Whatever the dimensions of your bedroom, you’d always wish it were bigger! That is because you want so much from it.
You want it to be a reflection of your personality, a place where you can surround yourself with your favorite memorabilia, books, and artwork, a cozy nest where you can relax, rejuvenate and refresh yourself, and where you enjoy privacy, comfort, and peace.
In more practical terms, your bedroom needs plenty of storage, it needs to be decorated appropriately and be safe and secure.
The most exciting part of having a small-sized bedroom is the fantastic design challenge it offers. You will enjoy the process of fitting everything you need and want into the space without it looking cluttered and cramped. Treading the fine line between cozy and crowded can be a test of your organization and artistic abilities. Every centimeter of space matters; each color and fabric you pick makes a difference, and every piece of furniture has to do extra duty.
Interior decoration professionals relish the demands made by smaller spaces because it requires them to think out of the box and come up with innovative, unique solutions.
Here are some great design hacks to decorate your small bedroom in such a way as to make it appear much larger than it is.
1. The Ceiling Is The Fifth Wall: Many of us tend to forget that the ceiling and the upper areas of the walls provide tons of usable space. Let’s talk about color – painting your ceiling a darker shade draws the eyes upwards, offering the illusion of movement and space. Another great trick is to make the ceiling a focal point by adding attention-grabbing features such as patterns or polka dots on the ceiling. This works especially well if you have an odd-shaped or sloping ceiling. Designers also recommend adding perimeter shelving along the top 12 inches of the walls below the ceiling. You can use these as bookshelves or display objets d’art, travel memorabilia, photographs, etc. The space above your door can be used to install shelving for storage or display.
2. Multifunctional Furniture: Headboards should generally be avoided in small bedrooms as they eat into usable space. But if you do install one, ensure that it doubles up as a storage space for your books, medicines, glasses, phone charger, etc. Your bed can hold huge amounts of stuff too. Under-the-bed storage drawers hold linen and extra pillows. Some of them have built-in electrical sockets and USB hook-ups, speakers, laptop tables, and massage facilities. Keep the bed level low to add the feeling of space. However, if your room can accommodate it, look at taller beds with more storage options and lots of drawers below.
Ottomans and dressing-table stools come with storage space. If you have an exposed radiator in the room, use the top as shelving. If you want a book-case in your small bedroom, let it double up as a convenient ladder to access upper regions. Closets should be designed for maximum storage, with sliding doors and plenty of loft space on top. Old suitcases and trunks can be used as night-stands and storage space for your extra blankets and quilts.
3. Colors: Use your color palette strategically to provide the illusion of space. Lighter colors on the walls helps to pull them back. You can use different shades of the same color in different areas of the room to pull the whole design together. Paint a narrow trim on the top of the walls and keep the floor color relatively light. Drapes hung ceiling to floor on the windows makes them look larger. You can have a set of whispery soft sheers for daytime use and a heavier set for the night or to dim the room and for privacy. Furniture should be in lighter tones of wood.
4. Light: is your best friend in a small room. Use the reflective and bright qualities of light to create a spacious and open feeling. Natural light sources should form focal points in the room. Use mirrors to bounce the light around the room and provide the illusion of space. A strategically placed make-up mirror with lights adds a touch of glamour to your room and gives it a festive, cheerful look. Free-standing mirrors can be placed across an open window, your closets or bathroom doors can have mirror fronts, and small decorative mirrors in attractive frames often take the place of artwork on the wall. Wall-mounted sconces are space-saving compared to stand-alone lamps. Use task lighting for sewing and reading, and add fairy lights for fun and festive air.
5. Avoid Electronics: No matter how small your bedroom, try and keep your TV and computers out. These gadgets tend to increase your stress levels. TV can be extremely addictive, especially now that we have access to streaming platforms. Remember that your bedroom is your sanctuary to unwind and rejuvenate. Keep it separate from your other activities. Electronics and gadgets tend to have lots of ugly wiring and cables that make the room look cluttered and crowded. If you must store them in the bedroom, make sure that they’re out of sight.
6. Out Of The Box Solutions: Suspended furniture and shelves give a lighter and more airy feeling to the room. You can suspend a shelf next to the bed to be used as a night-stand. Floating desks and book-cases are a great option. Glass shelves and transparent furniture let light flow through. If you don’t have a built-in or fitted closet, use the wall space behind your bed to create one. Frosted film on the windows in place of drapes is functional and pretty while saving on space. Elevated beds that have steps to climb up into them hold enormous amounts of storage below and give the feeling of having different levels in your bedroom. Hang wire baskets at the back of your doors inside the closets for extra space. Narrow ledges fixed on the wall next to the bed can be used as night-stands.