Tight on space? Learn how to make a small bedroom look bigger with these space-enhancing tricks.
You are supposed to Use Vertical Space To ‘Lift’ The Ceiling, Fit A Bed Under The Eaves, Exaggerate Vertical Space With Vertical Panels, Pick A Tall Headboard, Match Window Treatments to the Walls, Use Sconces by the Bed, Keep Furniture in Scale…
How to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger?
Here are the details:
Use Vertical Space to ‘Lift’ the Ceiling
How cozy does this bedroom seem, to begin with? Despite its modest size, this room is still able to accommodate a bed, a small sofa, an armchair, and the built-in bookcase.
It works because the fabulous interior design team at Kitesgrove have used the vertical space to create built-in small bedroom storage ideas, and made the room feel larger as a result.
The walls are your ally when floor space is next to nothing and you’re looking for bedroom ideas(opens in new tab) that are inventive with space, so go on up. This also draws the eye upwards – tricking us into seeing space as bigger than it is with nifty design tricks is what we’re after in small bedrooms.
Fit a Bed under the Eaves
When looking for beds for small rooms, a cabin bed should be just what you are after. This stylish bunk offers a private, cozy, and secure feeling for the best night’s sleep for all ages. It is typically built against a wall, in a corner, or under the eaves. With pull-out drawers underneath, this straightforward sleeping area also makes storage a breeze.
Cabin beds, also known as captain’s beds, were created as a stow-and-sleep piece of furniture with the intention of providing a space-saving sleeping option for longer periods of travel on boats and trains. they were soon adopted in country houses due to their rather quaint character and charm, and have become a popular staple of smaller spaces and kids’ rooms. While a ladder adds some excitement to bedtime, a cabin bed supported by tall, sturdy legs can make room for additional desks and play areas.
Exaggerate Vertical Space With Vertical Panels
Whether or not your room has a high ceiling, you can make a small bedroom appear larger by enlarging the room’s ceiling height with vertical panels or stripes. Although it is obvious in this space, the effect can still be achieved with wallpaper that has vertical stripes.
Designed by Anderssen & Voll, this Muuto(opens in new tab) mirror creates reflections, too, maximizing the light in the room. Learning how to use mirrors successfully will open up your bedroom space, and they’re an affordable option too. A simple mirror placement that reflects a window can instantly make a room feel larger.
Even though it would be nice to have windows in every room of the house, it is occasionally not possible. So, you might be wondering does a bedroom have to have a window and how important it is to have one there.
Pick a Tall Headboard
When space is tight, you can use clever headboard ideas to make it feel bigger. Even though they are beautiful, a bulky, large headboard that takes up most of the space is not the best choice for this space.
Choose a visually simple design with an elegant profile instead. Here, a tall headboard that draws the eye upwards contributes to the appearance of a taller space, and its light color is a pleasing contrast to the darker shade used on the walls.
Choose Furniture With Slim, Tapered Legs
Your bedroom will appear larger if you can see directly underneath any furniture. If your room has high ceilings, a bed on tall legs will feel more in proportion; in a room with a lower ceiling, a low-slung bed will feel more appropriate.
Either way, this does mean you can’t store items underneath your bed, so you will need to work your storage ideas hard to compensate – or use this idea when decorating a guest bedroom(opens in new tab) that will have less storage requirements.
The same rule also applies to dressing tables and bedside tables, as well as occasional chairs. The same space-enhancing effects of a leggy design will occur.
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 throughout the room, deceiving it into thinking the bedroom is a little bit larger than it actually is. Observe how the paneling in this tiny, white bedroom adds a bit of texture to the walls while blending in perfectly with the windowpane. That way, you can increase interest without making the room appear smaller.
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. By removing visual clutter around your bed, this helps to draw the eye upward, make the space appear open and airy, and draw the eye upward. For reading at night, sconces with an adjustable arm are ideal. Simply move the light to where you need it and push it back when you’re finished.
Keep Furniture in Scale
Small rooms don’t necessarily require tiny furniture, but you will need to find items that are the right size for your room and have a scale that matches. Two tiny nightstands on either side of a king-sized bed look 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, like the bedroom shown here. 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.
Stick to Thin Or No Drapes
Utilize natural light; it’s one of the best tools you have for expanding the appearance of a space. 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. Curtains can be used if you still want some privacy; just make sure to choose ones that are thinner so that light can still pass through.
Introduce Mirrors
Install mirrors in a small bedroom so that they can reflect both natural and artificial light around the space to create the illusion of a larger space. By carefully positioning the mirror opposite the window or any other artificial light source, you can make the most of the natural light.
Try a Mostly White Color Scheme
White color schemes can work effectively to make a small space feel open and spacious. You can experiment with texture and shade to see what suits you the best rather than keeping every wall the same sterile color. Without cramping the space or the style, lighter neutral accents can add a small amount of diversity, like the wooden bed frame in this photo.
De-clutter
A neatly organized, clutter-free, and minimalist bedroom gives the impression that it is larger than it actually is. Make it a habit to de-clutter and organise your wardrobes or closets regularly otherwise the bedroom will feel overcrowded. Remove extra pieces of furniture from the room and do not crowd the walls with too many photographs or paintings.
Suggested reading: So, does a bedroom have to have a closet? Below will tell you what makes a bedroom a bedroom. Surprise! The answer to this question is not that simple. In order to share our research with you here, we conducted a little investigation. Keep reading.
Choose a Lithe Bed Frame
Put the Restoration Hardware catalog away if you want to make a small room appear larger; big, bulky beds will make the room look smaller. Choose a bed that has a more svelte silhouette instead. Think of wrought iron beds or sleek, tapered Shaker designs. With these designs, the area around the bed will feel more airy. So long as you removed the drapery, you could even go with a skeletal canopy bed, which emphasizes the height of the room.
Streamline Your Bedding
Large quilts and multiple blanket layers are not appropriate for a small bedroom. Simple bedding with clean lines and breezy fabrics like linen and cotton will keep your bedroom feeling fresh and open. Consider a vintage wool army or camp blanket for textured warmth without the bulk.
Install Floating Bedside Tables and Shelves
Inspiration for small bedrooms can frequently be found in boutique design hotels. One of their favorite tricks is the floating shelf. It’s difficult to top something that flies through the air when trying to create an airy feeling.
Toss the Extra Pillows
Have you ever been in a department store and felt bad for the salespeople who have to fluff up all the decorative pillows that fill up half the bed? Maintaining the illusion of space requires minimal bedding, which means limiting the number of pillows on your bed to just those you use while sleeping. There is no problem if you require more assistance at night. Lay out four standard pillows flat. If you need that accent pillow your grandmother embroidered, that’s fine. Just limit the number of accent pillows to one. OK, maybe two.
Buy (build) a Bed With Built-in Drawers
Use multipurpose pieces, like a bed with built-in drawers, to keep the bedroom’s furniture to a minimum. Ikea offers a number of affordable options.
Create An Accent Ceiling With Paint
The sense of space in a room is enhanced by anything that draws attention up or emphasizes the vertical. A painted ceiling also makes the walls “disappear,” enhancing the open feel.
What Colors Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger?
Colors that make a small bedroom look bigger tend to be those that reflect light, from the wide selection of whites to pastels and diluted primaries.
However, don’t just rely on colors when planning how to make a small bedroom look bigger – paint and bedroom wallpaper ideas(opens in new tab) will also have an effect, with those that have a soft sheen reflecting space-enhancing light usefully from both walls and the ceiling. Remember, though, that sheens will highlight flaws more than matte finishes, so plasterwork must be in good condition.
Do Low Beds Make a Room Look Bigger?
In general, all furniture in all rooms has the same effect of making a space appear larger, including low beds.
However, just because a room is small doesn’t mean that the ceiling is low. If the ceiling is high in a small room, you should use taller furniture, such as a tall headboard, to balance out the poor proportions.
A low bed is, therefore, the best option if your room has a low ceiling.
Read about Where to Put a Mirror in Your Bedroom?
Summary: How to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger?
If you have a small bedroom, you’re not alone—it’s one of the most common bedroom decorating issues. However, there are decorating techniques to deceive the eye into thinking your bedroom is larger than it is. If you want to actually add square footage, you’ll need to remodel. You can see how to make your room appear larger in the 18 bedrooms up top.
