How to Decorate a Small Bedroom

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Category: Decorating Tips and Advice
Posted/Updated: 04/05/2010 23:09:12
Views: 3289

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If you think that a cluttered bedroom is a well-designed bedroom, then you probably are on the wrong track. While we all have many photo albums, paintings and other personal treasures we like to display in our home, it is best to sprinkle them moderately across our home. If a bedroom is limited in size, one has to be careful about what to use in it. There are only so many things that will fit while still making a small bedroom open and beautiful. Picking the right pieces and putting them together in a small bedroom is essential.

It is very important to be open-minded when it comes to decorating. A small bedroom cannot follow the same common rules that a large bedroom can.

The following are a few tips that will help you transform that small bedroom into a cozy space with plenty of breathing room:

1. Ditch traditional thinking. When it comes to designs, too many people ask, “Can I do that,” or “Is it supposed to look that way?” You need to break away from what is “assumed” and do your own thing. Small rooms are extremely limited and pose a challenge. To draw yourself back by designing the way you think you’re supposed to, instead of the way you’d like to, is just making it more difficult on you. You shouldn’t expect a small bedroom to be capable of achieving the same exact results or accommodating the same furnishings as a larger bedroom is.

2. Soften up the look of wood furniture. Once a small room is filled with wood furniture, there is little room left for any softer furnishings such as draperies, upholstered stools, or silk flowers. The following are two misconceptions that you should try to avoid:
   • “Bedroom furniture should come in sets only.” This one is a major limitation in small spaces. If you have a small, 10×10 room, going out and buying a massive bed, dresser, two nightstands, an armoire and the whole set simply makes no sense. Even if you are lured into the deals that give you a discount for buying the whole set, try to keep your composure and buy only what will work with your room. It makes no sense to buy furniture that you won’t use anyway.
     
     There is nothing wrong with buying furniture pieces that don’t belong in a set. The most important thing is that they go together. And yes, even contrasting furniture pieces that are on opposite sides of the color wheel can go together.
   • “You can only place nightstands next to your bed.” Have you tried a round table with a glass cover and a round bedskirt that matches your bedding? Obviously, a nightstand is not the only option. Small bedrooms can easily look overwhelmed by wood furniture, even more than large rooms that can accommodate soft decorations such as flowers or drapes. To break the look of heavy wood furniture in a small room, a bedside table with a bedskirt draping over it can work miracles.
3. Simplify your layout. This is a very important concept. Draw your room on a sheet of paper and figure out where you will place the furniture and other furnishings. It is best to draw the room to a certain scale so that you can keep track of how much space each piece takes up. Draw each piece in and figure out how it will be accessed. Design a plan of the possible “walking paths” in your room and consider the most efficient plan. Try a few different layouts and pick the one that leaves the most “free” space and is the simplest and most functional out of all.
4. Save space. To a small room, each and every corner of it counts. Don’t try to place furniture at an angle. This takes away from the size of the room and makes it appear even smaller. Extravagant canopies not only make a small room more massive and disproportionate, but they also require the bed to be pushed out, which takes away even more space. Consider pushing drawers or beds closer to the walls as opposed to centering them to open up a new, usable area. Or, you can center the bed on one wall and use it as the only focal point on that side of the room. Balance out unused space with used space and create the most free-flowing design. See what works for you.
5. Design up, not across. When cities get tight, what do they do? They build skyscrapers. We’re not suggesting to go for bunk beds or pile your nightstand on top of your dresser, but rather, to use decorations that will draw your eye up and save you space at the same time. Pick paintings or mirrors that are long and narrow. Go for a tall chest instead of a wide dresser. Paint the edge of your ceiling in the same color as the wall color. Opt for striped draperies, with the curtain pole installed just a few inches below the ceiling line.
6. Give your room a large appearance. So what, it’s a small room, but there are plenty of things to do to make it appear large. Try mirrors across the window for light. Pick soft pastels paired up with bold, small-scale prints for your bedding and draperies. Fabrics with large-scale prints are generally not recommended for small rooms. Paint your room a soft yellow, green, or blue and pick bedding and window treatments in the same soft color to blend. Try a bold accent color for smaller pieces such as dust ruffles, pillows, or window shades.

There are plenty of different ways to make a small bedroom appear bigger. These are just a few. Nevertheless, feel free to try them for yourself and watch your newly remodeled bedroom blossom into a romantic bedtime retreat.

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