11 Tricks to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger
As one of the most common bedroom decorating issues, having a small bedroom can be challenging. While it’s impossible to add actual square footage without remodeling, there are various decorating tricks that can fool the eye into seeing your bedroom as larger than it actually is. In this article, we will explore 11 bedroom design ideas that showcase how to make your room look bigger.
01. Use Vertical Space
When dealing with a small room, thinking vertical is key. By using the walls right up to the ceiling, you use the space you have more efficiently while drawing the eye upwards, making the room seem larger. Built-in shelves that extend from floor to ceiling are a great way to add storage, interest, and visual space to a bedroom. However, if this isn’t an option, an easy alternative is investing in a tall headboard and hanging artwork or other decor above the bed, taking up the full extent of the space.
02. Choose Furniture With Legs
Give your furniture a lift with legs to create an airy, open feel in the bedroom. Not every piece needs to be legged, but try to have at least one piece with some height, whether it’s your nightstands, dresser, or bed. The midcentury modern decorating style is perfect for small rooms, as most of the furniture is elevated on thin legs. The more floor and wall that shows, the larger your room will appear.
03. Match Window Treatments to the Walls
While large bedrooms can make great use of drapes or blinds that contrast with the walls, it’s better to match your walls and window treatments in a small bedroom. This keeps the eye moving across the space, fooling it into seeing the bedroom as a little bit bigger than it really is. Notice how in the small, white bedroom shown here, paneling adds a bit of texture to the walls yet seamlessly blends into the windowpane. That’s how you add interest without making the space look smaller.
04. Use Sconces by the Bed
Instead of taking up space on your nightstand with bedside lamps, install sconces above and slightly to the side of your headboard. This works to draw the eye upward, helps to give the room an open, airy look, and reduces visual clutter around your bed. Adjustable sconces are perfect for nighttime reading—just move the light right where you need it, and push it back when you’re done.
05. Keep Furniture in Scale
A small room doesn’t have to mean tiny furniture, but it does mean that you’ll need to find pieces that match in scale and are sized appropriately for your space. A king-sized bed flanked with two tiny nightstands looks silly. Instead, choose a bed size that allows you to fit at least one or two nightstands large enough to hold their own beside the mattress. Your dresser should match the nightstand in scale—often, a dresser that is tall and narrow works better than a wide, short piece in a small room.
06. Try a Light Palette
You’ve probably heard that white opens up a room, and that is generally true. But that doesn’t mean that your bedroom needs to resemble an operating room. You don’t need to decorate in all white, but it helps to stick with a soft, light palette. Pastels work wonderfully in small rooms, as do whispery-light shades of gray. Try white mixed with one bright or mid-tone color, such as the blue and white shown here. For the most impact, stick with cool colors—shades of soft blue, green, and purple help enlarge a space, while the warmer hues have the opposite effect.
07. Stick to Thin or No Drapes
Natural light is one of the best resources at your disposal to help make a room feel larger, so take advantage of it. If you can keep your windows bare and unadorned, it can make your room feel like it’s connected to the outside space, making it feel larger. If you still want some privacy, you can implement curtains—just try to stick to thinner ones and still allow light to shine through.
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08. Try a Mostly White Color Scheme
White color schemes can work effectively to make a small space feel open and spacious. You don’t have to keep every wall a sterile shade, but you can play around with texture and shades to see what works best for you. Adding in lighter neutral accents like the wooden bed frame shown here can add a small amount of diversity without cramping the space—or the style.
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09. Try Stylish Bunk Beds
Smaller spaces aren’t always forgiving enough to easily fit multiple beds, making the room feel cramped. Bunk beds can be a simple way to use some of the vertical space you have available without taking up unneeded square footage. Bunk beds don’t have to be basic, though—there are plenty of stylish and modern options that will wow your kids or even guests who are staying over.
10. Try Floating Nightstands
While you may be familiar with floating shelves, what about floating nightstands? Rather than tables that have bulky legs or boxy styles that take up floor space, installing the floating versions allows for plenty of extra space to be revealed. This gives the illusion of more space while still giving you a place to place a lamp or alarm clock.
11. Try a Different Rug Placement
We know rugs can play a vital part in a layout and design, and certain tricks can change up the entire feel of the whole room. Placing your rug at the foot of the bed and having only half the bed sitting on it can create an elongated effect, tricking your eye into believing there is more space than what is actually present. You can also use the trick in other parts of the room, placing only the front or the back legs of pieces of furniture on the rug for the same idea.
Additional Tips
* When it comes to choosing a bed frame, consider a minimalist design with a low profile to create the illusion of more space.
* Avoid cluttering your bedroom with too many decorative items. Keep the space simple and uncluttered to create a sense of openness.
* Consider using mirrored furniture or adding a large mirror to create the illusion of more space.
* Use sheer curtains or blinds to filter natural light and create a sense of depth in the room.
By implementing these 11 decorating tricks, you can create the illusion of a larger bedroom and make the most of the space you have. Remember, it’s all about creating a sense of openness and using visual tricks to fool the eye into seeing your bedroom as larger than it actually is.
What are some ways to make a small bedroom look bigger? 11 Tricks to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger includes using vertical space, choosing furniture with legs, matching window treatments to walls, using sconces, keeping furniture in scale, using a light palette, using thin or no drapes, using a mostly white color scheme, trying stylish bunk beds, using floating nightstands, and a different rug placement.
How can vertical space be utilized in a small bedroom? Using the walls right up to the ceiling by installing built-in shelves, tall headboards, or hanging artwork can draw the eye upwards, making the room seem larger.
Why should furniture with legs be chosen for a small bedroom? Furniture with legs creates an airy, open feel by revealing more floor and wall, making the room appear larger.
What kind of window treatments are recommended for small bedrooms? Matching window treatments to the walls helps keep the eye moving across the space, making the bedroom appear larger without overcrowding it.
How do sconces benefit a small bedroom? Sconces by the bed draw the eye upward, create an open look, and reduce clutter, helping to make the room feel bigger.
What advice is given for choosing furniture scale in a small bedroom? Furniture should be proportionate to the room size. For instance, a king-sized bed paired with appropriately sized nightstands and dressers that match in scale will enhance the room’s openness.
Which color schemes work best in small bedrooms? A light palette using pastels, whispery-light shades of gray, or white with one accent color works well. Cool colors such as blues, greens, and purples also help enlarge the space.
Why are thin or no drapes recommended for small bedrooms? Thinning or eliminating drapes maximizes natural light, which is crucial for making a small room feel more open and airy.
Why is a mostly white color scheme effective for small bedrooms? A mostly white color scheme with added texture and accents can create an open and spacious feel without overwhelming the small room.
How can bunk beds be useful in a small bedroom? Bunk beds efficiently utilize vertical space without taking up extra floor space, making them suitable for smaller rooms.
What is the benefit of using floating nightstands in a small bedroom? Floating nightstands eliminate the bulk of traditional nightstand legs, revealing more floor space and creating a more open feel in the room.
How does changing the rug placement work to make a small bedroom look bigger? Placing the rug at the foot of the bed and having half of the bed off the rug creates an elongated effect, making the room appear larger.
