For a home with limited space, a tucked-away bed is a blessing: An underutilized basement or extra-small bedroom suddenly holds promise.

 

A sleeping berth provides privacy.

A berth appeals to the adventurer (just imagine a train click-clacking down the tracks or an ocean liner gently rolling on the waves) while providing storage and conserving space. Assembled like building blocks, a boxed-in twin mattress is mounted to the wall on top of side-by-side clothing chests. A skinny wall shelf holds CDs or books. A closet rod supports cotton curtains that pull closed.

 

Drift off to sleep in a cozy
dormered room.

A dormered room ranks among the coziest in the house when it has a sleeping nook. Built under the eaves, the nook is basically an extended window seat framed by an interior "window" to the room. A wall of beadboard wainscoting surrounds it all. Inside the nook, walls are sponged an antique cream, then painted with a tree mural that arches over the Tudor-style window. A wall sconce provides light for reading, while recessed bookshelves hold plenty of fodder for bedtime stories. Extra linens can be stored out of sight in the cabinet at the base of the berth.

 

Curtains help create a comfy nook.

In an L-shaped room, creating a nook to snuggle into was as easy as slipstitching a hem. All it required was cable rods (available in a kit from home or hardware stores), 24 clip rings, and 16 yards of frothy theatrical scrim fabric. Strung wall-to-wall, shower-curtain style, the filmy privacy curtain cocoons sweet dreams, and rustles romantically whenever the summer wind stirs. A sleigh daybed serves as a sofa by day and a napping spot anytime. A trundle can be extended to accommodate extra guests.