Home sizes are normally quantified by the number of bedrooms it has; example being, a three-bedroom, four-bedroom, or five bedroom house plan. After all, this is an important room of the house. It is where you will spend at least eight hours of your day if not more. Each inhabitant would relish in the ideal of having their own private domain within the family home. So it is important to try and include a private bedroom for each person excluding the homeowners who traditionally share a bedroom. However, if single occupancy bedrooms are not possible, design a bedroom layout that is large enough to provide comfortable sharing quarters. This point cannot be overstated.
Design a bedroom layout based on function, location, and size
The smallest suggested bedroom size (clear space) should be 100 sf (10 ft x 10 ft) with a closet that has ample space to store clothing. At minimum give an addition 8-10% of square footage to devote to bedroom closet space that is at least two (2) feet in depth. That 100 sf bedroom should at minimum have a closet that is 4 ft x 2 ft (8 sf). The closet depth of two (2) feet is in addition to width or depth. If the closet is designed within the bedroom clear space (inside the actual bedroom space), there must be enough room to accommodate the closet depth. A bedroom has to be at least 12 feet 4 inches (clear space) in either width or depth to allow for a minimum 10 feet room either way. These are important number to remember as you design a bedroom layout.
Bedroom Function
It should be no surprise that a bedroom functions as a place for sleeping. But, in addition to this, it can serve other purposes. It can be use as a reading room, a place to enjoy your music, or just a place to relax in complete isolation. Add a chair and a small television and it can also be your private entertainment room. Function is another key factor to consider when you design a bedroom layout. Furniture placement must be at the forefront of the design process.
Location
Bedrooms should be isolated as much as possible from the living and service areas. A good example if this is seen in our Twin Oaks house plan and our Henson home design. This is why it is important in the beginning to use area zones in the home design and planning stages. Ideally, you would want bedrooms to be in the coolest part of the house. In other words, you should try to have the room placement facing the north direction on your building site.
So why is it necessary to place these rooms in a cool and isolated space? We tend to spend a lot of time in our private domain (aka bedroom). Privacy, quietness, and comfort are the driving forces behind this design philosophy. If a bedroom is to be your get-a-way or sanctuary, you would definitely want those room attributes.
Size and Shape
The size of a bedroom is dependent upon who occupies the space and how much furniture will be in the room. An average to midsize bedroom (i.e. kids, nurseries, and guest rooms) is somewhere in the area of 100 to 200 sq ft. Ideal sizes would include the following:
10 feet by 12 feet (120 sf)
10 feet by 14 feet (140 sf)
12 feet by 14 feet (168 sf)
12 feet by 16 feet (192 sf) – A master bedroom size in a small house design
Midsize and large bedrooms generally start at around 200 square feet in size. Bedrooms of this scale are usually reserved for master sleep quarters. In large or estate homes, the secondary sleeping rooms rival that of smaller home master beds. Ideal dimensions for these rooms include the following:
14 feet by 16 feet (224 sf)
14 feet by 18 feet (252 sf)
16 feet by 18 feet (288 sf)
16 feet by 20 feet (320 sf)