Have a small bedroom? Learn designer secrets on how to get the most out of your bedroom space.

Top 5 Design Tips for Small Bedrooms

Small bedroom? The struggle is real. But, we’re here to help you and prove that even though your space may be small, you can still design it to be spacious. All it takes is some smart planning and prioritizing, especially when it comes to furniture. While you may have to choose a smaller bedroom set (or one that serves multiple purposes), you can still achieve your grand design vision in a minuscule space. The colors you choose for your bedroom will also play a large role in how spacious the room feels.

Are you ready to change your bedroom from being cramped to totally comfortable? Great! Here are five design tips to help make that small bedroom feel like a master suite (almost).

#1. Cut Some Corners

This is a great space-saving idea from Freshome that we especially love. Typically, the area beside a bed is used for the sole purpose of getting in and out of bed. So long as you aren’t sharing the bed with anyone, you can simply push the bed into a corner to free up some much-needed floor space. Most bedroom designers recommend having roughly 2’ of walking space around the perimeter of the bed and pushing your bed into a corner is one of the best ways to achieve enough clearance for walking space and any furniture or accessories you have in mind.

#2. Go Light

You may be familiar with the concept of decorating larger rooms in dark colors to make them feel cozier. As you’ve likely guessed, the opposite will be true for choosing a color palette in a small bedroom. Light colors and plenty of lighting will make the walls appear wider, and in turn, make the room feel more spacious than it actually is. Brighter colors are especially preferred in bedrooms with few or no windows.

#3. Use Mirrors for Spacious Illusions

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the best small bedroom of them all? You will, of course! Decorative wall and floor mirrors work exceptionally well at creating an illusion that there is more space than there actually is. Apartment Therapy has a great idea: hang multiple mirrors and group them together to achieve the desired effect. Their rationale for doing this? Large mirrors are expensive. You will save a good deal of money by mixing and matching smaller mirrors, which also has its own stylistic benefits. Plus, if you find mirrors in various shapes, sizes, and in different frame styles, you will also have a functional piece of art on your wall.

#4. Find the Right-Sized Bedroom Set

Be conscious of your room’s size as you shop for a new bedroom set. A queen bed can work in a 12’ x 12’ bedroom, but it can be a tight fit if you also add in a dresser, nightstand, or vanity. If you are living solo, consider going with a twin size bed to maximize your bedroom’s usable space. Twin beds are 75” in length and 38” wide, making them adequate for a single adult of average proportions.

Likewise, you should plan to have at least 22” of walking space around the sides of your bed. (Remember how we mentioned pushing your bed into a corner? Follow this tip and you will also free up space around your bed in the process.) With space as limited as it is, it would be beneficial to make a top-down drawing of your room and take measurements of each piece of furniture so you can get a visual of how the room will all come together.

#5. Think Vertical

One of the best ways to get the most out of a small room is to “think vertical.” Instead of a bookshelf, can you achieve the same effect with wall shelving? Wall shelves also allow you to be more expressive with your designs, especially when it comes to concepts such as floating bookshelves and geometrically dynamic shelves.

What about a dresser? Even modest dresser can take up quite a bit of floor space. Instead, consider choosing an armoire that combines a drawer and hanging system. This way, shirts, and pants remain wrinkle-free, while socks and underwear can be neatly organized into the bottom drawers. In many instances, an armoire can save you a good 30 - 50% of floor space compared to a standard size dresser.

Closing Thoughts… and a Few Honorable Mentions

There are plenty of ways to get the comfort, flow, and looks of a big bedroom without all the floor space normally associated with one. It will take some design restraint, but a little planning will deliver big results for your limited amount of space.

Remember those Murphy beds? The kind that folds upright, saving floor space whenever the bed is not in use? While having a Murphy bed installed is one (expensive) option, it’s actually the clever bedside cases of these beds that we especially love. With floor space at a premium, why not go vertical?

Also, consider under-bed storage solutions. The space under a bed is among the most under-utilized in just about every bedroom. Under-bed rolling drawers can be used to store shoes and clothing items, but also crafts, scrapbooks, and other items you don’t use on a daily basis.

And also it might be useful to read customer reviews on the big distribution companies websites such as 1StopBedrooms reviews profile, to have a clear idea of the quality of furniture, compatibility of styles, endurance, etc.

Most importantly: make your bedroom a space that is the most comfortable in your home. Good luck with your small bedroom design journey!