Headboard for small room
11 Tricks to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger
By
Michelle Ullman
Michelle Ullman
Michelle Ullman is a home decor expert and product reviewer for home and garden products. She’s currently the commerce editor for home improvement and tools on The Spruce. She has been writing about home decor for over 10 years for publications like BobVila.com and Better Homes & Gardens, among others.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
and
Lacey Ramburger
Lacey Ramburger
Lacey Ramburger is a personality assessment expert based in Kansas City, Missouri, with more than five years of experience. Her areas of expertise include Zodiac, Myers-Briggs, and the Enneagram. She is the author of the book "Being Whole" and dozens of articles on personality assessments and relationships.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 01/31/22
The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto
If you have a small bedroom, you’re not alone—it’s one of the most common bedroom decorating issues. You have to remodel to add actual square footage, but luckily, there are decorating tricks to fool the eye into seeing your bedroom as larger than it actually is. Here are 11 bedrooms that show you how to make your room look bigger.
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01 of 11
Use Vertical Space
Modern House Vibes/Instagram
When you’re dealing with a small room, think vertical. You might not have much floor space, but by using the walls right up to the ceiling, you use the space you have more efficiently while drawing the eye upwards, making the room seem larger.
Built-in shelves that extend from floor to ceiling are a great way to add storage, interest, and visual space to a bedroom, but unfortunately, they aren’t an option for everyone.
An easy alternative is investing in a tall headboard and hanging artwork or other decor above the bed, taking up the full extent of the space. -
02 of 11
Choose Furniture With Legs
Home Consultant
Give your furniture a lift with legs to create an airy, open feel in the bedroom. Not every piece needs to be legged, but try to have at least one piece with some height, whether it’s your nightstands, dresser, or bed. The midcentury modern decorating style is perfect for small rooms, as most of the furniture is elevated on thin legs. The more floor and wall that shows, the larger your room will appear. Notice the bed frame in this room—the legs aren’t especially tall but add just enough height to help enlarge the space.
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03 of 11
Match Window Treatments to the Walls
Hannah Tyler Designs
While large bedrooms can make great use of drapes or blinds that contrast with the walls, it’s better to match your walls and window treatments in a small bedroom.
This keeps the eye moving across the space, fooling it into seeing the bedroom as a little bit bigger than it really is. Notice how in the small, white bedroom shown here, paneling adds a bit of texture to the walls yet seamlessly blends into the windowpane. That’s how you add interest without making the space look smaller. -
04 of 11
Use Sconces by the Bed
The Spruce / Alyssa Vela
Instead of taking up space on your nightstand with bedside lamps, install sconces above and slightly to the side of your headboard. This works to draw the eye upward, helps to give the room an open, airy look, and reduces visual clutter around your bed. Adjustable sconces are perfect for nighttime reading—just move the light right where you need it, and push it back when you’re done.
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05 of 11
Keep Furniture in Scale
Erin Williamson Design
A small room doesn’t have to mean tiny furniture, but it does mean that you’ll need to find pieces that match in scale and are sized appropriately for your space.
A king-sized bed flanked with two tiny nightstands looks silly. Instead, choose a bed size that allows you to fit at least one or two nightstands large enough to hold their own beside the mattress, like the bedroom shown here. Your dresser should match the nightstand in scale—often, a dresser that is tall and narrow works better than a wide, short piece in a small room.
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06 of 11
Try a Light Palette
Michelle Boundreau Design
You’ve probably heard that white opens up a room, and that is generally true. But that doesn’t mean that your bedroom needs to resemble an operating room. You don’t need to decorate in all white, but it helps to stick with a soft, light palette. Pastels work wonderfully in small rooms, as do whispery-light shades of gray.
Try white mixed with one bright or mid-tone color, such as the blue and white shown here. For the most impact, stick with cool colors—shades of soft blue, green, and purple help enlarge a space, while the warmer hues have the opposite effect.
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07 of 11
Stick to Thin or No Drapes
Alvin Wayne
Natural light is one of the best resources at your disposal to help make a room feel larger, so take advantage of it. If you can keep your windows bare and unadorned, it can make your room feel like it's connected to the outside space, making it feel larger. If you still want some privacy, you can implement curtains—just try to stick to thinner ones and still allow light to shine through.
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08 of 11
Try a Mostly White Color Scheme
The Spruce / Alyssa Vela
White color schemes can work effectively to make a small space feel open and spacious. You don't have to keep every wall a sterile shade, but you can play around with texture and shades to see what works best for you. Adding in lighter neutral accents like the wooden bed frame shown here can add a small amount of diversity without cramping the space—or the style.
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09 of 11
Try Stylish Bunk Beds
The Spruce / Alyssa Vela
Smaller spaces aren't always forgiving enough to easily fit multiple beds, making the room feel cramped.
Bunk beds can be a simple way to use some of the vertical space you have available without taking up unneeded square footage. Bunk beds don't have to be basic, though—there are plenty of stylish and modern options that will wow your kids or even guests who are staying over. -
10 of 11
Try Floating Nightstands
The Spruce / Alyssa Vela
While you may be familiar with floating shelves, but what about floating nightstands? Rather than tables that have bulky legs or boxy styles that take up floor space, installing the floating versions allows for plenty of extra space to be revealed. This gives the illusion of more space while still giving you a place to place a lamp or alarm clock.
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11 of 11
Try a Different Rug Placement
Mindy Gayer / Photo by Lane Dittoe
We know rugs can play a vital part in a layout and design, and certain tricks can change up the entire feel of the whole room. Placing your rug at the foot of the bed and having only half the bed sitting on it can create an elongated effect, tricking your eye into believing there is more space and what is actually present.
You can also use the trick in other parts of the room, placing only the front or the back legs of pieces of furniture on the rug for the same idea.
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Watch Now: 3 Ways to Make Your Small Space Appear Bigger
How to make a small bedroom look bigger: 16 expert tips
(Image credit: Future)
If you need to know how to make a small bedroom look bigger, these clever ways to fake square footage are for you.
There are several small bedroom ideas and interior design tricks you can employ to make your sleep sanctuary feel more spacious than it actually is – all you need is a little creativity and to make a few key adjustments.
How to make a small bedroom look bigger
We've gathered the top tricks interior designers use so you can learn how to make a small bedroom look bigger.
1. Use vertical space to 'lift' the ceiling
(Image credit: Kitesgrove)
Firstly, how cozy does this bedroom look? Despite the size of this space, it still comfortably fits a bed, small sofa and armchair – and the built-in bookcase.
It works because the fabulous interior design team at Kitesgrove have used the vertical space to create built-in small bedroom storage ideas, and made the room feel larger as a result.
The walls are your ally when floor space is next to nothing and you're looking for bedroom ideas that are inventive with space, so go on up. This also draws the eye upwards – tricking us into seeing space as bigger than it is with nifty design tricks is what we’re after in small bedrooms.
2. Fit a bed under the eaves
(Image credit: Future)
When looking for beds for small rooms, a cabin bed should be just what you are after. Usually constructed against a wall, in a corner, or under the eaves, this chic bunk offers a secluded, snug and secure feel for the best night’s sleep for all ages. This simple place to snooze also makes light work of storage with pull-out storage drawers underneath.
Originally designed to be a space-saving sleep solution for longer periods of travel aboard boats and trains, cabin beds, or captain’s beds, were designed as a stow-and-sleep furniture piece.
they were soon adopted in country houses due to their rather quaint character and charm, and have become a popular staple of smaller spaces and kids' rooms. A cabin bed mounted onto tall, sturdy legs can allow room for more play spaces and desks, while a ladder adds an element of excitement to bedtime.
3. Invest in handleless storage
(Image credit: Future)
Sleek, clean and fuss-free, handleless bedroom storage brings a streamlined and contemporary edge to your space. The simplicity of the design acts like a blank canvas that you can build any style into, be it Scandinavian, industrial or even rustic. This design is especially popular for tiny bedrooms, as they visually take up less space.
Decorate and furnish your small room just as you would any other room – think textures and patterns – for a tiny bedroom that’s just as inviting and cozy as the rest of your home.
4. Exaggerate vertical space with vertical panels
(Image credit: Nest)
Whether you have a high ceiling in your space or not, you can make a small bedroom look bigger by exaggerating the room's ceiling height with vertical panels or stripes.
This is overt in this room – but even a vertically striped wallpaper will do the trick.
Designed by Anderssen & Voll, this Muuto mirror creates reflections, too, maximizing the light in the room. Learning how to use mirrors successfully will open up your bedroom space, and they’re an affordable option too. Simply placing a mirror somewhere that it can reflect a window will instantly give rooms a spacious feel.
5. Pick a tall headboard
(Image credit: Neptune)
When space is tight, you can use clever headboard ideas to make it feel bigger. You don’t want to fill it with a large chunky headboard that dominates the room – as lovely as they are, it’s not the right fit in this situation.
Instead, opt for a visually lightweight design that has an elegant profile. Here, a tall headboard that leads the eye upwards helps create the impression of a taller space, while its light color is a positive contrast to the darker shade used on the walls.
6.
Lean a floor-standing mirror adjacent to a window(Image credit: The Fox Group)
‘My number one small-space trick is decorating with mirrors to visually open up a space to the eye,’ says Cara Fox, owner and lead designer of The Fox Group .
‘Fill a tight nook in a bedroom with a floor-length mirror to make it appear larger. They are great for adding a functional yet decorative element in any space.’
Placing a mirror adjacent to a window is the best position for it to reflect the maximum amount of light.
If your bedroom scheme is pretty plain, then a gold floor-length mirror with a hint of detail on the top curve will work wonders to add a warmer feel to the scheme.
7. Choose furniture with slim, tapered legs
(Image credit: Sofa.com)
If you can see right beneath pieces of furniture then your bedroom will automatically feel more spacious. If your room has high ceilings, a bed on tall legs will feel more in proportion; in a room with a lower ceiling, a low-slung bed will feel more appropriate.
Either way, this does mean you can’t store items underneath your bed, so you will need to work your storage ideas hard to compensate – or use this idea when decorating a guest bedroom that will have less storage requirements.
The same rule applies for bedside tables and dressing table – even occasional chairs. A leggy design will work in exactly the same space-enhancing way.
8. Use an over mantel mirror to broaden a small space
(Image credit: Kasha Paris/Idha Lindhag)
We asked Betsy Kasha, co-founder of Paris based interior design studio Kasha Paris , for her thoughts on utilizing mirrors in bedrooms.
‘Unlike bathroom or dressing room mirrors, bedroom mirrors are more for mood than practicality, and so an old mercury mirror, with its charming imperfections, is appropriate.
'This is especially true of more traditional rooms that have the mirror built in above the chimney. They tend to be higher up than bathroom mirrors, offering an interesting perspective on the room and catching the natural light.
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9. Pick low-slung furniture to fake a higher ceiling
(Image credit: Clarke & Clarke)
A bed that's lower than the standard height, coupled with a shorter bedside table, will allow for more wall space. This will help to make your bedroom feel larger, like in this eclectic scheme by Clarke & Clarke Interiors .
It’s all about playing with scale and keeping the main pieces of furniture lower in height and subtle – look out for pieces that aren’t specifically bedside tables for this, such as a stool or handcrafted side table.
10. Boost square footage – and light – with alcove mirrors
(Image credit: Future/Brent Darby)
Mirror, mirror – often forgotten but oh-so-useful, the humble mirror can really transform a space. If you hang it near a window it will bounce the light around and reflect beautifully, it’s an interior design trick that’s definitely worth doing.
We love the doubled effect of the mirror in the alcoves and on the chimney breast of this bedroom – a perfect space-enhancing trick when considering apartment bedroom ideas .
‘Mirrors can be used in a myriad of ways in interiors: for more creative tasks like making a statement as an art piece, or for more traditional and functional reasons such as brightening a room. With a huge variety of designs, styles and finishes on the market, there is something to fit in with any decorating scheme,’ says Arlene McIntyre, creative director of Ventura Design .
(Image credit: Ventura)
'Adding a mirror into a room can alter a space, perfect for drawing the eye to a specific feature in the room or deflecting attention away from an awkward aspect such as a sloping ceiling or dark corner. An oval or circular mirror will work wonders above a chest of drawers or bed to open up a room and create layers of symmetry, however if space is limited, a mirrored wardrobe will free up wall and floor space. Don't forget the space each side of your bed, where you can create your own alcoves with mirrors.’
11. Swap table lamps for space-enhancing wall lights
(Image credit: Industville)
We’re big fans of wall lights – they can be stylish and are space-saving bedroom lighting ideas .
If your bedroom is small you might have to compromise on the width of your bedside table, which means any space you can get back is a bonus. The answer is to install wall lights on each side of the bed, like in this room by House Nine Design .
‘Utilizing wall lights next to your bed is a bold style statement that offers a new element to your bedroom décor while saving you from the clunky lamps that take up valuable space on the bedside table,' comments Marketa Rypacek, managing director at Industville .
'The number one consideration for lighting any space, no matter what the size, scale or budget, has to be a dimmer switch. Dimmer switches are a quick and cost-effective way of offering multiple lighting levels in a space, allowing the homeowner to set the tone and change the atmosphere of a room instantly.’
(Image credit: Penny Morrison)
Bold designs, be they wallpaper or fabrics, will fill a space visually, so choose small and intricate designs instead – perfect if cozy bedroom ideas are more to your taste, as these create a homely feel like in this traditional design by Penny Morrison .
You can still experiment with scale, but opt for pared-back prints and choose designs that complement each other in terms of their colors; that way whether you pick a paisley, stripe or a simple two–tone design they will have something in common, which in turn creates a calmer, more spacious-feeling bedroom.
13. Paint walls in a barely there color
(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)
We asked Patrick O’Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball for his advice on how to make a small bedroom look bigger.
‘I would keep your bedroom colour ideas light and airy, and try to avoid too many contrasts by using one color for all surfaces – even the ceiling and built-in wardrobes. This is where soft, light colors work best, so go for a soft, nuanced white bedroom or delicate pastel shades.’
This is where a shade like Cabbage White (above) comes in; it’s a more subtle shade than a bright white but will have the same space creating effect. It has a hint of blue and will cool down a room that gets a lot of sun, too.
14. Make bulky furniture seem slimmer with mirrors
(Image credit: VSP Interiors)
It’s not just bog-standard mirrors that will reflect and make your bedroom feel larger; mirrored furniture can do the trick perfectly too, even when it comes to bed ideas .
‘A four-poster bed creates a cozy room-within-a-room, ideal when dealing with a space that is not so large,’ explains Henriette von Stockhausen, co-founder of VSP Interiors .
‘This bed was crafted to stand almost 3 meters tall, so as not to be dwarfed by the high ceilings, and mirrored glass was chosen rather than traditional timber or metal in order to create a wow factor.
'An antique finish to the mirror gives a gentle, mirrored effect, yet provides beautiful reflections of the outside world.’
15. Create a nook bed to fake square footage
(Image credit: Little Greene)
Small bedroom layouts can be tricky, so if you are juggling with ideas for how to arrange a small bedroom , consider a this: divide the sleeping area off with a nook bed , leaving the rest of the floor in the central part of the room free.
These might make walls advance, but they also create an incredibly neat-looking, space-efficient room, since storage above and around the bed can be hidden within the nook, creating a calmer, less cluttered room outside of it. Plus, they're wonderfully comfortable to sleep in.
16. Create a faux wall with a drape
(Image credit: Neptune)
With most rooms in the house having to work a little harder as more of us are working from home, the peaceful haven of our bedrooms has had to adapt slightly. Or perhaps you're looking for box room ideas that can allow a small bedroom to function as both an office and guest space?
In this instance, there are some clever ways to make it work whilst still making it feel spacious. Splitting the room by having a drape hung three-quarters or halfway across the room ensures you have that work life balance, both mentally and visually.
Keep the scheme predominantly light and airy so it doesn’t feel closed in. This bedroom by Neptune feels spacious with the green feature wall and the desk area, due to the rest of the walls, drapes, furniture and rugs being white and neutral.
What colors make a small bedroom look bigger?
Colors that make a small bedroom look bigger tend to be those that reflect light, from the wide selection of whites to pastels and diluted primaries.
However, don't just rely on colors when planning how to make a small bedroom look bigger – paint and bedroom wallpaper ideas will also have an effect, with those that have a soft sheen reflecting space-enhancing light usefully from both walls and the ceiling. Bear in mind, though, that sheens will show up imperfections more than matte finishes, so plasterwork needs to be in good shape.
Do low beds make a room look bigger?
Low beds do make a room look bigger, and the same can be applied to all furniture, in all rooms.
However, just because a room is small, that doesn't mean the ceiling is low; if the ceiling is tall in a small room, you want to mitigate the poor proportions, and using taller furniture – or even a tall headboard – can do this.
That said, if your room has a low ceiling, a low bed is your best choice.
Sophie has been an interior stylist and journalist for over 20 years and has worked for many of the main interior magazines during that time, both in-house and as a freelancer. On the side, as well as being the News Editor for indie magazine, 91, she trained to be a florist in 2019 and launched The Prettiest Posy where she curates beautiful flowers for modern weddings and events. For H&G, she writes features about interior design – and is known for having an eye for a beautiful room.
5 beautiful storage options at the head of the bed
1 Shelf behind the bed
The simplest storage option that can be arranged at the head of the bed is a long shelf. It can be part of the bed frame or run flush with it so that it feels like a one-piece structure. This shelf can be used as an alternative to bedside tables. It will help out if there is no extra space on the sides of the bed or it is occupied by other furniture. On the shelf, you can place posters and large-format photographs, set an alarm clock, small lamps, a phone with a charger, and other necessary things.
It is advisable to run sockets there so that you can charge gadgets and turn on the lights without stretching wires across the room.
Social networks of the studio "Two Katya"
2 Hidden drawers
The less attention the headboard storage draws, the better. The ideal option is when it can be completely disguised as a wall. This requires minimalistic facades without fittings with inconspicuous seams between the doors. You can choose them to match the paint on the walls or, conversely, make them in a different color - you get the effect of a color block. If you need more storage space, extend the sections up to the ceiling. Or they can be quite small - the size and capacity depend on the number of things and the availability of other storage systems. To make the design visually lighter, you can use glass or mirror inserts.
Social networks of designer Anastasia Gut
3 Cabinet system
One of the headboard storage options is U-shaped cabinets, on the sides and under the ceiling.
This design frames the bed, and the headboard falls into the resulting niche. There you can make local lighting: for example, pendant lights built into the lower facades of cabinets. So you save space on the bedside tables and get an additional lighting scenario for the bed. To make the furniture look lighter, choose the most simple facades of light shades. Such a storage system, with proper organization, may well become a replacement for a standard wardrobe.
Milia studio social networks
4 Combination of open and closed shelves
A completely closed storage system is not always convenient. If you do not have open shelves or niches, then you will simply have nowhere to store those small items that should always be at hand in the bedroom. For example, it is less convenient to get a book, a smartphone or a charger for it from a closed box. If you do not plan to put bedside tables, then be sure to consider the presence of open shelves in the storage system at the head.
They will play the role of a convenient surface on which the necessary items will lie.
Social networks of furniture studio Mebel Shafa
5 Shoe racks instead of cabinets
An unexpected move for storage design is to use shoe racks as drawers. They are quite compact and easy to open. The compartment swings open at about 45° at the top, so you don't have to leave a lot of space for opening cabinet doors or drawers. At the same time, you can easily get the things you need, especially if they are stacked. In this way, you can organize the storage of bed linen, pajamas, home clothes or bath textiles.
IKEA
Prepared by
Elena Perlova
small apartmentsFashionable headboard: 8 ideas for the bedroom
TipsDesigns
Bed The Intimate Suite, Etro Home Interiors.
Full Wall
A full wall headboard looks great, making the bed the centerpiece of the bedroom. In addition, a high headboard visually raises the ceiling, and a long horizontal model can expand the boundaries of space.
Apartment in Moscow. Project by Artem Babayants.
Multifunctional
Headboard with extra storage is a real find for a small bedroom. On the shelves you can arrange books, baskets with cosmetics and necessary little things or decor items. Also, the multifunctional headboard can be equipped with lamps and bedside tables.
Project by Ilona Menshakova.
Semi-circular
Soft shapes and flowing lines always make the room more comfortable, which is especially true for the bedroom. A semi-circular headboard with a laconic design will perfectly fit into the interior of any style, from classic to minimalism.
House in the suburbs. Project by Yulia Andrievskaya.
Semicircular headboard
Dimensions: 100x110 cm, 120x120 cm, 150x130 cm, 180x140 cm
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From rattan
Rattan is a durable and at the same time flexible material that can take on a variety of shapes. The headboard with elegant weaving will become a real decoration of the bedroom and bring a touch of boho-chic to the interior.
House in Brazil. Designed by Talita Nogueira Arquitetura.
Rattan headboard
Size: 120 x 110 cm
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Capitone
The upholstered headboard with capitone finish has long become an ageless classic. Its main advantage is a wide choice of materials: from soft velvet and corduroy to smooth leather. Also, with the help of a headboard, you can bring bright colors to the interior by choosing upholstery with a bold print.
Project of TB.Design studio.
Upholstered vertical sections
The upholstered headboard looks just as elegant as the capitonnè. In addition, vertical lines set the rhythm and bring dynamics to the interior, and as a bonus, they visually increase the height of the ceilings.
