Decorating Tips for Small Bedrooms
A small bedroom can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. This post is filled with decorating tips and smart organizing ideas for small bedrooms. Banish the boring and the clutter!
I adore the coziness of small bedrooms, but figuring out how to organize, and decorate them can be a real challenge.
Instead of tackling the entire room all at once (which can be overwhelming), let me show you how to break the process down into smaller parts that you can take care of one at a time.
1. Stylish Walls
Many people will say that the walls in a small space should always be light in color. I believe it’s purely a matter of personal preference. If you crave a bright and airy bedroom, then light walls are definitely the way to go.
A board and batten wall adds a huge amount of interest to a room without taking up any precious bedroom real estate.
How to Makeover a Bedroom on a Budget
But if you desire an intimate and cozy space, then start with dark walls. You’ll have an instant cocoon to nestle in.
You might prefer a monochromatic color scheme, but be sure to use varying shades of the color and to add in texture and to keep the room from looking flat.
Want some color on your walls? Consider using a soft color – a bright, bold color can be “in your face” in a small bedroom. Be sure to repeat the color throughout the room for a cohesive look.
Painting one wall a darker color than the surrounding walls will add a sense of depth.
2. Stylish Bedding
The bed is likely to be the largest single element in your bedroom. How you dress it will make all the difference in the world!
Keeping it simple and crisp will create an open feel while still looking inviting and luxurious. Bedding with a lot of pattern, no matter how beautiful, has the potential to create a cluttered look.
Image via Pink To Green
If you simply must have patterned bedding, keeping the pattern subtle and not overly large will cut down on the busy look.
This example is a wonderful mix of patterns, solids, and colors that would work well together without overwhelming a small bedroom.
Here’s a perfect example showing this concept in real life.
3. Stylish Furniture
Since floor space is at a premium in a small bedroom, use pieces that do double duty. A small chest can serve as both a nightstand and hold clothing.
Need office space, but don’t have a dedicated room for it?
A small desk can double as a nightstand. The chair will provide a spot to sit when working or when putting on your shoes. Even better if you can wrap it around a corner and add shelves above.
An upholstered headboard can add a real feeling of luxury to your bedroom and will create a wonderful focal point.
They’ve become very affordable over the last few years! This is a great place to add a pop of color and/or pattern without overwhelming the room.
Or, it can add a pop of fun!
If the space in your bedroom is so tight that you can’t spare the inches for a headboard, think outside of the box!
Painting a faux headboard is a great money saving option and takes up zero floor space.
If a knee wall is the only place for your bed to go, don’t despair. Swagging a piece of fabric is a stylish headboard solution.
Don’t have room for a full size end table? How about cutting a table in half (or even smaller) and attaching it to the wall with small angle irons. Paint it a bright color for a fun POP!
In a child’s room or guest room, a daybed saves valuable floor space. Built-in bookshelves allow for storage and act as a place to hold bedside lighting.
Original Source Unknown
Speaking of children’s rooms – bunk beds are another great space-saving option. But why not dress them up?
4. Stylish Storage
We all know that being organized is a must in a small bedroom.
A wall-mounted jewelry organizer not only stores your jewelry but can serve as a piece of art too. Plus, a wall-mounted organizer won’t take up any space on your dresser.
Image via Barb Wire And Barnwood
Swinging closet and bathroom doors take up a lot of floor space. Try a sliding door instead.
Pretty boxes, stacked together, are a great way to store smaller items in a stylish way.
Don’t let a knee wall turn into unused space. Add a bench for display space. The empty space below becomes a great place for pretty storage baskets.
Beds with drawers below have come a long way in the last few years. There are many, many styles and price ranges to choose from.
Turn your closet into a feature. Opening your closet up can give the illusion of a larger room. An added bonus is that you don’t have to have additional floor space to allow for opening doors.
5. Stylish Accessories and Lighting
Plenty of light is key to giving the feel of more space in a small room. Dark corners will make a room feel even smaller.
Wall-mounted light fixtures are a great alternative if there isn’t room to place a lamp on a table beside the bed.
Image via James Thomas Interiors via Houzz
An attractive hanging light fixture or the sparkle of a chandelier can bring a small space to life.
Just be careful of the size and the fussiness of the fixture. A too-large or too-fussy light fixture can visually fill up a room.
A rug with just the right pattern can do wonders for a room. Look for a large pattern that isn’t too busy. A striped rug can make a room feel wider or longer.
In a small space, you have to be especially careful with accessories. Too many will create the appearance of a lot of clutter. Too few will create a not-so-stylish sparse or unfinished look.
Besides the obvious utilitarian use of a mirror, they also bring additional light into the room. More light equals a more spacious feel.
Mixing and Matching Bedroom Furniture
I hope that you were able to get some tips for your own small bedroom. Do you have a small space that you struggle with?
I like your ideas, especially the Shanty 2 Chic. This one is a nice desk for the small room.
Hi, I was very interested in where I could buy the hanging wall lamps that are featured in the James Thomas picture of the small bedroom. I just love them. Thanks.
I, as a German, living in Germany can not understand why so many bedrooms in the United States are so small. You have often huge houses but the bedrooms very often are “size of a shoecase”.
Our flats and houses are much smaller but we have bedrooms of a normal size. Therefore our living rooms are a bit smaller and we often have no separate dining room but enough space in the kitchen for a table and 4 or six chairs.
The style of our houses seem to be very different to yours.
Thank you for your insightful comment! It’s very interesting to me to see the difference in homes all over the world as well as across the country here. I think the bedroom size depends upon the age of the house and the total amount of square footage. In cases where the bedrooms are small, I imagine it’s because most of our daily living goes on in living rooms and the bedrooms are mainly used for sleep and getting dressed.
Great advice, thank you! My bedroom is small with a sloped ceiling and the furniture is a little too big for it. It feels crowded, but I can see how a good purge and using smaller pieces could provide the same amount of storage without taking up so much space.
Suzy I love your decorating style and I have been following you for a couple of years now. When you showed what you had done to your entertainment unit just recently, I was so excited. I have one that’s almost identical, that could use an update. My
question is, how did you find someone to paint it? And did they come into your house and spray it?
Thanks, Cheryl G
Hi Cheryl. I used my normal paint contractor. And yes, they came to my house to paint it. It wasn’t sprayed – they used rollers and brushes. You might also be interested in this post if you haven’t already seen it: https://www.worthingcourtblog.com/old-entertainment-center-makeover/