Sharing a small space with roommates

Shared housing can have its challenges, but with a little creativity, colour coding, extendable functions and other smart solutions, one room can work just fine for three. Or even more than that, when you have friends staying over.

A bright room with two women hanging a picture and a man in one of three beds, white pendants above and a rug on the floor.

Double the bed space

It's nice to be able to house guests now and then, even if you’re living small. With stackable beds it’s easy to double the amount of bedspace and be a good overnight host.

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A woman sitting on two stacked UTÅKER pine beds reading a magazine, a white side table, a multicolour rug and a pendant.

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Stay organised, stay friends

Handy storage for everything is generally a good recipe for getting along, not least in the hallway. A shelf for shoes keeps the floor from getting cluttered, and hooks and baskets set you up for a smoother flow with your things in check.

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A hallway with three wooden boxes painted in different colours on top of a beige KOLBJÖRN shelving unit with shoes inside.

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Off to a new life – in your first houseshare or your own flat

You can find everything you need at IKEA. Use our wish list to quickly and easily put together all the pieces that match your style. This way you’re guaranteed to get the right gift for your first flat.

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Curtains for privacy

It’s nice to have company, but you will probably need alone-time too. Just draw the curtain and you will have the space all to yourself. It’s also a cosy way of cocooning the bed before bedtime.

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A woman with a computer on a bed with light grey bed linen, with a blue BENGTA block-out curtain by the foot of the bed.

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A rug for double softness

When you are living with many people it can easily get a bit noisy. A big rug makes the acoustics in the room more pleasant, and its colours, patterns and textures can also add a visual boost.

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A multicolour BRÖNDEN rug with two birch stools on top, with one person standing and another sitting and storage behind.

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Introducing the bedside box

If you feel that a bedside table is a bit too square, try a box. It gives you generous, easy-access storage and the castors let you swoosh it to right where it’s needed.

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A partly painted KNAGGLIG pine box on castors on a multicolour rug by a bed with green bed linen where a man is sleeping.

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The best pillow is your pillow

When it comes to sleeping, your tried-and-tested pillow is probably your best buddy. So, if you’re going somewhere, bring it with you for restful nights with a homey feeling.

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A man putting a white pillowcase on a pillow with a LUDDROS pillow protector, with a plant, curtain and pendant behind.

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The right shade gets the bed made

When you double the bedspace, you need to double up on bedding as well. With bed linen in different colours for each roommate it’s easy to avoid confusion in the laundry.

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A man and woman on two beds with green BERGPALM and light grey/mélange SPJUTVIAL bed linen, by a turquoise curtain.

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Systemise with a splash of colour

A bit of paint on your untreated wood furniture helps you divide things up without actual dividers. If you make it a theme throughout your shared space, it's easy to tell what is what and whose is whose.

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Three pine RAST chests of drawers with the bottom drawers painted in different colours, beside a woman lying on a bed.

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Living without a permanent address

A white RIGGA clothes rack with clothes on hangers beside a pine table and a bed with various cushions and bedding in a pile.

Flexible storage for life on the go