Ideas for How to Maximize Space in a Small Bedroom

If you maximize space in a small bedroom, it doesn’t have to feel cramped or crowded. You can create a room that feels open and comfortable with a few thoughtful and smart design choices. Whether you’re working with a small bedroom or a tiny apartment, here are some things that helped me make a cozy small bedroom that looks good and is very functional.

All it takes is a few good ideas, a little strategic planning, and some small adjustments to make the space look and feel great!

How thoughtful selections can make a big impact

The right furniture, bedding, lighting, and creative accents can make a small bedroom feel a bit less cramped and a great place to relax. At least, that’s the goal with all of our spaces: to make everyone comfortable. 

If you want a well-designed small bedroom that is both comfy and functional, here are a few things to consider:

• Start with a good quality mattress and pillows
• Splurge a little and get luxurious bedding 
• Make sure you have a few storage solutions 
• Proper lighting can make a big difference
• Use a cohesive color scheme that ties everything together
• Have nightstands or floating shelves for personal items
• An area rug can add some warmth to any room
• Decorative accents like plants or artwork have a big impact
• A headboard with some texture
• Window treatments for privacy
• Furniture placement to create a functional and inviting space

Small bedroom ideas for maximizing space

Don’t over-crowd the room

It’s hard not to over-crowd a small bedroom. One thing that has helped me is prioritizing essential furniture only. And, I always try to avoid bulky furniture. I also look for multifunctional furniture like a bed with room for storage underneath. Or a chair that could double as a desk chair when/if you need one. I’m also always looking to use vertical space like floating shelves or shaker peg rails in a small room. I like things that are functional while still looking good and creating impact.

A small but comfortable chair with legs, in a corner with a small table next to it, is functional and it looks great without overwhelming the room. A bulky chair without legs would overwhelm the room.

Pantone’s color of the year: Mocha Mousse

One of the first things we did was paint a half wall behind headboard. We wanted to experiement with the the color of the year, Pantone’s Mocha Mousse. The color is soothing and really warmed up the room (mocha from Sherwin Williams). Paint is such a great and inexpensive way to create a dramatic impact in a room. We made sure the paint worked with the Quince bedding we selected.

The vintage painting is from a flea market in Paris. It’s available in SHOP MOST LOVELY THINGS.

Use tall furniture where you can

Since the room is small—I know, I keep saying that—choosing the right dresser can make a big difference. We repurposed one that we’ve had for years. It’s tall but not too tall (in a room with low ceilings, you don’t want it to be too tall). The bottom drawer still provides enough storage for extra sheets and towels. 

We used a smaller brass ring lamp with two settings. The lamp, which uses an Edison-style incandescent bulb, fills the room with warm light. We swapped out the hardware for antiqued brass knobs from Home Depot. They look and feel way more expensive than $3 each.

Every piece of furniture and art in this room has been respurposed from other rooms in the house. The only new items: The simple bed frame (used with an existing headboard), the Poplights, and the custom boxes instead of bedside tables, I guess you could sasy we shopped our house!

Use mirrors to make a room feel bigger.

The key aspect of a large mirror is that it can make a room look and feel bigger than it actually is. Mirrors can create an illusion that a room is larger by reflecting light coming in and opening up the room. It basically tricks the eye into making the room appear bigger.

The round mirror is from Serena & Lily.

Use your wall space and create floating shelves instead of a bedside table/nightstand.

When we set out to create a more functional guest room, the main objective was to move the bed away from the wall. No one wants to sleep in a bed pushed up against the wall. The only problem was that the space was rather tight and we still needed some side tables and lighting.

To solve this problem, Brent made custom boxes that we painted the same color as the wall. There is one on each side of the bed, and they almost blend in (which is precisely what we wanted). They offer a place to hold small items like your phone, a pack of tissues, a lip balm, and even a glass of water. Brent drilled a small hole in one side of each box to thread a phone charger cord. Perfect for a tiny space, but you could use something like this in a tiny bedroom or a larger bedroom. I have always loved the idea of cubbies for bedside tables.

To make two floating cubbies, we used four pieces of wood 11″ long and four pieces 6″ long. We screwed the corners together with 1 1/2″ self-setting screws and attached a 1/4″ piece of plywood on the back. We drilled a small hole in the side of each one (for a phone charging cord), sanded them, attached them to the wall, and painted them. 

Wall sconces rather than table lamps

We used Poplights as sconces. Wall sconces in a small space without a lot of floor space just make sense. Pop Lights come in several fun colors and are renter-friendly. We chose white and love the way it “pops” on the mocha colored wall. They are super easy to install with peel-and-stick tape. The wall mounts also come with a built-in level to make sure the lights are straight. No tools are required! Everything you need comes in the box. However, if you want to mount them more securely, they come with pre-drilled holes for screws. It’s probably the easiest light set-up we’ve ever used.

Poplights are rechargeable (a battery slips easily in and out, and it comes with a regular USB charging cord) and can be controlled manually on the lamps or from an app on your phone. You can also control the different settings for brightness and color—obviously, we chose warm light with a low level of brightness.

The room gets a lot of natural light from the two windows. Lighting for reading at night was our top priority since this is Madeline’s room when she comes home from Brooklyn for a visit.

Under-bed extra storage space

If you need a little additional storage space, under-bed storage is one of the easiest ways to create some extra space. In our small bedroom, we had a clunky bed frame that was low to the ground. It was even hard to clean under it. We decided to keep the headboard but changed out the bed frame. We opted for one that sat a little higher off the ground and provided ample storage with plastic containers that easily slide underneath the bed and are out of sight. It’s a great way to store seasonal clothing or other bulky items that don’t fit in a small closet.

​We covered the original headboard with some vintage fabric I found at a charity thrift store in New Canaan, CT. We used T pins to fasten it to the back so that it wouldn’t damage the fabric in case I wanted to repurpose the fabric for something else later.

Bedding

We updated the sheets with Gingham Organic Cotton Percale sheets (shown in drawer) & European Gingham Linen sheets (shown on bed) from Quince. We love sheets and bedding from Quince. Not only are they beautiful to the touch, but they are so well made. The bottom sheets are generous in size. The coverlet is also from Quince. I also like the Vintage Wash European Bed Linen Cover.

The Linen Grain Sack Pillow is currently on sale.

Install a shaker peg rail along one wall.

Using vertical space is one of the smartest things you can do when working with a small bedroom. A shaker peg rail accomplishes that. You can buy them from many different places online, like this one on Etsy. But rather than buy a shaker peg rail, we decided to make one that runs the entire wall in our small bedroom. It’s about as simple as projects get. We bought a few pieces of wood from Home Depot, spaced the holes out evenly, bought a few shaker pegs, drilled holes to fit the pegs, and glued the pegs in the holes with wood glue. We painted it to match the walls, and now there is plenty of room for hanging clothes, bags, or anything else you have in mind. 

A small rug can warm a room.

We loved the Quince rug in our living room and ordered a smaller size for this bedroom. It’s currently out of stock, but Quince has several others that would work. The rugs from Quince are well made, and the prices are amazing! This one would be a great choice.

One big piece of art and a few small pieces of art

I like to start with one big piece of art that creates a focal point and gives the eye a place to rest. One big piece also creates the illusion of more space. Then, use smaller art pieces throughout the room where I think it makes sense.

Just because a bedroom is small doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style or comfort. With the right furniture, storage solutions, and design details, you can create a spacious and cozy space. A few simple adjustments can make all the difference in how a room looks and functions.

brass ring lamp // Wiggle knobs // Montara rattan mirror // cotton coverlet // Poplights // Wiggle switch plate // wool kilim rug // gingham linen sheets // grainsack lumbar pillow // Turkish cotton towels // gingham percale sheets