Small Bedroom, Big Style: 10 Great Small Bedroom Ideas

Having a small space to work with doesn’t mean sacrificing style when it comes to home decor. It may take a little more planning and work to keep a room looking curated rather than cluttered, but when you get it right, you’ll end up with a room that makes up for in flair what it lacks in floorspace. We have a guide to space-saving furniture and styling that’s full of tips and tricks you can use throughout your home, but a compact bedroom requires special consideration. That’s why we’ve got 10 of the best small bedroom ideas to help you make the most of your sleeping space. 

1. Curate your minimalist space

One of our favourite small bedroom ideas is using the compact size of a small room as a reason to embrace a minimalist aesthetic. Whether you’re Marie Kondo-ing your existing bedroom or looking for small bedroom ideas to spruce up a new space, choosing a simple, Scandi-inspired aesthetic can help keep your room from feeling cramped and cluttered. Opt for white walls and light wood finishes, and choose a few larger decor pieces like an impressively-sized single wall art option instead of a gallery wall or array of collectibles on a shelf. 

2. Create a nest with soft accessories

On the other hand, if minimalist simplicity isn’t your style, you’re not limited to this style of home decor when you’re searching for the best small bedroom ideas for your home. This can be an opportunity to create a cosy nook that’s as nice for curling up with a good book or TV show as it is for sleeping. Fill the space with soft furnishings, from a high-pile shag rug to plenty of throws and cushions, and give your bedroom the feel of a plush nest you’ll love to lounge in. 

3. Don’t be afraid to play with patterns

A lot of people advise using only solid colours in small rooms, so that you don’t overwhelm the space. But we believe that sometimes, ‘more is more,’ and you can have fun with bold colours and prints without it becoming ‘too much.’ An oversized rug can make a statement and amp up your flooring, and you can pair it with a bedspread or duvet for even more patterned style. For an extra bold accent, consider wallpapering your ceiling to draw the eye upward. To avoid a mismatch, stick to a similar colour palette and create a monochrome look.

4. Get creative with storage

One of the main issues with tiny rooms is where to put your stuff, but we have plenty of small bedroom ideas that will keep your clothes and other belongings in check with ease. A bed with built-in storage such as a divan base with drawers or a gas-lift ottoman bed can add storage without taking up more of the floor. With a bit more space, you can add a blanket box that can replace a chest of drawers and double as a bench at the end of your bed. 

5. Choose a statement bed

It may feel like a small room requires a small single bed to leave space for other furniture or floor space, but your bed is the only thing you really need in your bedroom, and it’s where you’ll spend the most time, so don’t be afraid to fill the space with as big a bed as you can fit. Large pillows or a padded headboard can help it double as seating when required, and you can always shift furniture like dressers and vanity tables to other parts of the house if necessary.

6. Replace nightstands with a nest of tables

A bedside locker can be a convenient way to tuck away items like phone chargers and hair brushes that you want out of sight when not in use, and so they definitely have their place even in small bedrooms. But if you’re really short on space, consider using a set of nesting tables instead — if you don’t always need one on each side, you can tuck one under the other and free up some extra floor area. Another surprising alternative? Utilise a wheeled bar cart that can be easily moved around as necessary. 

7. Add a massive mirror 

A floor-length mirror is an essential for most bedrooms anyway, as it lets you check out your outfit before you leave home for the day. But in small bedrooms, large mirrors are even more key. A big mirror can make your room look double the size, reflecting your space as well as any natural or artificial light sources. You can even put two mirrors opposite each other in your room to create the illusion of infinite reflections and catch the light from every angle. 

8. Stay close to the floor

If your bedroom has high ceilings, you can utilise vertical storage and other tricks to emphasize the height of the space and add plenty of shelving or drawers without increasing your furniture’s footprint. But many bedrooms that are compact in floor area are also limited in height, so you need small bedroom ideas that are suited for lower ceilings. Choosing low beds and low-profile furniture can make the room look taller, and the space above your furniture will feel airier and more open. 

9. Create the illusion of space with paint

Horizontal stripes can help to make your room look wider, so use paint or wallpaper to create a horizontal stripe motif on an accent wall or across your whole room. If you don’t want full-on stripes, a colour block design can be used to create a similar effect; use a darker hue for the bottom half of the wall and a lighter colour for the top half. This two-tone look will draw your eye upward and make your room feel taller and more spacious. 

10. Use ladder storage in place of shelving

Floating shelves are a great option for storing collectibles, displaying art, and more, because they don’t have visible brackets that take up visual and physical space on your walls. However, in a small room, you may want to be able to move things around to accommodate various purposes, so fixed shelving might not be your best bet. Instead, opt for a ladder-style bookcase. The leaning, open-back design evokes the look of floating shelves and can be easily shifted to another area of the room as needed.