Are you looking to add another bedroom to your home? An addition to your home can mean months of construction and high costs you may not be willing to pay. But there is another option: conversion.
If you don’t often use a room in your home—for example, a living room—you might be able to convert that space into a bedroom. But can you turn a living room into a bedroom?
The answer is yes, but it’s not as simple as placing a bed in the room. You may have to do a little construction to properly convert a living room.
Here is your guide for a living room transformation to make use of every square foot of your space.
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Bedroom Requirements
The truth of the matter is: you can place your bed anywhere you feel comfortable sleeping. So if the living room is calling your name, you can make it your bedroom, no questions asked.
It’s the technicality and legality of what makes a bedroom the leading question in living room to bedroom conversion. This mostly matters if you want to sell your home and advertise that you have a certain amount of bedrooms.
Just because you sleep in the living room doesn’t make it a bedroom when it comes to real estate. So before you add a bed to your living room, you might want to know the base requirements.
For a room to be considered a bedroom is must have an entrance, a ceiling height that’s at least 7 feet tall, an escape that isn’t the entry point, and be at least 70 square feet and no smaller than 7 feet in length or width.
That is a ceiling about 2.33 meters tall and about 2.27 square meters. The length and width of the room should be no less than 2.33 meters as well.
While it isn’t always a legal requirement, having a closet is often necessary for a bedroom. There may also be state or local ordinances that mandate what is required of a bedroom, so be sure to check any local building codes.
If you only want to place your bed in the living room but not fully convert it, then these requirements probably don’t apply to you.
It’s when you’re looking to sell your home or rent out a bedroom that you must be aware of these requirements.
Full Conversion or Integrate the Bedroom
Now knowing the requirements, you have to ask yourself if you want to fully convert the living room or integrate the bedroom into your space.
A full conversion means a transformation, so the space no longer operates as a living room. This is often done by following the requirements listed above and enclosing the area so it’s no longer open to the rest of the home.
You may also include an en suite bathroom when you convert a living room with a total conversion.
Or you may opt for an alternative living room where the bedroom space is incorporated with the living room. This can be done in a few ways, including being creative with furniture and layouts.
Ultimately, the choice of a full conversion or integration is up to you and your needs of the space.
What’s Connected to the Living Room?
Whether your convert or integrate, you should take a moment to look at your floor plan first. Take a look at how your room is laid out, including windows and doors, to see if the space makes sense as a bedroom.
You also should consider the room’s location in the house. If your living room is at the front of your home and you need to walk through it to get to other areas, a bedroom conversion might not be the best idea.
You wouldn’t want guests walking through your bedroom every time they visit, would you?
Take a look at what other rooms the living room is connected to as well. An enclosed living room would not only be easier to transform but allow you the privacy of a standard bedroom.
Compare that to a living room that’s open to the kitchen where privacy would be low because it’s connected to a communal area.
That’s not to say that living rooms in open floor plans can’t be turned into a bedroom. It just might take a little more creativity and work to transform into a private bedroom space.
Design a Layout
Now that you have a better idea of how your living room can transform into a bedroom, it’s time to consider the layout. You’ll always want to keep in mind windows and doors, as well as any architectural features in the room.
If you’ve decided to enclose the space, you can design your new bedroom without having to consider other elements. Treat this as any other bedroom design.
However, if you have decided to integrate your bedroom, you’ll have to spend a bit more time planning the layout. Keep in mind what other spaces the living room-bedroom combination is open to as well as the flow of traffic.
Even with an integration plan, you’ll still want some separation between the bedroom and living room.
Utilize Storage and Be Smart with Furniture
When turning a living room into a bedroom, you’ll likely lose some storage. Do your best to consciously add storage back into the space, whether that’s built-in or with furniture like dressers and shelves.
Furniture is also a useful tool when it comes to creating separate spaces. You can use screens to create a physical barrier or be smart with the layout to create distinct areas within the same room.
Can You Turn a Living Room Into a Bedroom? Your Definitive Guide to Finding More Space
Whether you live in a tight apartment or don’t utilize your living room for living, having another bedroom is ideal for most people. When costly additions and renovations are off the table, converting a living room.
Most people’s first thought is wondering can you turn a living room into a bedroom. Simply, the answer is yes. And, luckily, you have more than one option for how to do so.
That means, no matter how your living room is now, you can find a way to make it the bedroom of your dreams.
Want to know more about the average living room size before you convert one? Learn all about the average size of rooms throughout your home.
