What Size Shelving Unit Do You Need for a Bedroom?

For most UK bedrooms, a shelving unit between roughly 60 and 100 centimetres wide and 25 to 35 centimetres deep works well, with the height chosen to suit the wall rather than the ceiling. Smaller box rooms usually suit a slim unit of 40 to 60 centimetres wide, while larger main bedrooms can take something wider or a pair of units. The deciding factor is not the room’s total size but the clear space left once the bed, wardrobe and doors are accounted for.

Our range of modern shelving units UK includes slim ladder designs, cube units and taller bookcase styles, many of which sit within our modern living room furniture UK collection but move easily into a bedroom, so it helps to work out the right size before you look at style. Here is how to do that.

Measure the Room Around the Bed

Bedrooms are shaped by the bed. Before you think about shelving at all, measure the space around it. You need room to walk on at least one side, room to make the bed and room to open wardrobe doors and drawers fully.

A walkway of around 60 to 70 centimetres beside the bed is generally comfortable for most people. If a shelving unit would cut that walkway down, it is too deep for that position, however good it looks. In many UK bedrooms this means the best wall for shelving is not beside the bed but on the wall at the foot of it, or in an alcove.

Mark the footprint of your intended unit on the floor with masking tape and live with it for a day. Walking around a taped outline tells you more than any plan.

Check Doors, Windows and Radiators

Three features catch people out in bedrooms more than anything else:

• The bedroom door: measure its full swing. A unit placed behind the door must leave room for it to open completely, and the handle must not strike the shelves.
• Windows: a tall unit beside a window can block light and make curtains awkward to draw. Leave space for curtains to stack back.
• Radiators: avoid placing shelving directly in front of or tight beside a radiator. It blocks heat and exposes the unit to warmth that can affect the finish.

Also note sockets and light switches. A unit that covers the only socket near the bed will be frustrating every night.

Choosing the Right Width

Width is where most of the decision lies. Think about what the unit needs to hold and where it will sit:

• 40 to 60 centimetres: a slim unit for a narrow alcove, beside a chimney breast or in a single bedroom. It will hold books, a plant and a few baskets.
• 60 to 100 centimetres: the most adaptable range for double bedrooms. It suits the wall at the foot of the bed or a wider alcove.
• Over 100 centimetres: best kept for larger main bedrooms or for a full wall of storage. Two matching units can give the same width while staying easier to move.

In Victorian and Edwardian homes, alcoves either side of a chimney breast are often the obvious place for shelving. Measure each alcove separately, as they are rarely identical, and choose a unit that leaves a small, even gap at each side rather than one that must be squeezed in.

Getting the Depth Right

Depth is the dimension that makes or breaks a bedroom layout. A shelving unit that is too deep intrudes into walkways and makes the room feel tight. One that is too shallow will not hold what you need.

For books, picture frames and small objects, 25 to 30 centimetres is usually enough. For folded clothes, baskets and storage boxes, look at 35 to 40 centimetres. If you need both, a unit with a deeper lower section and shallower shelves above keeps the bulk low and the room feeling open at eye level.

If clothing storage is the main need, a shelving unit may not be the best tool. Our modern chests of drawers UK hold folded clothes far more efficiently in the same footprint, with shelving above or beside them for display. Many bedrooms end up using both, with drawers for clothing and open shelves for everything else.

Height and Ceiling Considerations

A tall unit adds a lot of storage on a small footprint, which is why it appeals in compact bedrooms. The trade off is visual weight. A very tall unit close to the bed can feel imposing, especially when you are lying down and looking up at it.

As a guide, units up to around shoulder height feel calm in most bedrooms, and the top surface becomes a useful place for a lamp or a plant. Taller units suit alcoves and the walls away from the bed. In rooms with sloping ceilings, such as loft conversions, measure the height at the exact point where the back of the unit will stand, not at the room’s highest point.

Any unit taller than it is wide should be fixed to the wall with the fittings supplied. In a bedroom, where children may climb and furniture is often close to where you sleep, this matters more than ever.

Sizing by Type of Bedroom

Box rooms and single bedrooms

Space is tight, so look for a slim, tall unit that uses wall height, or a low unit beneath the window. Open shelving feels lighter than closed cupboards in a small room. Keep the depth at 30 centimetres or less.

Standard double bedrooms

A unit of 60 to 100 centimetres on the wall opposite the bed, or in an alcove, works in most layouts. If you also have a chest of drawers, consider shelving above it to save floor space.

Larger main bedrooms

Here you can use shelving more decoratively, perhaps as a room divider between a sleeping area and a dressing area, or as a pair of units framing a window seat or reading chair.

Children’s bedrooms

Choose low, stable units that children can reach safely, with the heaviest items on the bottom shelves, and always fix them to the wall.

Open or Closed Shelving in a Bedroom

The size that feels right also depends on how visible the contents are. Open shelving looks lighter, so a larger open unit can sit comfortably in a room where a closed cabinet of the same size would feel bulky. The trade off is that everything on open shelves is on show, which can make a bedroom feel busier than you want in the space where you rest.

A practical approach is to keep the open shelves for books, a few objects and a plant, and use baskets or boxes on the lower shelves for anything less attractive. If you prefer a calmer look, a unit with doors on the lower half hides clutter while still offering some display space above. Whichever you choose, try to keep the shelves nearest the bed the most restful, with fewer objects and softer colours.

Shelving Beside the Bed

Some people like to use a small shelving unit as a bedside table. It can work well, offering more storage than a standard table, but it needs to be the right height. The top surface should sit roughly level with or slightly above the top of the mattress, so you can reach a glass of water or a book without stretching.

If a shelving unit at that height would be too wide for the space, a dedicated bedside piece is often the better answer. Our modern bedside cabinets UK sale are designed to these proportions, and our guide to bedside table measurements for UK bedrooms explains how to get the height right.

Keeping the Room Balanced

Size is not only about whether something fits. It is also about how it looks next to everything else. A shelving unit that is far taller than your wardrobe, or much darker than the rest of the bedroom furniture, can look out of place even if the measurements work.

Try to match at least one element: the height of a neighbouring piece, the colour of the bed frame or the finish of the wardrobe. If the shelving will sit beside a chest of drawers, our guide to standard chest of drawers dimensions in the UK helps you line up heights and depths so the two pieces look planned together.

A Quick Sizing Method

1. Measure the wall width, the alcove width or the space at the foot of the bed.
2. Subtract any clearance needed for doors, curtains and walkways.
3. Decide on depth based on what the shelves will hold.
4. Choose a height that sits comfortably with nearby furniture.
5. Tape the footprint on the floor and check it in daily use.

Follow those steps and the right size usually becomes obvious. You can browse shelving, bedside storage and chests of drawers together at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What depth of shelving is best for a bedroom?

Around 25 to 30 centimetres suits books and objects. For folded clothes or baskets, 35 to 40 centimetres works better, provided it does not narrow the walkway.

How much space should I leave between a shelving unit and the bed?

A walkway of around 60 to 70 centimetres is generally comfortable, so you can move around the bed and make it easily.

Can a tall shelving unit work in a small bedroom?

Yes, if it is slim and placed away from the bed, such as in an alcove. Always fix tall units to the wall.

Is a shelving unit a good alternative to a bedside table?

It can be, as long as the top is roughly level with the mattress and the unit is not so wide that it crowds the bed.