Make It Big: Tricks to Make Compact Bedrooms Look Larger
Bring a feeling of airiness to smallish sleep spaces with colours, storage and even art
Whether you’ve got a city apartment or a multi-bedroom home, the market demand to squeeze more people into less square footage often leaves us with compact bedrooms in which to fit a bed, our clothing, hopefully a table or two, and – oh, right – maybe a little personality? Your definition of a “small space” may vary, but anyone can benefit from considering these tips to help a bedroom feel as spacious as possible without sacrificing style.
Breezy white curtains and linens will help create an open and romantic feeling even if the walls aren’t strictly white. Don’t be scared to use a dark headboard, especially if you layer it with pillows. Playing with heights will keep the eye moving, making the space feel larger and less stuffy.
Dark Colours
In fact, you shouldn’t be scared of using a dark wall either. A dark feature wall can visually recede, making the room actually feel a little larger. You don’t need to otherwise stick solely to pale colours; just be sure to layer in some white or off-white to keep the darker colours from shrinking the room.
In fact, you shouldn’t be scared of using a dark wall either. A dark feature wall can visually recede, making the room actually feel a little larger. You don’t need to otherwise stick solely to pale colours; just be sure to layer in some white or off-white to keep the darker colours from shrinking the room.
Another option is to take the opposite approach: using lots of dark hues to embrace the size of the room and create a cozy atmosphere. Even in this case, though, it’s still effective to add texture and to use some lighter accents to break up the darkness.
Houzz Quiz: What Colour Should You Paint Your Bedroom Walls?
Houzz Quiz: What Colour Should You Paint Your Bedroom Walls?
Graphics
Ultimately you should feel free to be creative and dramatic, even in a small space, as a room that makes a personal statement will feel more like home than a plain white box, and that can make it feel grander. A bold paint effect or wallpaper anchoring one wall can make the room feel interesting even if the other walls are very simple and unobtrusive.
Side note: Notice the creative way the designer addressed this room’s awkward beam. Genius!
Ultimately you should feel free to be creative and dramatic, even in a small space, as a room that makes a personal statement will feel more like home than a plain white box, and that can make it feel grander. A bold paint effect or wallpaper anchoring one wall can make the room feel interesting even if the other walls are very simple and unobtrusive.
Side note: Notice the creative way the designer addressed this room’s awkward beam. Genius!
Asymmetry
If you don’t have room for tables on both sides of the bed, try an asymmetrical approach with a table on one side and just a slim floor lamp or clamp lamp on the other. This will give you some essential storage with reading lights for two. Choose simple black or white lamps with a cone-shaped shade, like the ones here, and they can be visually balanced even without being a perfect mirror image.
Also notice how the floor lamp on the right is angled toward the bed rather than standing straight up, making it better positioned to cast light on a page while having its base on the ground.
If you don’t have room for tables on both sides of the bed, try an asymmetrical approach with a table on one side and just a slim floor lamp or clamp lamp on the other. This will give you some essential storage with reading lights for two. Choose simple black or white lamps with a cone-shaped shade, like the ones here, and they can be visually balanced even without being a perfect mirror image.
Also notice how the floor lamp on the right is angled toward the bed rather than standing straight up, making it better positioned to cast light on a page while having its base on the ground.
Even if you do technically have room for two tables, going asymmetrical can give you more practical storage. Here a wide chest of drawers can house clothing and other sizeable items, while the smaller chest on the right is useful for socks and odds and ends.
Balanced Asymmetry
To help make a distinctly asymmetrical bed placement feel centred, use other pieces to reinforce the centreline, such as art, hanging light fixtures, a rug, or a bench or chest at the foot of the bed.
To help make a distinctly asymmetrical bed placement feel centred, use other pieces to reinforce the centreline, such as art, hanging light fixtures, a rug, or a bench or chest at the foot of the bed.
Large Art
Don’t be scared to use large-scale art centred over the bed to make a strong statement. Large art pieces or collections can help a room actually feel larger with their commanding scale. If you want the look to be as breezy as possible, choose art and frames with a lot of white and pale colours so the pieces feel sizeable but not aggressive.
Bedroom Art: Setting the Mood in Your Sleep Space
Don’t be scared to use large-scale art centred over the bed to make a strong statement. Large art pieces or collections can help a room actually feel larger with their commanding scale. If you want the look to be as breezy as possible, choose art and frames with a lot of white and pale colours so the pieces feel sizeable but not aggressive.
Bedroom Art: Setting the Mood in Your Sleep Space
Off-Centre Windows
If an off-centre window takes up most of one wall, centre the bed to the window instead of centring it to the whole wall. This will look more balanced and structured than having the bed just a little off the window.
If an off-centre window takes up most of one wall, centre the bed to the window instead of centring it to the whole wall. This will look more balanced and structured than having the bed just a little off the window.
Alternately, you can simply use wall-to-wall curtains to visually erase the centreline of the window and place the bed to whichever side you prefer.
Tables like these can be tucked over the mattress slightly to give you a little extra surface space. Try an Eileen Gray-style midcentury modern classic or a contemporary C-shaped table.
Tables like these can be tucked over the mattress slightly to give you a little extra surface space. Try an Eileen Gray-style midcentury modern classic or a contemporary C-shaped table.
Sconces
When table space is at a premium (or nonexistent), wall-mounted lights are your friend, giving you reading lights without stealing space from the table surface or floor, and giving you one less thing to bump into.
When table space is at a premium (or nonexistent), wall-mounted lights are your friend, giving you reading lights without stealing space from the table surface or floor, and giving you one less thing to bump into.
Swing-arm plug-in sconces work well over a bed, as you can either let the cord drape down behind the headboard to disappear, or place it off to one side and create an interesting visual detail.
Storage
If you need to add a lot of storage to a small bedroom (especially a room without a closet), try framing the bed with two tall cabinets, either built-ins or free-standing cabinets anchored to the wall.
You can then add floating shelves to the sides of the cabinets to create slim bedside tables for a sharp hotel-chic look.
If you need to add a lot of storage to a small bedroom (especially a room without a closet), try framing the bed with two tall cabinets, either built-ins or free-standing cabinets anchored to the wall.
You can then add floating shelves to the sides of the cabinets to create slim bedside tables for a sharp hotel-chic look.
If your storage is already sufficient, choose leggy side tables to create a more open and airier feel. Being able to see more of the back wall will make the space feel deeper.
Shop for bedside tables
Shop for bedside tables
Mirrors
Speaking of adding depth, mirrors are always effective at opening up a space, and adding a mirror above the headboard can make the room appear twice as long. A custom wall-to-wall mirror will have the most dramatic impact, but simply hanging a framed mirror will work the same type of magic.
Reflect on This: 5 Ways With Mirrored Walls
Speaking of adding depth, mirrors are always effective at opening up a space, and adding a mirror above the headboard can make the room appear twice as long. A custom wall-to-wall mirror will have the most dramatic impact, but simply hanging a framed mirror will work the same type of magic.
Reflect on This: 5 Ways With Mirrored Walls
Leaning a skinny mirror on a side table or on the floor also adds subtle depth. Just be sure to attach it to the wall or the table so it doesn’t slide down and surprise you in the night.
Downsizing
Sometimes when designing a bedroom, you have to decide between having more space in bed and more space around the bed, and it’s worth considering downsizing from that coveted king size to a more compact mattress.
Pairing a smaller bed with some sophisticated artwork (especially with a lot of classic black and white) will create a Parisian appeal that will make the small bed feel hip and cosmopolitan, while giving you all the sleeping space you need. Sometimes less really is more.
TELL US
Which of these ideas are you keen to try? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
MORE
Make a Small Spare Bedroom Work Harder
Sometimes when designing a bedroom, you have to decide between having more space in bed and more space around the bed, and it’s worth considering downsizing from that coveted king size to a more compact mattress.
Pairing a smaller bed with some sophisticated artwork (especially with a lot of classic black and white) will create a Parisian appeal that will make the small bed feel hip and cosmopolitan, while giving you all the sleeping space you need. Sometimes less really is more.
TELL US
Which of these ideas are you keen to try? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
MORE
Make a Small Spare Bedroom Work Harder
To help a compact bedroom feel airy but not boring, try mixing lots of white with other soft, pale tones, such as taupe-y neutrals or pale pinks or blues. Add some interesting textures and a little plant life to help the space feel lively even if the walls are tight.