How to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger

Forgo taking up precious bedside table space with lamps and install pendant lights or wall sconces instead. Hanging lights on the wall frames the bed beautifully and creates focused reading and task lighting.

Tip: To hang wall sconces, measure the lighting placement carefully (and if corded, the length of the cord). You want the lights to hang low enough where you don’t have to get up to turn them on. If the sconces hang too low, you may knock into them when getting out of bed.

It’s no secret that white opens up the visual look and feel of a small room. This doesn’t mean everything needs to be made completely sterile by white-on-white furniture, bedding and home decor. You can achieve the same spacious effect by sticking with a soft and light color palette. Beiges, soft grays and pastels fall under the light colorway.

Try white mixed with two mid-tone colors, such as the mint green and pale gray hues shown here. The cream table lamp increases the lighter mood whether lit or unlit.

With floor space at a minimum, your walls are the place to go for increasing visual space. Hang wall art in a neatly stacked, linear pattern to draw the eye upward. The slats installed on this wall have the same vertical, space-enhancing effect.

Tip: The whole point of going vertical is to create an upward flow. Avoid mixing vertical lines with horizontal lines because it breaks up how a design flows across the room.

Mirrors are one of the easiest ways to give the impression of a larger space. The way they reflect light is key to making a room feel open and airy. Mirrored closet doors are a great solve, however, they’re not always the perfect fit in a small bedroom design.

To create the illusion of a larger bedroom, hang an oversized mirror above the bed or dresser. If space allows, attaching a floor-length mirror to the wall and having it face an uncluttered area will instantly open up the room.

Tip: Harness the beauty of natural light by placing a mirror close to a windowor directly across from it.

The key to small space design—be it a tiny bedroom or tiny house—is to fill it with the least possible amount of furniture. A trick to making room for all your clothes, shoes and other belongings lies in a storage bed. The best designed storage beds includes:

• Spacious drawers on each side
• Smooth drawer glides
• Headboard fitted with shelves

Floating wall shelves, storage benches and baskets are ways to show off your style and declutter.

Tip: Storage beds don’t require a box spring.

Whether you’re a city, suburb or seaside dweller, there’s nothing better than seeing natural light spill across the room. In a small bedroom, you can increase this effect by framing the windows with white or pale-colored drapes. By toning down the drapery hue, you’ll expand the sense of light and space.

Tip: Choose a curtain length that hangs from the highest point on the wall to just above the floor.

Simply said, leggy furniture makes a small room feel bigger. This design rule is the same for bedrooms, living rooms and dining areas. The reason? When you see light glowing underneath the furniture, it enlarges the sense of space. Not every piece in the room needs to show off its legs, but try to use at least one piece with exposed legs.

Tip: For low ceilings, pick a low-slung bed and night table with exposed legs to fake a loftier space.

Choosing solid color monochromes can have a positive influence on your small floor space. Though bold patterns in the form of bedding and decorative pillows may tempt you, these complex designs can really overwhelm a small space. Monochrome palettes like tan and beige have the opposite effect: they create the illusion of openness rather than making it feel cluttered and closed in.

When space is at a premium, you don’t want to accent it with a low headboard that gets lost in the design scheme. Instead, choose a visually pleasing design that draws the eye upwards to create the illusion of a larger, taller space.

This small room does it all: an efficient home office by day and pop-up bedroom after hours. The floor-to-ceiling shelves make the room look like a library instead of a work/sleep area, and it doesn’t detract from the warm, cozy vibe.

Murphy beds are loved by interior designers for their space-saving design. Rather than folding up flat against the wall, many beds tuck back inside a stylish chest about the size of a console table. The real genius of a Murphy bed chest lies in its contents, which may include:

• Plush memory foam mattress
• Built-in charging stations for electronics
• Lower drawer to store bedding basics
• Fine cabinetry details like beveled edges or wainscotting

Tip: Flank bookshelves side-by-side to create the look of cabinetry without the time investment or custom cost.