In this small bedroom from BHDM Design, vintage painted wood bed frames with matching linens and empty decorative frames create symmetry. The tall, narrow shared bedside table is placed in front of the window and crowned with a tall oversized lamp emphasizes vertical space, making the small footprint feel more spacious.

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Share the Headboard

Design by Christina Kim Interior Design

In this twin bedroom from Christina Kim Interior Design, a long shared pale blue velvet headboard and matching linens create a unified look, while each side gets its own photograph hung above the bed to keep it looking too matchy matchy.

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Outfit the Attic

Design by Britt Design Studio

This cozy attic bedroom from Britt Design Studio has headboards upholstered with green-and-white striped fabric that are tailored to fit the line of the slanted ceilings.

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Use Period Furniture

Design by Kara Mann

Interior designer Kara Mann chose period bed frames, classic floral and toile textiles, crisp white bed linens, neutral wall paint, and a simple area rug to add softness on top of dark hardwood flooring in this twin bedroom in a historic farmhouse in Pound Ridge, New York, complete with a working fireplace.

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Incorporate Multiple Textures

Design by Jean Liu Design / Photo by Casey Dunn

Adding texture can make a small space come alive. In this vibrant twin bedroom from Jean Liu Design, a mix of cool grays and warm corals and browns creates depth, while layered headboards in plaid check fabric and cognac leather and a mix of linens and faux fur make twin beds feel luxurious.

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Add Vintage Bed Frames

Design by Studio Robert McKinley / Photo by Nicole Franzen

This Montauk guest room from Studio Robert McKinley is a summertime oasis with its soothing palette of white, cream, and black. White shiplap walls, soft Roman shades, industrial style sconces, vintage bed frames, and a sculptural round table with a tooth-like appearance fills the space between the beds.

The 15 Best Beds of 2023 to Keep You Comfortable and Supported

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Unify With an Area Rug

Design by Erin Williamson Design

This Texas lake house lodge bedroom from Erin Williamson Design has matching wood and metal twin bed frames dressed in identical linens that float on a colorful diamond-patterned Moroccan-style area rug that defines the sleeping area.

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Try a Kitty Corner Layout

Fantastic Frank

In this minimalist, black-and-white Swedish bedroom from Fantastic Frank, twin beds are arranged in a kitty corner layout that saves space, leaving the rest of the small room feeling open, and creating an off duty reading nook that turns a small guest room into a multi-purpose space.

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Make One a Daybed

Design by Vanessa Scoffier / Hotel Henriette

In this cozy room from interior designer Vanessa Scoffier at Paris' Hotel Henriette, a twin bed is positioned flush against the wall and backed with a mix of throw pillows that turn it into a daybed when not in use.

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Add a Sense of Grandeur

Design by Matthew Carter Interiors

In this compact Bahamas bedroom from Matthew Carter Interiors, twin beds are given a sense of grandeur with wall-mounted upholstered printed fabric canopies that begin near the ceiling and frame the small, high windows as well as the beds. This trick draws the eye upward, making the space feel more expansive.

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Use Bright Jewel Tones

Design by Studio Peake

In this small bedroom from Studio Peake, twin beds are pushed together, hotel-style, allowing guests to have their own set of bedding while remaining close. Bright jewel toned colors and a mix of patterned textiles add energy and vibrancy to the small space.

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Whitewash It

Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors / Photo by Julie Soefer

This whitewashed, modern farmhouse style bedroom from Marie Flanigan Interiors is just big enough for a pair of double beds, complete with slipcovered headboards that provide a sense of comfort and touches of wood, metal, and a simple gold-framed mirror that bounces light around to make the space feel larger than it is.

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Trick the Eye

Design by Ghislaine ViÃ±as / Photo by Art Gray

This playful twin bedroom in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles from interior designer Ghislaine Viñas features bold red-and-white horizontal striped walls that extend to the ceiling and hide the door, making the room feel wider while adding an irreverent dash of color and pattern. The floors are covered in an orange-and-white herringbone pattern running lengthwise that creates a sense of movement and stands up to the bold walls. The designer kept the bedding plain and simple to allow the bold clash of patterns to do the talking.

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Use Multipurpose Furniture

Design by Ghislaine ViÃ±as / Photo by Garrett Rowland

Interior designer Ghislaine Viñas calls this small space in a large home in Hudson Valley, New York "the fainting room," and in the antique spirit of a fainting couch, has installed two chaise longue-like sofas that create a cozy seating area during the day and can double as single beds in a pinch when extra guests sleep over for the weekend.

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Add Bold Color Accents

Home Made By Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona from Home Made By Carmona added bright green accent pillows to an otherwise neutral bedroom outfitted with twin tufted headboards that flank the window. A wooden table as wide as the shared window maximizes space.

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Stay Low

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Christy Q. Photo

Using low-slung vintage furniture in a small room will make the ceilings feel higher and the room feel airier. This twin bedroom from Cathie Hong Interiors has low-slung vintage-style rattan bed frames and a midcentury modern-inspired shared bed table that is perfect for kids of all ages.