Last week Cindy gave you lots of suggestions about how to make your bedroom more romantic (read it here). But, what if it’s tiny? Or what if you have a small guest or teen bedroom? Undoubtedly you’d like that small bedroom to have style and personality. Would some storage be too much to ask? You can have it all with a little planning and judicious shopping – even in the smallest spaces.
Photo via Freshome.com
As regular readers know, light colors generally make a space feel bigger. The room above has light floors, bed frame and accessories. Other visual space making features are the open leg table and the light frame chair instead of something upholsered.
Photo via Freshome.com
Just because the room is small, don’t be afraid to add a dark accent wall. Balance the bold with bright white bedding, narrow nightstands and small scale lamps in keeping with the proportions of the room.
Photo via Freshome.com
The above bedroom has storage everywhere: under the bed, a wardrobe cabinet, nightstand and dresser with drawers, and shelving above the bed. The long narrow room is squared up by darker accent wall which causes the wall to appear to move into the room. Choose a smaller scale bed without an oversize headboard since it’s the largest space user in the room.
Photo via Freshome.com
A great solution for small bedrooms is built ins. They provide tidy storage and a clean wall surface. If you can’t afford custom built-ins, measure carefully and buy stock items that fit side by side and fill a wall. Another space-saving trick used here is to mount the bed lights on the wall which eliminates the need for a nightstand.
Photo via Freshome.com
The above room uses a range of light colors to maximize the visual spaciousness, built-ins for maximum storage including mounting the TV on the wall. The room even managed to squeeze in a small desk for convenience.
Photo via Freshome.com
This very small, narrow room uses some tried and true space saving tricks. Note the open nightstands (visually light), hanging lights to give more space on the tiny nightstands, and the footlocker storage.
Photo via Freshome.com
Tall mirror panels over the nightstands are a great way to visually expand the size of the room. Once again small scale nightstands and a low profile headboard combine to keep bulky items to a minimum.
This small bedroom is made cozy by using a dark wallpaper on all the walls. The small scaled, open chair and shiny silver dresser and lamp add sparkle to that side of the room.
Small Room Tip Recap
You don’t have to sacrifice style just because your bedroom is small. Instead of thinking how small and impossible to decorate it is, think of it as cozy and intimate. Use these designer techniques to enhance the space:
- Select a color palette that is light and bright
- Use furniture that has open backs and legs rather than chests or upholstered pieces sitting directly on the floor
- Hang lamps when possible to save the table space
- Utilize built-ins for storage solutions
- Look for every possible storage option: under the bed, shelving over the bed and over the door, hooks on the back of the door
- Reflective surfaces like mirrors, silver leaf furnishings, bright frames and art will all help create the impression of space
If you’d like some help creating a bedroom retreat for yourself or maximizing the space in a guest room, Cindy and I are here to help. We offer both single dilemma consultations (only $60) and full consultation services (only $150). Please read the details here.
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Small makes a HUGE statement!! Great photos!! franki
Thanks for thinking of those of us with teeny tiny bedrooms. We chose the smaller room because it’s quieter and darker but it is a challenge. Thanks for the great tips! xx
I like that dark accent wall.. It looks really dramatic.
I would prefer that room style.
Great selection of tips for dealing with a small bedroom. This must be a very searchable topic because it is the most viewed topic on my own blog. It seems most people are in homes where bedrooms are small.