Maximizing space in a small bedroom Having a small bedroom is a fairly common issue that plenty of people face. Anyone who has lived in an apartment before might understand the struggles of occupying a tiny space. We must admit, dealing with a cramped bedroom isn’t the most ideal scenario. However, thanks to the wonders […]
Having a small bedroom is a fairly common issue that plenty of people face. Anyone who has lived in an apartment before might understand the struggles of occupying a tiny space. We must admit, dealing with a cramped bedroom isn’t the most ideal scenario. However, thanks to the wonders of interior design (with a bit of help from optical illusions), it is possible to circumvent this.
In fact, be it your bedroom or otherwise, these tips can help anyone who’s trying to maximize their space in a small room. Facing design issues due to the limited space you have? Well, read on!
Most apartment dwellers understand just how much under-bed storage saves lives. Of course, not literally. But it is definitely one of the top spaces in your room you can use to maximize storage while still keeping your room looking minimal and tidy.
Additional tip: Forgo the headboard to create more space on the walls and make the room look visually spacious. Alternatively, you can customize your headboard to have storage sections — win-win!
Besides under-bed storage and bedside storage, the choice of bed also matters. If your goal is to reduce the amount of space your bed takes up, consider using trundle beds, bunk beds, daybeds, or retractable beds. On the other hand, if your aim is to maximize the storage space that your bed offers, murphy beds and loft beds do the trick as well. The list is endless.
Additional tip: Try placing your bed against the window. Wall space is scarce in a small room, so make use of every inch — which means shaking things up and placing your bed right beneath the window instead of up against the wall.
Speaking of all those beds, the same concept can be applied to the rest of the furniture in your bedroom as well. Opt for foldable or retractable pieces of furniture, such as folding tables and folding chairs. If you’re able to make a small table work, you can even go for a C table, which can be tucked away under the bed every time you’re done with it.
Think outside the box! Apart from your bed, your dresser and nightstand could also be two-in-one. Don’t have enough space for both? Use your dresser as a nightstand — or better yet, find large nightstands with drawers to put your clothes in instead.
Additional tip: Keep a small chair in the corner as a catchall for clothes, pillows, or whatever items get flung around during one of your hectic moments.
Though it may be a more expensive option, installing fitted furniture works wonders for making a small bedroom that much more spacious. Overhead wardrobes and built-in shelving allow you to keep your possessions in compact compartments that don’t get in your way.
A similar idea to getting fitted furniture is to mount any possible pieces of furniture. Have floating racks, shelves, or tables so as to scrimp on your floor space! Remember, walls can also be considered a resource when it comes to having a small bedroom.
Additional tip: Say no to floor lights or table lights! Get hanging lights instead to free up your physical space.
Tall canopies and/or curtains can help to highlight the vertical space in a room and make it seem larger than it actually is. Following the same concept, you can also utilize floor-to-ceiling storage units to emphasize the height of your room and create more storage space as well. Long, tall, and narrow storage cabinets do the trick!
Additional tip: Use the curtains or the vertical storage units to act as a room divider. This can also make your room appear bigger.
Many interior designers follow these tips when attempting to create the illusion of space. One — to opt for bigger windows so as to let more light in. Having more light in the room can help to visually push back the corners of the room and make a space feel more open and airy. Mirrors help in this case as well to reflect the light bouncing around the room.
Last but not least, interior designers will opt for glass or acrylic furniture to contribute to this illusion as well. This is because their see-through designs do not take up visual space or demand visual attention. Even with the clear furniture in the room, occupants can still see the entire room (or most of it, at least), which adds to the illusion that the room is spacious.
It is a known fact that lighter and brighter colours reflect more light rays, whereas dark colours would absorb them. This is the reason why light colours have the effect of “opening up” a room to make it feel more spacious. Thus, if you wish to make your room look wider, choose complimentary white tones and stick to a light colour palette for the entire room. Having the same colour scheme for the entire space reduces the contrasts in the room, making it more difficult to tell where things begin and end.
Additional tip: Although bold pops of colour can look cluttered, it is not entirely impossible to use it without visually shrinking your room. Use dark shades for the floor, while keeping the ceiling light to avoid visually bringing it lower. Remember to stick to a central colour theme!
There have been plenty of creative wallpaper designs designed to bring about the illusion of a bigger room. For instance, engaging the use of a bookshelf wallpaper can create the illusion that there is more space in the room than there actually is.
If you’re not into complicated designs, however, a simple striped wallpaper will do the trick. The horizontal lines will give the visual effect of widening and elongating the room. For a classier alternative, opt for horizontal wood planking.
Most people have the misconception that in order to save space in a small bedroom, it is necessary to use smaller furniture. In fact, normal-sized furnishings can actually make a small room look bigger. On the other hand, miniature furniture can actually look off-putting against a larger bed frame and do not offer any functional uses.
Additional tip: One can also use bigger furniture as well — even in a small room. The key to this is to reduce the amount of furnishings. Instead of pushing all your furniture up against the walls, leave some space between to make the room look more spacious than it actually is.
Decorating a small bedroom is no easy feat. Make no mistake — just because a room is small, doesn’t mean you can get away with not decorating it. Sure, keeping the layout simple is key to making a small room appear uncluttered, but do not confuse that for the lack of need to decorate. Rather than racking your head for ideas of how to maximize your room storage, why not let Blaine Robert Design come up with a suitable design for you instead? Get both storage and style for your room!
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