Cramped, cluttered and comfort-less? Is your small bedroom in need of redesign? 

Plan carefully and shop smart for best results, and use our small bedroom ideas to maximise your use of space. Even a very small room can be transformed into a comfortable, stylish oasis for resting, sleeping and relaxation. 

Use a light colour scheme

A light colour scheme -- and white in particular -- will make a small space appear larger and more airy. White or off-white walls, pale neutrals on the floor, light-coloured furniture, bedding and other textiles will all contribute to the overall effect. Use bright or dark accents to add interest and focus. 

Limit decorative motifs and keep the scheme cohesive

You don’t need to give up patterns and prints, but avoid a chaos of too many motifs in a small space. Using the same motif (e.g. florals, hearts, leaves, polka dots) will add consistency and symmetry and avoid conceptual clutter. 

Add colour using accessories or a feature wall

Create a focal point in a small bedroom by using one area of bold colour: a single wall, a striking artwork, a stack of vivid but colour-coordinated cushions. If you love strong patterns, you don’t need to avoid them, but instead of wallpaper on all walls, keep three in white or pale neutrals and use, let’s say, wallpaper featuring broad stripes or large roses on one wall only. 

Double-up functionality

Multifunctional furniture will save you space and reduce clutter. The bed has the biggest job here, helping with storage in a small bedroom. Invest in a bed that has built in storage (for example in drawers or cubbyholes in the base), or allows plenty of room for boxes and vacuum bags underneath. 

Use a pared-down bed frame

Save a few precious inches by buying a bed that doesn’t have a bulky frame or headboard and has no footboard at all. Metal bed frames tend to be narrower, while brass or painted styles can add a sense of old-fashioned elegance. Wall-mounting the headboard or getting rid of a headboard altogether will also save space. 

Fit what you can on the walls

Save some space on the floor and furniture surfaces by using wall-mounted lights (thus saving bedside table and floor area). Floating shelves are a great space saver.

If your small bedroom is not quite big enough for a proper dressing table, a floating shelf with a wall-mounted mirror above will play a very similar role (a couple of small drawers underneath the shelf will do wonders for all small bits and pieces) below the mirror. You can simply use it standing up, or get a folding chair that can be put away once your hair is done and make-up perfect. 

Use mirrors

Full-length mirrors on the walls will not only magnify the space visually, but can also add light to a dark or poky space. 

Use the full height of the walls

Invest in tall-but-narrow storage cabinets, wardrobes and shelving units. All that space above is asking to be used (though don’t overdo it, to avoid too-cramped a feeling). 

Sleep high

Raising the bed to a bunk-bed level, or creating a mezzanine level can be an excellent option in a bedroom with a small floor area but reasonably high ceiling. The latter might require some serious DIY skills (you don’t want the construction to collapse under you), but the extra space thus created will make a huge difference, if you don’t mind literally ‘’climbing’’ up to bed. 

Alternatively, raise the floor by about a foot in part of the bedroom, creating storage space underneath and a separate sleeping-platform area for a low bed, a futon or a traditional mattress.

Use space under slanted ceilings

Clever storage or part of the bed? Try various arrangements to see which one works, but don’t waste valuable space even if it has less-than ideal height. Talking about bed, pushing it against a wall or almost against the wall will also free some floor space at a cost of very small reduction in comfort. A wall-mounted light and a small corner shelf instead of a bedside table will ensure that sleepers on both sides are not deprived of their nighttime necessities. 

Window opportunities

A small bedroom with a skylight instead of traditional windows can be something of a blessing, freeing precious wall space for your furniture and art, and creating a cosy feeling. Make sure you have a good quality blind on the skylight, so you can easily adjust it depending on whether you want to enjoy the starry skies or prevent summer sunrise waking you up at 5am. 

If your small bedroom has a surfeit of windows, count yourself lucky for all the light you can take advantage of. Sheer voile curtains will give an airy feeling, while blackout blinds will ensure a good night’s sleep. If you don’t live on a busy urban street, placing the head of the bed against one of the windows will free some scarce wall space for furniture. Just make sure the window isn’t drafty!

Check our bedroom storage guide for more space saving bedroom tips.