One of the joys of houses in the UK is that they are varied, from stylish new builds to centuries-old houses with interesting quirks. A feature that many houses might have, mainly if you've opted to convert your loft, is a bedroom with a sloped ceiling. However, as intriguing as these unusual bedrooms can be, they also have problems to consider when buying furniture.
Getting the perfect bed for a sloped ceiling isn't as easy as a standard bedroom. The reduced ceiling height means that the risk of accidents from simply getting in and out of bed increases, and you'll be limited in terms of what styles of beds you can have.
Thankfully, we've perused our range of beds to find the perfect beds for sloped ceiling bedrooms and those that aren't suited to avoid any issues!
What is a sloped ceiling bedroom?
A bedroom with a sloped ceiling features a ceiling that literally 'slopes' downwards instead of being level. This means that space is limited in this type of bedroom compared to a bedroom with a level ceiling, so making the most of all available space is incredibly important.
Sloped-ceiling bedrooms are most commonly found on the upper floor of a house, specifically an attic or a loft conversion. They are also frequently found in traditional-style homes such as cottages and bungalows or bedrooms created by converting an older building, such as a farmhouse, barn, or church, and adding extra floors. A sloped ceiling will still reach the same height as a regular bedroom, but only on one side – the other side will be much lower.
Vaulted ceilings, on the other hand, slope higher than what is considered standard in a bedroom. A home converted from a barn or church and does not opt to have a second floor installed will likely have a vaulted ceiling instead of a simple sloped ceiling! These ceilings have a very 'grand' feeling, making a room spacious.
4 things to consider when deciding on a bed for a slanted ceiling bedroom
Understandably, plenty of things must be considered when decorating a bedroom with a sloped ceiling. Below, we've outlined the four most important things to consider before purchasing a bed!
1. Ceiling height
There is no height requirement for a bedroom in the UK, but the average ceiling height is around 2.4 metres. Sloped ceilings reduce the amount of space you have as these types of bedrooms have to work around the architectural frame of the house. Measure how tall the lowest point of the ceiling is, as well as the middle point and the highest point, to figure out how much space you have to work with.
Some sloped ceilings might end almost to the floor, whereas others will have a much more gradual slope!
2. Room size
Alongside the room size, you'll also need to consider carefully what bed size your bedroom can accommodate. For example, a sloped-ceiling bedroom in a terraced house could be much smaller than one in a detached house. Measure the room size to determine what bed size you should be looking for - as much as we'd all love a super king-size bed, it wouldn't comfortably fit into every bedroom!
To learn more about the available bed sizes, read our bed size guide before checking out our measuring guide to ensure you'll have enough space to accommodate your chosen bed!
3. Available light
Many bedrooms with slanted ceilings are located in the attic or loft, which means the amount of light they receive could be reduced due to the awkward window placement. A window in these areas is often built into the roof of the house itself and can reduce the amount of light you get. If your sloped ceiling bedroom struggles with natural light, you'll want to ensure you don't buy a bed that will make the room look smaller or darker!
4. Extra furniture requirements
Does your sloped ceiling bedroom require extra furniture, such as a wardrobe or a chest of drawers? If so, this can limit your space in a smaller bedroom than a standard one. A free-standing wardrobe, in particular, will need to be placed to ensure it can fit underneath the slanted ceiling, which could reduce the space you can put your bed into.
Carefully consider what extra furniture you need to add to your bedroom and their sizes to avoid a cramped space!
What type of beds are suitable for a sloped ceiling bedroom?
Now that you've considered all the potential problems of a bedroom with a slanted ceiling, you're ready to decide what bed to buy! We've carefully considered all the beds we sell and recommend one of the following types of beds for a sloped ceiling bedroom.
1. Storage beds with drawers
Making the most of the space in your bedroom is exceptionally important for a sloped ceiling bedroom, and a storage bed is the obvious solution. We'd recommend opting for a storage bed with drawers, as these open along the floor and reduce the risk of getting hurt or stuck with the sloped ceiling.
2. Platform beds
Platform beds are designed to be very low to the ground and often don't even feature a headboard. This makes them perfect for sloped ceiling bedrooms, as they give you the comfort and style of a typical bed frame without being too high and risking injury. Not only that, but their low design means they help to give the illusion of extra space in your bedroom!
3. Divan beds
Divan beds are an affordable and popular option in many homes and are equally perfect for sloped ceiling bedrooms. You can opt for a divan bed without a headboard to fit under the ceiling space – though make sure there's enough space to avoid injuries – and plenty of divan options are available with underbed drawers for extra storage. Want to find out more about these fantastic bed frames? Check out our divan bed buying guide now.
4. Trundle beds
If you're turning a sloped ceiling bedroom into a child's bedroom or a guest room, then a trundle bed is a versatile bed that will make good use of all available space. These bed frames look like normal beds, usually sized as a single bed, and are perfect for children to use. They also include underbed trundles that can be pulled out when needed, giving guests a spot to sleep without requiring too much height!
5. Sofa beds
Are you looking to turn a slanted ceiling bedroom into something more casual? A sofa bed is a great choice to create a room that guests can sleep in without turning the whole room into a bedroom. As their name implies, sofa beds turn from comfy sofas to supportive beds quickly and save on space, as you don't need to have a bulky bed taking up room.
What type of beds are unsuitable for sloped ceiling bedrooms?
Some beds aren't as well suited for sloped ceiling bedrooms, though we aren't here to tell you that you definitely can't use them! Not every bedroom looks the same, and some might have a less severe sloping gradient than others and could accommodate one of these beds, but to be safe, we'd recommend avoiding these beds.
1. Ottoman beds
Ottoman beds could be a good choice if you have enough clearance, but we'd recommend avoiding them for bedrooms with slanted ceilings. This is because an ottoman bed requires you to lift the frame with the mattress open to reveal the space underneath - when fully open, there's a risk that your bed or mattress will hit the ceiling if it's too low or even get stuck. We'd suggest going with a different type of storage bed to avoid any issues.
2. Sleigh beds
Sleigh beds have a distinctive silhouette with a tall, curved headboard and footboard, creating their iconic 'sleigh' look. Whilst these beds look beautiful, they can make a space appear smaller due to their size. Not only might you risk a sleigh bed not fitting underneath a sloped ceiling, but they can make this type of bedroom feel cramped.
3. TV beds
We love TV beds, and many of our customers do. But they might not be the best choice for a sloped ceiling bedroom, as they often feature high headboards and thick footboards. That's because the TV lifting mechanism is located inside the footboard, so it needs to be big enough to accommodate the mechanism and the TV itself. As with sleigh beds, this could make your bedroom feel smaller than it is.
4. High headboard beds
A bedroom with a sloped ceiling will struggle to accommodate a high-headboard bed, as the headboard either will not fit into the space or might get stuck. As such, we'd recommend opting for a bed with a lower headboard instead to avoid this risk!
5. Bunk beds
Bunk beds might be a favourite of children everywhere, but they're not a good choice for a sloped ceiling bedroom. The advantage of a bunk bed becomes a disadvantage here, as their height will mean they can't fit or will have limited space. This increases the risk of injury when getting in and out of the top bunk, so we'd recommend avoiding these for this type of bedroom.