8 Tips on How to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger

Small bedrooms can feel rather confining, especially when they have not been set up with the right layout. A bedroom should be a warm sanctuary of sleep and relaxation, so it is important that it not be dark, cramped, and uncomfortable. If you have a small bedroom, it might seem like it’s not possible to achieve this no matter what you do.

But don’t give up yet, because in truth no bedroom is impossible to improve. The key is to focus on the right areas and make measured changes. Target the right areas with your redesign and you’ll be able to make your bedroom feel much bigger and brighter than it seems at first.

It is not necessary to do all ten of these tips, as even just completing a few of them can do the trick. Either way, the best small room tips will be different for everyone, so don’t hesitate to mix it up and try new things. 

1. Don’t Overdo It

One of Each Thing Saves Space

First and foremost, avoid excessive decor or furniture. The cardinal sin of setting up a small room layout is trying to do too much at once. The best thing to do is try to inhabit a minimalist state of mind, so avoid excessively garish decor or decorations that have too much going on.

Using complex decorations and furniture can lead to the entire room feeling cluttered, and this will make your project take longer since you’ll probably end up removing things.

This doesn’t mean that you cannot use fancy furniture in your small bedroom, but it does mean that it’s best to be selective. For the best results avoid anything that has excessive details such as tassels, fringes, or other decorative details.

2. Brighten Things Up

Sunlight Will Make a Room Feel Airier

By far the most effective way to make a room feel more spacious is with better lighting. Indeed, what better way to do that than with natural sunlight? To maximize how much light you get in your bedroom, install curtain holders that keep your curtains outside the window frame during the daytime.

Better yet, consider removing curtains as this will reduce clutter and also let in the most light. More compact shades can give you privacy when you need it and still save space.

Of course, we don’t all have great access to the sun’s rays, and if that’s the case for you, you’ll have to rely on artificial light. For the best results keep your extra light fixtures compact so that you don’t take up too much room with a complex light setup. For example, wall sconces are quite good for this purpose since they can be quite bright without taking up too much room.

Failing that, you can also get a generic floor lamp. These are simple to set up and don’t take up much room at all, all while drastically increasing brightness in your bedroom. 

3. Add Artwork

One Large Piece Can Make The Room Feel Bigger

This might seem contradictory, but adding the right artwork can actually help your bedroom feel airier. The trick is to use a few large frames that create a focal point in the room. To achieve the right feel, use small photos or paintings, but place them in large frames as this gives a sense of spaciousness.

If you want an art wall in your bedroom, the best way to do this is to have fewer paintings that are spaced further apart. This will avoid crowding and make a small bedroom feel a whole lot bigger.

However, it is also recommended that you only put artwork that really speaks to you. In other words, adding art pieces just to fill in the space might backfire because you might not like this aesthetic. To avoid this, take the time to select art pieces that are generally pleasing to your aesthetic sensibilities. 

4. Add Mirrors 

Create The Infinite Room Effect With a Wall of Mirrors

Mirrors are pretty cool things to use in a small room because when used right they can make a big difference in how airy the room feels. Frameless mirrors are best for solving our small bedroom woes since a large frame adds heft and clutter to the design we can do without. The ideal solution is to place a mirror across from a window as this will help to reflect light, thereby brightening up the space and removing the cramped feeling.

Barring that, you have some other options as well. For example, covering one wall with a large mirror will both reflect light and also give an “infinite room” effect, thereby making the bedroom seem like it is much bigger. You can also angle a mirror so that it reflects the room’s focal point for best results. A bunch of smaller mirrors clustered together can also achieve similar effects, but you risk making the room feel cluttered if you overdo it.

5. Declutter 

Reduce Clutter And Add Space

A true smart bedroom is one with good use of space. Clutter is always with us, and it is an inconvenience in any room. However, it is especially undesirable in a small bedroom because it can make it feel as if the walls are closing in. As such, the easiest way to make a bedroom immediately feel more spacious without major changes is to declutter.

Successfully decluttering a room means being systematic about it. This can take time but it is well worth it since decluttering a room thoroughly can make it easier to stop clutter from returning. Ultimately, the best way to remove clutter and keep it out is to get rid of as much useless stuff as possible.

When decluttering, try to ensure that most of the stuff you collect either goes in the trash, is donated, or is stored in a closet. Finding a place for everything will be much better long-term than moving the clutter to some other room. 

6. Rethink Furniture 

Large Furniture Is Fine if Used Sparingly

As with artwork, large pieces of furniture aren’t out of bounds so long as you use them strategically and sparingly. First off, try to recreate a small rectangular bedroom layout that matches the color of the room. For example, try to get a bed frame that matches the color of your walls. This will help the furniture to blend into the background, reducing cramping.

Multi-purpose furniture is perfect for this situation as well since it means you can cut down on having too much furniture in one place. A bed with built-in drawers is an ideal solution since it means you have a place for spare bedding as well as clothing and don’t have to buy a bulky closet.

Avoid anything that is too boxy when it comes to furniture, but do use furniture that has high legs, such as an upholstered armchair or chest of drawers as this can also create a sense of space. Transparent furniture, such as acrylic waterfall tables are also great choices because they too blend into the background and therefore reduce crowding.  

7. Use Lighter Colors

Lighter Colors Are Better For Small Bedrooms

To fully brighten things up in your small bedroom, it’s a good idea to use lighter colors. This means repainting walls with small white room decor as this will maximize the feeling of airiness even in the tiniest bedroom.

We recommend you go the extra mile and replace all your fabrics with lighter colored ones also. For instance, use light bedding fabrics and neutral-colored curtain treatments. Lighter colors will help to reflect light and make your small bedroom brighter.

To keep things interesting, you can tastefully offset this sea of beige by having an3 interesting and colorful pillowcase design. To reduce crowding even more consider ditching extra pillows that are on your bed since they’ll make everything feel stuffy. 

8. Optimize Storage 

One Chest Chest of Drawers Saves Space

If you’d prefer a standalone armoire or chest of drawers, the best policy is to get just one large version that can be used for storing everything. One large armoire can handily store your clothes, bedding, and towels with ease.

At the same time, using just one large piece of furniture reduces crowding since you don’t have to fill the room with multiple chests of drawers. A tall armoire also makes use of vertical space, thereby making the room feel less busy.