How to Make Your Small Bedroom Look Bigger
A small bedroom may have limited dimensions, but it doesn’t have to feel small. Go beyond limits and decorate your small space in a way that is airy and open and just feels spacious. Here are a few tips to push your creativity to the limit and go beyond the space limits for your dream bedroom.
Small-Room Mistakes vs. Space-Expanding Fixes
It’s rarely the square footage that makes a small bedroom feel cramped. It’s all of the combined choices that add up together. Below is a side-by-side look at the decisions that quietly shrink a room and the design elements that open it right back up. Read down the “why it works” column too, because once you see the reason, you’ll spot it in every room you walk into.
| Design Element | Makes It Feel Smaller | Makes It Feel Bigger | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall & Floor Color | Dark, heavy, or clashing colors on walls and floors | Light, neutral shades in one unified palette, top to bottom | Light colors bounce light around instead of soaking it up, so the walls read as farther away. |
| Windows | Heavy curtains that block the glass and cut the light | Bare windows, or sheer drapes in the wall color, for privacy without the weight | Natural light adds depth, and wall-matched drapes blur where the wall ends and the window begins. |
| Ceiling & Height | A plain white ceiling and everything kept at eye level | A painted ceiling, crown molding, or high shelves that pull the eye up | When your eye travels upward, the room reads as taller. High shelves also steal storage from dead space. |
| Stripes & Pattern | Busy, small-scale patterns that fight for attention | One clean stripe, run along the longest wall or halfway up in a contrasting tone | A stripe stretches your eye in the direction it runs, so the room feels longer or taller than it is. |
| Furniture | Bulky, floor-hugging pieces with skirts that hide the floor | Raised frames on legs, plus double-duty pieces like a storage chest that also works as a table | Seeing floor under the furniture tricks the eye into reading more open space. Fewer pieces, less clutter. |
| Mirrors | No mirror, or a tiny one tucked in a corner | One large mirror placed to catch a window or a lamp | A mirror doubles the light and fakes a second wall. It’s the cheapest square footage you’ll ever buy. |
Quick takeaway: pick light and low, let the light in, and give the eye somewhere tall to go. You don’t need all six at once. Even two or three of these will change how the room feels the day you finish.
Now, let’s explore some of the ways you can immediately get a bigger look in more depth.
The shades of color
Light colors reflect the light and make a room feel airy. Make flooring and walls light-colored for a feeling of depth and spaciousness. Use a unified color palette. Think about keeping colors – light and neutral which will help to visually expand your space. Use different shades of the same color on everything from the paint to the furnishings and accessories. Different shades of the same color lend a visual coherence that declutters the room and makes it feel more open.
Use your windows
Try leaving the windows uncovered to take advantage of natural light. The natural light let in lends depth. If you’re worried about your privacy, try using shades or blinds instead of curtains. Sheer drapes also lend privacy, while the light fabric will increase the airy feel. Make drapes the same color as the wall. This will allow them to blend in and increase the feeling of space.
Make them look up
Draw people’s eyes upwards to make the room look taller and feel bigger. The easiest way to do that would be to paint the ceiling. Cover the whole ceiling with an interesting pattern, color, or just certain areas.
You can also try adding decorative crown molding or trim around the perimeter of the ceiling for added effect. A sheer bed canopy curtain can also be added to effectively give a dramatic effect and draw the eyes up.
Place shelves or open bookcases near the ceiling to make them look up. These have the dual purpose of display space and out-of-the-way storage. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases will also emphasize wall length and ceiling height. To decorate a child’s room, try using stick-on decals or a small mural to decorate a portion of the ceiling.
Flattering stripes
Horizontal stripes in a small bedroom can lengthen a room. Orient the stripes to go along the longest length of the room, making it look even longer. A striped or partially striped floor is an interesting and eye-catching detail.
Vertical stripes on a wall give a sense of height, but horizontal stripes can work as well. Try adding a horizontal stripe of paint or wallpaper, halfway up or more, to your wall. Make sure it contrasts with the wall so that it stands out. This will create a visual division, making your wall seem taller and your room more spacious.
Furniture for the space
Bedroom furniture doesn’t just take up space; it can add the illusion of space. A raised bed frame, a small sofa or chair raised on legs, or a dressing table with exposed legs are perfect for a small space. Being able to see the space between the furnishings and the floor makes it seem like the room has more space. Use furniture with more than one function. A footstool can be used as a low display table or extra seating. A flat-topped chest can be used as storage or a table. Beds with built-in drawers can be used, as can a small, high chest of drawers for a bedside table.
Mirrors
The reflection from a mirror can really increase the feel of your bedroom space and help to lighten it up. Mirrors also add a lot of glamour to a bedroom interior.
Related Bedroom Interior Pages You May Like:
Romantic Bedroom Designs – Custom Designer Bedroom Ideas – Master Bedroom Designs – Modern Bedroom Ideas
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