Many of us have at least one small bedroom in our home; maybe it’s set in an awkward corner, an office-turned-bedroom, or just a small house overall, and these rooms can be a challenge to work with. But this doesn’t mean it can’t receive as much styling and attention as other rooms. Whether it’s a little-used room or constantly occupied, you’ll want to make the most of the space, so take a look at our small bedroom ideas for a space that’s just as beautiful and functional as the rest of your home.
Decorating a Modern Small Bedroom
Go Minimalistic
Modern style is all about keeping it simple, clean and functional, which is exactly what you need in a small bedroom. Avoid clutter and stick to light, neutral colours to make your small bedroom feel open and spacious.
Be Inspired by Nature
Natural and textural elements play a big part in modern style, and can easily be incorporated into a small bedroom, whether it be wooden bedroom furniture or small décor items like plants and textured cushions or throws which don’t take up much space.
Choose Function Before Form
Modern design celebrates function, so consider multipurpose furniture for your small bedroom which will eliminate the need for extra furniture, saving valuable space. For example, a desk that doubles as a bedside table/make up area or a window chest– storage and a seat.
Say Goodbye to Curtains
Having no curtains is a great modern small bedroom idea, as they can take up unnecessary space and make the room feel more closed in. Modern style needs plenty of natural light and ideally a small room would have large windows but that isn’t always possible, so any light you have, let it shine in! If you need some window coverage for night-time, a simple blind should suffice, and make the room feel much more open.
Small Master Bedrooms
Employ the Walls and Ceiling
This small master bedroom idea will save you a ton of floor space, so the room won’t feel crammed. Hanging lights or sconces are great options which save the need for bedside lamps so you can have a smaller bedside table or perhaps none at all. Hang plants and other décor that will breathe life into your space.
Make Use of Mirrors
Large mirrors are ideal for small rooms as they reflect light and are a sure way to immediately make the space feel bigger. Have more than one placed around your room or even a full mirror wall.
Experiment with Horizontal Lines
Whether through striped wallpaper or wood panelling, horizontal lines can give an illusion of a wider room, perfect for your small space. If low ceilings are a problem, try vertical lines.
Install Sliding Doors
Sliding doors are a fantastic small bedroom design idea that saves a hinged door swinging into your room and taking up space. A barn door is a brilliant design option for a cool aesthetic.
Be Clever with Colour
Whites are generally recommended for small rooms as they will make the space feel bigger but other light colours work well too. You can even use the same colour for all walls and the ceiling to give the impression of a kind of endless expanse with no defined edges or end points. If you want to use darker colours, stick to one feature wall and contrast it with lighter colours.
Boys Bedroom Ideas for Small Rooms
Don't Overdo It
Most boys don’t like a lot of fuss, so a minimalist bedroom is great bedroom idea for small boy’s rooms. This means minimal décor and neutral colours. You can add blue and green accents or whatever his favourite colour is, but keep the base of the room fairly neutral, so it won’t have to be fully redone as he grows older and his tastes change.
Raise the Bed
Bunks are a great piece of bedroom furniture for small rooms, convenient for a two-child bedroom or sleepovers when you can’t fit two separate beds. Alternatively, try a loft bed which leaves space underneath for a desk or any kind of storage.
Make Room to Grow
If you’re wanting simple small bedroom idea, it can be as easy as bed size. If your small boy’s room is narrow, consider a long single bed as this will give your boy room to grow but without the width of a king single or double bed.
Utilise the Walls
While a small bedroom might not have much space for large décor items, you could hang a surfboard, snowboard, guitar, animal heads or whatever your boy is in to onto the wall. This will liven up the room without taking up floor space, and can easily be changed as his interests do.
Girls Bedroom Ideas for Small Rooms
Add On to the Bed
Like boy’s bedrooms, bunks or loft beds are great small bedroom ideas for girls, otherwise you can purchase a trundler that fits right under a bed frame and easily pulled out when you need to sleep one more.
Create a Wardrobe Alternative
Most girls like to have a lot of clothes, so a space for these is essential. But if there’s no room for a wardrobe or big set of drawers, you could bring it out into the open with hanging racks or a leaning ladder.
Suspend Lights or a Chair
As well as cleaning up the floor, hanging items can create a whimsical girly feeling. Install a hanging chair for stylish décor and a nice seat, or hang some pretty lights rather than having a floor or table lamp.
Rethink Pink
With a girl’s bedroom there can be a temptation to go all-out pink and girly but it’s wise to keep the main colours more neutral as using a bright, glaring colour can accentuate how small the room is whereas lighter neutrals will make the room feel more open and modern. Pastels are a nice feminine option to keep the room light and bright.
Maximising Storage in Small Bedrooms
Be Purposeful with Beds
A bed with storage options is one of the best small bedroom storage ideas. You could choose one with built in storage underneath like the Sleepneat, or a headboard with a shelf such as the Adventure or Alto. Alternatively, consider a daybed like our Coaster frame for multi-purpose night and day use.
Store Under the Bed
If you choose a bed that has space underneath, you can purchase an underbed storage drawer or use crates or bins to create a place to keep your items safe and tidy. This will ensure no space is wasted.
Build-In Storage
Make the most of blank walls and awkward nooks by building in floating shelves or some form of storage. Corner shelves work great, or if you’re not sure how to arrange bedroom furniture in a small room, build storage right around the bed. You can’t have too much storage in a small bedroom!
Choosing Furniture for a Small Bedroom
Focus on What's Most Important
When it comes to bedroom furniture in small rooms, you can’t do without a bed, but if chosen wisely, you can easily cut back on other furniture. Consider:
- No headboard– headboards can take up a lot of space and aren’t all that necessary. If you think your bed needs some sort of backdrop you could place a mural, decorative wallpaper, shelving, macrame/tapestry, or wall art behind your bed as a stand in. ‘
- A bed with built-in storage- underneath or in the headboard e.g., shelves
- A smaller bed size, you don’t have to have the biggest bed available, sometimes cutting back a size can fit your room a lot better and be just as comfortable.
Be Open-Minded with Side Tables
If you can combine bed and storage then there’s not a lot else your room needs, though some sort of side table can be handy. They don’t need to be that big especially If you have hanging lights or sconces as mentioned above, you could even just have a floating shelf. Otherwise make use of a windowsill or place a desk or lowboy next to your bed.
Keep it Slim
Choose slimline bedroom furniture for small rooms rather than bulky, that way the room won’t feel too crowded. Small bedroom furniture options available at Coastwood include Hilton, Santorini, Ivydale and Orinda. In saying that, you’re better to have, say one bulky bedside than trying to cram in two smaller ones. If you’re ceiling is low, choose low furniture, this will make the room appear taller.
Tailor to Your Space
You may not be able to find the right furniture to fit into you space so customise dimensions, so your furniture fits perfectly in little nooks or corners.
Small Bedroom Decorating FAQs
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WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE A SMALL BEDROOM?
Small bedrooms can often be the most cosy and inviting. The main thing is to keep it uncluttered and see what clever storage options you can install. Make use of light, colour, and leading lines to make it appear bigger than it really is.
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HOW DO YOU MAXIMIZE SPACE IN A SMALL BEDROOM?
Space is obviously the main challenge in a small bedroom so make full use of the walls and ceilings to free up floor space. Use the same piece of bedroom furniture for two different functions and choose built-in storage wherever possible, meaning you will need less furniture overall.
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HOW CAN I DECORATE MY SMALL BEDROOM?
While a minimalistic decorating style is ideal for small rooms, keep true to your personal style. Choose one item you love whether it be a statement headboard, patterned wallpaper, a piece of furniture or a décor item and build your design around it, always keeping function at the back of your mind.
