12 small bedrooms that prove size doesn’t need to limit style
Out of all the rooms that could be small, a small bedroom is potentially the easiest to tackle. A small kitchen needs a lot of creative thinking, a small living room again, has a lot to fit in it so can be a logistical challenge, but a bedroom, a bedroom can really lean into being a cozy sanctuary.
So don’t let dimensions be a concern, a small bedroom has so much potential. Yes, you might have to slimdown what you put in there furniture wise, but design wise you can do everything you could with a larger space.
With the help of designers and interior experts, we’ve pulled together the best small bedroom ideas that prove size shouldn’t limit your vision. Small bedrooms can be a total joy to decorate.
1. Scale down your furniture
(Image credit: Charlotte Lea)
‘Small bedrooms can still be mighty and welcoming,’ says designer Mollie Ranize. ‘No matter what, try to center the bed on a headboard wall, even if it seems tempting to create more space by moving it off center.’
‘And don’t skip necessary pieces either, just scale them back. For instance, it’s nice to have a second seating option in a bedroom, so if there isn’t room for a bench at the foot of the bed, you can still do an interesting, small-scaled chair in a corner. For dressers, go with something slightly more narrow. And by adding a large mirror above it, you reflect more natural light and continue the views,’ she adds.
‘An appropriately scaled bedroom rug that is wider than the bed – enough to get out of bed onto, while leaving some viewable area of the actual flooring, goes a long way. Lastly, layer the bedding so it doesn’t feel like you lost any luxury despite lacking square footage.’
2. Don’t be afraid of darker colors
(Image credit: Kati Curtis)
‘When I set out to design my small bedroom, I knew I wanted to experiment with deeper hues to achieve a more sophisticated look,’ explains designer Kati Curtis. ‘Often people have the misconception that darker colors make a space feel smaller, but in fact they expand and open the room, giving it more depth and interest.’
‘I opted for a dark teal blue for the walls, which immediately created a sense of spaciousness despite the room’s limited size. To add character and warmth, I chose rich, patterned textiles for my bedding, using complementary colors that made each element pop,’ says Kati.
‘Layering various textures, such as a plush cotton blanket and a vintage Persian rug, helped to soften the space and tie everything together. This approach not only made my bedroom feel more luxurious but also more welcoming and personal. Kitties of course are always welcome!’
3. Or keep the color scheme light and calming
(Image credit: Sara Ligorria-Tramp)
In some cases, going lighter with your color palette does work best in small bedroom. Especially if your room get lots of natural light, you really want to enhance that.
Calming colors like sage greens and pale blues are a fail-safe option, and they work perfectly with warmer neutrals like creams and beiges. This very soft, inviting scheme isn’t too bland as you are bringing in those touches of color, but it’s not so bold you totally overwhelm the space.
4. Lean into the trend for deep reds
(Image credit: Natalia Miyar / The Twenty Two)
When it comes to box room ideas, sometimes it’s best to embrace the size and coziness of a small space.
‘Small rooms, even poorly lit, can take more color than you can imagine,’ explains Patrick O’Donnell, Brand Ambassador at Farrow & Ball. ‘Earth red shades (like Etruscan Red) are ideal in bedrooms with darker furniture to make them soften into the walls. Extend the wall color over doors and fitted furniture to extend the sense of the length of the walls.’
‘If it’s small and dark, don’t try to change it – painting it white will make it look cold, so opt for a cozy feel instead,’ agrees Mary Barber-Fray of Mary Barber-Fray Interior Design. ‘And don’t be afraid to place a large piece of furniture – or an oversized accessory – in a small space. It will look much better than a number of smaller pieces.’
5. Make a small bedroom window do double duty
(Image credit: Morris & Co)
In a small bedroom, you have to really make the area around the window work hard. This means ensuring you don’t hang heavy drapery that blocks out light, nor bulky drapery that takes up visual space. You should also look to boost storage and seating by researching window seat ideas with lift-up lid (and a cushion on top) so that out-of-season clothes, bedding or shoes can be hidden away.
In this bedroom, the shelving unit forms the frame to the window seat. The result is cohesive, smart and practical.
6. Save space with wall-hung bedside lights
(Image credit: Gunter & Co)
Small bedroom lighting can be used to both enhance space and to make it feel cozier. Either way, it needs to be well-thought-out. Don’t rely on overhead lighting, and be clever with bedside lighting ideas.
‘In small bedrooms, I really like using wall lights as opposed to table lamps for bedside lighting,’ says Irene Gunter, founder and creative director, Gunter & Co.
‘Smaller rooms inevitably call for smaller bedside tables and when the full surface is taken up by a table lamp it just seems to defeat the object. There’s such a wealth of amazing wall light options available, whether wired or plug in – they really allow us to add a statement to the space as well as maximize the surface available for the bits and bobs we like to store beside the bed.’
7. Create visual tricks with bedroom flooring
(Image credit: Jeremy Philips)
Whether you choose hardwood flooring or are considering bedroom carpet ideas or simple bedroom rug ideas, always bear in mind that some patterns created by them will be more successful in small bedrooms than others.
‘Any bedroom flooring ideas that have stripes – either the subtle lines between floorboards or more overt ones on carpet or rugs – will direct the eye along their length. This means that you can exaggerate a small bedroom’s length or width, which is really useful if you want to correct its proportions somewhat,’ advises Jennifer Ebert, H&G’s Digital Editor.
8. Get the bed size and position right
(Image credit: Brent Darby)
Wondering where a bed should be placed in a room? If you choose a bed size in proportion to your space, you will certainly have more choice, but know that a central position is always better than, for example, against a wall.
‘The perfect bedroom is poised between a tranquil aesthetic and pragmatic design,’ says interior designer Emma Sims Hilditch of Sims Hilditch. ‘A good place to start is by designing around a central focal point,’ she adds.
‘Symmetry in interior design provides balance within a room and it often starts from the focal point, whether that be the placement of the bed or the headboard in a bedroom. It brings a sense of comfort and rhythm to a space which is an integral part of our design approach.’
9. Reimagine the layout with a nook bed
(Image credit: Studio Peake / Alexander James)
Nook beds help you rethink the layout of a small bedroom because they allow you to build a framework to put the bed in front of the window, freeing up floor space elsewhere in the room.
‘In this tiniest of bedrooms, to make the most of the space, I created a bed nook on the side of the room where the sloped ceiling became very low,’ says Sarah Peake, founder and creative director, Studio Peake. ‘I then filled it with a lively pattern to set it apart from the rest of the room, although the bedroom colors used in the fabric, cushions, wallpaper and furniture subtly echo each other to give a sense of structure to the space.’
It may seem unconventional to wallpaper the ceiling in a small bedroom, but as shone through this cozy bed nook, can work wonderfully to zone the space, great for bedroom ceiling ideas.
10. Pick slim and sleek lighting in a small bedroom
(Image credit: Nune Design Studio)
Good bedroom wall lighting ideas are one of the most important elements, particularly in a bedroom. ‘A small bedroom can be incredibly inviting and considered lighting can take a room from feeling stark and pokey to sweet and cozy,’ says Sheena Murphy, partner, Nune.
‘Our number one rule is to add dimmers to all light switches so you can adjust the mood, and having one decorative light overhead (no recessed lighting) and two bedside lamps – if space permits – is preferred, so again, you can amp up or soften the ambiance, according to how you feel.’
11. Create a focal point with artwork
(Image credit: Mary Wadsworth)
Provide one or two key focal points to draw the eye to the outer spaces of the room, for example, a striking piece of artwork, patterned wallpaper or headboard covered in stunning fabric.
It only takes one wall to give small bedrooms the wow factor. Generally, your feature wall will be the one you see first when entering a room but you could choose a bedroom accent wall behind a key piece of furniture, such as behind the bed or sofa.
12. Pattern drench the room
(Image credit: Colefax and Fowler)
There’s an outdated rule that you should pay it safe when it comes to pattern and color in small bedrooms, but in fact smaller spaces are the perfect place to play with prints.
We all must know by now that color drenching isn’t just reserved for larger rooms and taking the same color across a whole small space can actually make it feel far larger. Well the same can be said for pattern. Pattern drenching a small bedroom adds in a ton of character, turning it from bland box into an exciting and inviting space.
You could stick with the same pattern, as seen in this bedroom which would ensure cohesiveness, or bring in two or three patterns you can repeat throughout the space – a classic stripe and a small floral print always work well together.
Hopefully, all these beautiful small bedroom ideas have proven to you that small doesn’t have to be limiting. Small bedrooms can be inviting, inspiring spaces and you can get just as creative with them as you would with a larger space.
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