How to Make a Small Bedroom Look and Feel Bigger

Now more than ever, people are spending time inside their homes. And working and relaxing in the bedroom has become such a normal thing that no one even questions it anymore. But for those with a tiny house or apartment, life may seem a little cramped and uncomfortable. That's why our team has gathered a variety of small bedroom ideas. Put them into practice, and you can make the most of a small bedroom space.

Design a Small Bedroom to Maximize Space

Designing small bedrooms takes a little ingenuity. You need to assess your needs and preferences. Knowing a few tricks of the interior design trade helps, too. With a few suggestions and some small bedroom layout ideas, you can create a beautiful, functional bedroom space.

You might be wondering, "how small can a bedroom be?" That depends on where you live. Laws are different in different states. But in general, for a room to legally count as a bedroom, it needs to be at least 70 to 80 square feet. So, a 7'x10' or 8'x10' room might work. Once you know where your bedroom will be, you can start planning.

Here's a great video of an extreme small bedroom makeover. It's by XO, MaCenna, and it has lots of exciting design, furniture, and small bedroom storage ideas to utilize space in the best possible ways.

What Colors to Paint a Small Bedroom

Painting a tiny space presents a bit of a challenge. But there are several ways to make a small bedroom look bigger with paint. It's best to keep it light and airy.

Light neutral colors work well, especially soft whites, beiges, and grays. If you like colorful walls, stick to pale colors. Then, paint the window frames and sills in an even lighter shade. White works perfectly. The lighter color increases the amount of light that comes into your room.

Monochromatic color schemes can also open up the space and make it look much larger. Suppose you chose eggshell white as the main hue for your single-color room. Start by painting the walls, ceiling, and window frames the same white color as the flooring. Then, use a slightly warmer white color for the drapes. You can even use pure white furniture. You'll be surprised at how wide open your small space has become. Other light colors, such as pale pink, work fine in a small-scale monochromatic color scheme, too.

And, it's perfectly acceptable to have one accent wall in a tiny room. Make it the wall where you put the bed's headboard. The accent can be a bolder color or a single wall of wallpaper. You can put bright curtains or even a large art poster on that wall.

Organize a Small Bedroom with a Lot of Stuff

Putting lots of stuff in one small area takes a little thought. It's way too easy to end up with a cluttered room that's stuffed with every imaginable type of object. In the bedroom makeover video above, you can find several ideas for dealing with excess stuff.

First, get rid of anything you don't use or enjoy. Then, use elegant containers, such as small, fancy planters, to hold things like makeup brushes. Get clear glass or acrylic boxes for jewelry and other small objects. Add a necklace tree made of thin metal. If you have scarves, make balls of them, put them in a lovely wicker basket, and tuck it away in the corner. Use pretty hats as wall hangings. The idea is to not only have these items handy but to incorporate them into your room's design.

How to Organize a Small Bedroom

One of the most essential parts of small-scale interior design is getting things organized. You'll need some excellent storage solutions and small bedroom organization tips. In this section, you'll learn how to arrange furniture in a small bedroom.

It's also important to know how to organize a small bedroom on a budget. Of course, you'll need to start with the right small bedroom furniture. Fortunately, there's tons of small-size furniture available online that costs less than you might imagine. Or you can go with bigger beds and dressers and still stick to affordably priced pieces.

All you need is a bit of know-how to arrange a small bedroom with big furniture. Once you understand how to furnish a small bedroom and arrange it to its best advantage, you'll be ready to organize the small stuff. But the first thing you need to decide is where to put the bed.

How to Arrange a Small Bedroom with a Queen Bed

Many people love the queen-size bed, even for a small room. It gives you plenty of room to be comfortable, but it's not as overpowering in a tiny space as a king bed. If you choose the right queen bed position, add the best matching pieces, and avoid clutter, your bedroom won't feel cramped at all.

To arrange a room with a queen-size bed, start by placing the bed in the center of your accent wall. This allows you to stand on each side to make the bed and leaves enough space for a nightstand or bedside table. Add a tall chest or two, hang a few floating shelves, and you're ready to decorate.

How to Arrange a Small Bedroom with a Full Bed

Maybe you're someone who doesn't feel the need to stretch out on a large bed at night. If so, a full bed might be ideal for you. It's just right for a small single bedroom for one person, but it works for two people as well. With a full bed, you have larger spots for other furniture elsewhere in the room. Don't try to get too fancy, though. Putting your bed diagonally across a corner or floating in the center of the room only takes up more space than necessary. Plus, it limits your floor space for other items.

With a full-size bed, you probably have room for two matching nightstands placed on either side of the bed.  Keep your room uniform by matching the scale of the nightstands and bed. You won't want the nightstands to look like miniatures next to the bed, but you also won't want them to overpower the room.

How to Fit a King Bed in a Small Bedroom

Now, it's time to tackle the biggest challenge – arranging a tiny room with a king-size bed. You may need some small master bedroom ideas. Just remember, it all starts with the bed. From there, you can create a fun and exciting ambiance, even in a tiny room.

First, if you're buying a new bed, consider a minimalist, industrial style bed. Or, choose a king bed with lots of built-in storage. This allows you to ditch some excess furniture without sacrificing storage space.

Whatever king bed you have or buy, you're going to have to get creative with arrangement. Try placing the headboard below the windows. This arrangement works best if you have a low or open headboard, of course. To make up for the floor space you lose by having such a large bed, consider placing low dressers with hanging racks above it for your belts, scarves, and hats. Go for mounted wall lamps or hanging lamps.

How to Decorate a Small Bedroom with Two Beds

Need two beds in your bedroom? If so, there are several ways to go. You can put the two beds on opposite walls with a nightstand or a small bedroom table between them. Another option for a long, narrow room is to put them end to end, with the headboards touching.

Here's an exciting idea. Put one of the two beds on a home-built riser. With one bed elevated on a platform, you give the illusion of more space. Kids love this design, and even adults can appreciate the fascinating but cozy style.

Finally, you can put the beds close together but side by side. For this arrangement, you need a very small nightstand or table between them. By placing the beds closer together, you'll create more space on the other sides of the beds.

How to Make a Reading Nook in a Small Bedroom

When you put a little reading nook in your bedroom, you have a cozy space to settle in with a good book or flip through your favorite magazine. You'll need a small chair for the bedroom which will fit neatly in a corner in front of a corner bookcase. You'll need a reading light, too. Instead of adding a side table for a lamp, place a hanging lamp above the chair.

If you like to spread out with your books and magazines, consider using a small couch for your bedroom reading space instead. Look for a small settee that fits in well with your color scheme. Then, add a couple of wall-mounted lamps on each side, and you're all ready to catch up on your reading.

Where to Put a Desk in a Small Bedroom

It's the question of the year: How do I create an office space in my bedroom? You have to save space in a small bedroom to make it happen. Start with a small bedroom desk.

Now, where to put the desk? The farther away from the bed your workspace is, the better off you'll be. Make sure you place it where there's plenty of light. If possible, put it facing a window. You can also choose a corner desk or place the desk on the wall beside the dresser. Then, bring natural light to it by placing a large mirror above it. You'll also need a desk chair. Make it a pared-down slim style or choose an acrylic desk chair to increase the visual space.

Here's an interesting take on furniture arrangement. It's the 10 Small Bedroom Arrangement Ideas by simphome.com. It has some fascinating ideas for creating a home office in a little bedroom. Plus, it has many other ideas for creating lounging space and making your room visually larger.

How to Organize a Small Bedroom without Closet

A small room is enough of a challenge, but when it has no closets, what can you do? Fortunately, you can choose from many different storage options for your bedroom. You could simply put a garment rack for hanging clothes along one wall. You can even turn shelf brackets upside down to create more spaces for hanging jeans, slacks, shirts, and skirts. Then, use hooks for hanging scarves and handbags.

Another way to go is to get a bed with storage for folding clothes. You can buy a bed with a separate underbed storage unit. Or choose a bed, which has two deep drawers along the length of the sides. For hanging items, you might think about getting a piece of furniture called a wardrobe. Choose one that's tall enough to accommodate a long skirt or a suit and wide enough to fit most or all of the items you need to hang.

How to Decorate a Small Bedroom

Next up, it's time to find out about some small bedroom decorating ideas. Choosing curtains, artwork, and accessories is not only fun, but it gives your room more personality. For artwork, choose large, bold pieces, especially if your walls and furniture are in pale colors. Or put together several of your favorite items. But be sure to group them together artistically, so they don't give your room a cluttered look.

When you're decorating your sleeping area, choose light-colored bedding. Add pillows in bright colors for a touch of color. The right number of throw pillows for the bed depends partly on your preferences. But don't get carried away. Keep the number low, between two and at most six.

Think big for your small bedroom décor and add height wherever you can. Remember those cute mobiles you've seen above babies' cribs? You can get mobiles made for adults as well. They're beautiful, and they direct the eye up, adding visual space to the room. A canopy bed is not out of the question, as long as you get one that has simple, straight lines. It, too, directs the eye towards the ceiling where you have oodles of extra space.

Teenage and Kids Bedroom Ideas for Small Rooms

In most households, the adults take the master bedroom while the kids live in tighter quarters. But with excellent bedroom design ideas, you can create a space that doesn't seem small at all. You need to choose furniture that fits and serves its purpose. Then, you can decorate their room to suit their tastes, ages, and personalities. Once that's done, they can play, read, study, engage in hobbies, or do whatever they like to do at home.

One thing you'll need to remember as you're designing a kid's or teenager's room is that it's probably the only space they can call their own. That means you need to make room for the things they enjoy doing. At the same time, you need to make the space as pleasant as possible, because they'll spend much of their time there.

Younger kids will need storage space for toys and games. They can use the drawers and cubbies of a storage bed if they have lots of stuff. Colorful wire baskets or bins make excellent storage for loose toys. You can add a corkboard with pegs above their desk to hang lightweight items. They'll need warm throws and fluffy pillows for lounging on the floor or their bed. Give these items a home in a cloth basket beside the dresser.

Tall narrow bookcases, a bookcase headboard, or hanging shelves give them plenty of places to stash their favorite books or comics. If they like to play board games or card games, choose a round storage ottoman with a flat top. They can use it as a surface and for stowing away the game when they've finished playing.

Choose a neutral or light color for the walls to make the space seem more open. Then, add decorations in bright, primary colors and interesting child-oriented artwork. Place posters high on the wall to focus attention on the empty space at the top of the room. And don't forget to let them choose a few pieces of décor. They'll have something they like and take more pride in their room at the same time.

Teenage Girl Bedroom Ideas for Small Rooms

A teenage girl's small bedroom needs to hold the same treasures as a larger room would. She needs to have places to put the things she uses and the things she just likes to see every day when she comes home. Start with an open-design canopy bed or choose a cozy full-size bed.

Keep the walls neutral for the most relaxed look. If there's a color she says she must have, consider painting the walls with a pale shade of it. Then, add brighter splashes of the same color throughout the room, in posters, bedding, and throw pillows.

Make sure she has a place to study and put her school supplies. A narrow desk with floating shelves above makes a quiet area for her to write and do math problems. Set it away from the bed if you can, on the opposite wall or corner. You can also stack square wooden boxes for supplies below each side of the desk.

If she has a lot of shoes, mount as many shelves as you can up one wall. Her shoes can be on display and easy to grab at a moment's notice. Makeup can stack in acrylic boxes, and makeup brushes can stand on end in pretty cups or glasses. Use hooks for hanging her purses and backpack.

Cool Bedroom Ideas for Teenage Guys with Small Rooms

Your teenage guy needs a cool space to hang out in alone or with friends. If the area is small, you can still make it comfortable for him.

First, think about the bed. An XL twin bed is long enough for taller teenage boys. Another option is a loft bed with Workstation. The bed's frame has an open, uncluttered look. Below the bed is a study area any teenager would love.

Be sure you consider your teenage guy's electronics, too. You can get nightstands that have built-in USB charging ports to keep his devices running. He'll also need somewhere to use his game console. You can place it on the floor and put a couple of low chairs in front of it. Or put it on top of a short dresser across from his bed.

Making a small bedroom look like a wide-open space may take a little planning. But the good news is that with so many design ideas available online and in books, you're sure to find the solutions you need. So, start a Pinterest board of décor ideas, get out your sketchpad, or use a room layout app. Whatever you do, take the time to make your bedroom area a cozy, airy space you'll love to call home.