small bedroom decor ideas to make the most of your space

Bedrooms can become cluttered so easily. I don’t mean just with unnecessary stuff but with stuff you need and use that ends up lying around. And with small bedrooms, it’s even more of a problem.

No matter how small your bedroom there are some things you obviously need like beds and wardrobes and they’re far from small! Thats why it’s often harder to make the most of a small bedroom than say a living room where you can be more flexible with the furniture you choose. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a small bedroom that’s stylish, practical and clutter-free.

These decor ideas and tips below will help you make the most of the space in small bedroom.

small bedroom decor ideas

invest in multi-functional furniture

Multi-functional furniture is so useful for any home, large or small (unless you live in a mansion!), but it’s absolutely essential for small rooms.

If you have a very small bedroom then consider a bed with storage under. With mirrors, you can go for ones that come with a shelf or a hanging rail. It’s also worth thinking beyond the bedroom. Perhaps a bench will be handy as a seat and storage in the bedroom but can also double up as extra seating in living areas when needed.

avoid bulky wardrobes

Wardrobes are big; even if you opt for a smaller closet, they still take up space and look bulky. The good news is that there are far better options for a small bedroom.

One of my favourites is an open wardrobe rail. You can opt for rails that stand on the floor but to maximise your space make or buy ones that hang on the wall or hang from the ceiling. This will also allow you to have some closed storage under, without taking up more space. I made one for my bedroom so if you want to DIY yours, you can check out my DIY open wardrobe tutorial.

If the open look isn’t for you, you can put up some shelving and rails on the wall (IKEA have so many options for every budget and space) and finish it with a beautiful linen curtain. This looks far less bulky than free-standing wardrobes but you still have a closed wardrobe.

Built in wardrobes can also work really well in a small bedroom when you need to maximise storage — try painting the wardrobes in the same colour as the walls which will make the room look bigger. But if you’re stuck with free standing wardrobes that you can’t replace, you can use the same design trick — paint them the same colour as the walls and they’ll immediately look less bulky and will give the illusion of more space.

go for wall lights

Ditch the bedside lamps and floor lights and go for wall lights. Swing wall lights are even better as they can so easily be used to light up more than one area as needed. Otherwise wall lights and pendant lights will save space and add a design feature.

opt for neutral paint colours

If you’re into Scandi interiors like me you’ll naturally opt for neutral decor. By neutral paint colours I don’t mean just white, grey and beige which all work great but if you like a bit of colour there are lots of pale neutral colours for a bedroom that aren’t white. And contrary to popular belief, dark neutrals aren’t off the menu either but they’re particularly suited to small bedrooms with little or no natural light as they can make the room appear bigger.

go big with less

This is true for any small room and bedrooms are no exception. Opt for bigger pieces furniture but fewer. In a small room we might think that smaller furniture is better but thats not the case. More often than not, it’s better to have a few big pieces rather than lots of little pieces. It’s not just furniture but it also works for decor in a small bedroom. For example: go for an oversized pendant light or choose a rug that is a few inches short of being wall to wall.

go high with curtains

Hang your curtains as close to the ceiling as possible even if your windows are lower down. And of course the curtains should go all the way down to touching the floor. This gives the illusion of height which makes a small room feel bigger. Similarly, if you have a smallish window or two, hang curtains across the entire width of that wall. And while we’re talking curtains, it’s worth mentioning that a plain, solid coloured curtain will work much better than a patterned curtain in a small room. I especially love lighter, more sheer fabrics like linen curtains (affiliate link) for small rooms.

go high with storage too

In a small bedroom, use the height of the room for storage instead of valuable floor space. Consider storage thats off the floor and hung on the wall or narrower cabinets that are tall. For e.g. bedside tables that are wall hung or a wall to wall shelf or wardrobes that go to the ceiling. Wall hooks are really handy too.

leave space empty

Empty space, called negative space is simply empty floor space or empty space around design elements. The urge to fill up every corner, especially in a small bedroom, is very real. But as counterintuitive as it sounds, allowing for breathing space whether on the floor or around other furniture and decor will make your bedroom look bigger. And it will feel so much calmer which is exactly what you want for a bedroom.

Picking just a few of these small bedroom decor ideas will help make your small bedroom look bigger. Just remember to get creative! There are so many things you can do to maximise the space in a small bedroom without cluttering it or making it look busy. Like one of the pics above shows – they’ve used their wall light as a clothes hanger too. Think about how you can use your decor in more ways than one.

image credits: all images via alvhem | entrance | stadshem