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Living in a small home often means having a small bedroom. Your bedroom is meant to be your tranquil oasis; it’s the place where you can relax and really let the day melt away. If it is too cramped and cluttered, it can stoke the exact opposite feelings and make you feel cooped up.
Thankfully, there are plenty of tips and tricks out there that can help you make the most of your space. Even if your bedroom is quite small, you can make it feel expansive and eminently liveable. Use these designers’ hacks and tips in order to make your bedroom feel like a luxury suite rather than a tiny bolthole.
While the below tips and tricks can help you to save space and solve design problems, we recommend going with Scandinavian design for the overall look and feel of your bedroom. The teak furniture, clean lines, and minimalism of the Nordic design ethos can make a small room look and feel much bigger. You might even find that you have some unexpected room for a few Scandinavian Chairs! Don’t forget the importance of warm lighting – it’s a key part of the Scandi look, and it will make your room feel cosy yet spacious.
7 Décor Ideas for Small Bedrooms
You’d be amazed how much a few coats of a paint or a few new cabinets can change the look and feel of your bedroom. Your room will soon feel like a TARDIS with all of the extra space you discover! All you have to do is implement a few of these simple décor ideas for small bedrooms.
Forego lamps in favour of wall-mounted sconces
You need a bedside table on both sides of your bed, at the very least as a place to set your bedroom lamps, right? Not so fast. You can forego the bedside lamps in favour of a pair of wall-mounted sconces. This is a perfect solution for otherwise dimly-lit rooms that simply don’t have any space for a bedside table.
Create a jewel-box effect with one feature wall
You might think that a small space should be left as plain as possible to make the area seem larger, but this isn’t always the case. A ‘feature wall’ can create a boutique’ jewel box’ feel that adds interest without taking up extra space. Consider painting (or even applying patterned wallpaper) to the smallest wall or a nook.
Lucite and clear furniture add depth without clutter
Lucite is usually used for jewellery or display cases, but did you know that you can get all types of lucite furniture? We love the idea of placing a transparent lucite end table over a radiator, transforming ‘unusable’ space into something very practical. Best of all, lucite won’t draw your attention or clutter your small space. It’s easy on the eyes and maintains a sense of order and elegance.
Dark colours can add depth
Traditional wisdom states that you should paint small spaces in light colours to make them feel bigger, but dark colours can actually have the opposite effect. Decorating your space in dark colours can give you the impression of an open and expansive landscape. Pair your dark walls with lighter bed liners and accessories. However, this décor strategy only works if your bedroom has a lot of natural light. Otherwise, dark walls can close everything in and make it feel even pokier.
Be mindful of scale
You can have a lot of fun with a small bedroom, but you always need to be mindful of scale. You should either choose one large point of interest, usually in the form of an oversized bed, and keep everything else smaller, or scale everything down in size across the board. Playing with the scale helps to trick the eye and make the entire room seem a lot larger than it actually is.
Use mirrors to your advantage
Mirrors are a tried and tested way to instantly make any space seem much larger than it actually is, as they bounce the light and reflect the space, thus tricking the eye. Choose architecturally interesting mirrors instead of artwork and lean a large mirror against a wall as a unique feature. Hang a horizontal mirror above your bed instead of a headboard, and you’ll instantly double your space.
Place your bed under the window
Most people are reluctant to place their bed under a window, but it can be a brilliant way to maximise space in a small bedroom. In a way, your window can become your headboard, acting as a point of visual interest. You might even find that you grow to enjoy the gentle breezes and morning light that stream in and start the day!
7 Small Bedroom Storage Ideas
If you have little to no space in your bedroom, you really have no choice but to get creative with how you store your belongings. Thankfully, there are a ton of ways you can make your limited space work for you. From turning the wall behind your bed into a closet to adding something as simple as a wall-mounted desk, we’ve rounded up the smartest ways to utilise the area you have.
You must be inventive with storage
When it comes to a streamlined and decluttered bedroom, it’s all about storage. Even if you don’t have tons of space, you can make the most of it with furniture that does double duty and includes hidden storage. Look for bookshelves, nightstands, and a bed that all have additional storage inside.
Take advantage of vertical space
While your bedroom might be quite poky and small, you can increase your storage space by taking things up to the ceiling. Install floating shelves above your bed and use them for artwork, books, knickknacks, and functional items.
Use the space under your bed to its fullest potential
Your bed is the most significant piece of furniture in your bedroom – are you taking advantage of all of the space underneath? Ikea sells under-bed storage units on casters so that you can easily pull things out from underneath and access them in seconds. Some bed frames include built-in drawers, providing the perfect place to stow your clothing, shoes, or linens.
Install a wall-mounted nightstand
It feels like a catch-22 – you don’t want to set your book and glass of water on the floor and add to the clutter, but you don’t have enough space for a nightstand. No problem install a narrow floating shelf on the wall above or next to your bed.
Hang your shoes on the back of the door
Shoes can quickly cause clutter and end up in a tangled mess at the bottom of your closet. If you only have a little bit of closet space, you don’t want to waste it on a pile of shoes. Instead, install a shoe rack on the back of your door. If you have any extra slots, use them for umbrellas, folded jumpers, and other outdoor gear.
Choose a functional wardrobe with mirrored doors
If you have the chance to buy your own bedroom wardrobe, choose a functional model with mirrored doors (which reflect extra light and space). It’s often worth sacrificing some of your floor space in favour of a deeper, roomier wardrobe in which you can stow away more clothing and practical items. A wardrobe kitted out with customised storage rails and racks can make all the difference in your small space, keeping clutter out of sight and making finding what you’re looking for a breeze
Create a bank of wall-hung cabinets
You probably don’t want to sacrifice much of your floor space in a small bedroom, which can make it difficult to find storage solutions. That’s when a bank of wall-hung cabinets is a brilliant solution. Cabinets are not just for the kitchen – you can find simple and inexpensive cabinets at all home centres. Match them to your bedroom wall colour (or paint them yourself) and hang at head height. You can also jazz them up with an accent colour, or paint a band of colour around the bottom that you continue around the entire room.
Bonus tip – Install a wall-mounted desk
A lot of people out there live in shared houses, and therefore spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. If you’re a student, you’ll be doing a lot of studying in your bedroom, and having a full-sized desk is not always an option. That’s why wall-mounted (or ‘floating’) desks are so ideal. You can install them in unused corners and nooks, and even flip them up and stow them away when not in use.
With a few design tips and inexpensive fixes, you can transform your small bedroom into a functional yet soothing space.
Edward is the managing director of Sloane & Sons Stylish Chairs. He is an expert in quality, comfortable upholstered chairs.
