16 Ways to Make a Small Bedroom Look Bigger

October 12, 2023

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a small bedroom look bigger, you’re in the right place. We’ll share designer tips that will make any small room feel larger.

It’s reveal day for Gavin’s bedroom makeover and it’s been a long time coming.

We began this bedroom makeover in June after finishing up Aiden’s bedroom makeover.

If you remember my boys decided to switch bedrooms and both wanted room makeovers.

And trying to renovate this bedroom with the kids out of school for summer break proved to be challenging at best!

Cars themed small bedroom before the makeover. Tool chest dresser, black bed with diamond plate, car themed gallery wall, black dresser with license plates.

Let’s take a quick look at what this bedroom looked like before the boys switched rooms and the insanity that ensued!

In this guide, we’ll delve into the art of illusion, utilizing the transformative powers of paint, harnessing natural light, mastering the magic of pattern, and making savvy furniture selections.

We’ll show you how to transform your small bedroom into a room that feels open, inviting, and surprisingly spacious.

In this post . . .

How to Make Your Small Bedroom Look Good?

When designing a small bedroom you may have a few questions about how to make your space look good.

Such as:

What colors will make a small bedroom look bigger?
What furniture will make a small bedroom look bigger?
What flooring makes a room feel bigger?

Achieving a stylish and inviting small bedroom may seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it’s entirely possible.

Topics you’ll find in this post include, selecting a color scheme that reflects your personal style while creating an illusion of space.

Clever storage solutions that help keep clutter at bay.

Selecting furniture that will make your bedroom feel larger.

Implement creative lighting options that will visually expand the room.

Mirrors strategically placed can create the illusion of a larger area, while thoughtful decor and minimalistic design choices will add a touch of style.

By combining these tips, you can transform your small bedroom into a cozy, well-designed retreat that feels larger.

Choose Furniture with Legs

Furniture with legs help a small space feel larger. Modern oak finish bed with black and rattan nightstands on legs.

Choosing furniture with legs can be a smart and stylish decision when designing your small bedroom.

Opting for pieces such as beds, chairs, nighstands and dressers with exposed legs can contribute to an open and airy feeling.

The elevated design allows light to flow underneath, creating a sense of space and preventing a heavy, crowded feel.

This not only enhances the overall aesthetic but also makes cleaning and maintenance more convenient.

Additionally, furniture with legs often comes in various styles, from sleek and modern to traditional, making it easy to find pieces that complement your decor.

In our case we transformed an old dresser with paint, cane, and added modern legs.

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Create Depth with an Accent wall

Make a small bedroom look bigger by wrapping board and batten accent all to the side walls. Rich evergreen color creates a sense of depth and dimension.

Incorporating a board and batten accent wall in a small bedroom is a brilliant way to create depth and dimension within limited space.

But this accent wall has a unique look, we brought the board and batten around on the side walls just a bit.

This classic architectural feature not only adds a touch of charm, but also visually extends the room’s boundaries.

By combining vertical boards with horizontal battens, the wall gains a textured look that tricks the eye into perceiving additional depth.

The play of light and shadow along the boards adds visual interest, making the space feel more dynamic and intriguing.

Plus the rich green color creates a cozy feel, but also makes this small bedroom look bigger.

If you’re new here, welcome! We’re so glad that you’re here.

Let us introduce ourselves, we’re Michelle and Steph, we a mom and daughter team who love to DIY and decorate our homes.

Not only are we passionate about making our homes warm comfortable and unique, but we’re also on a mission to help you create that same feeling in your own home.

We’re all about repurposing, creating, decorating and making your home truly yours, but always on a budget.

Undoubtedly we love finding ways to make your home look high-end on a small budget.

Plus you’ll also find a recipe or two as we share our family favorites with you.

We’d love it if you’d join our community of doers so you won’t miss any inspiration for your home.

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Keep Walls and Trim the Same color

Wall, moulding and doors are all painted the same white color to help this small bedroom feel larger. Black and rattan dresser staged with a black vase and grasses, framed photo and a rattan orb with a framed quote on the wall.

When it comes to designing a small bedroom, a clever strategy to unify the space is to paint the walls, trim moulding, and doors the same color.

This cohesive approach minimizes visual interruptions and creates a seamless backdrop that can make the room look more significant.

The absence of contrasting colors between the walls and trim eliminates boundaries, allowing the eye to travel freely and perceive a larger space.

This optical illusion imparts a feeling of airiness and openness, giving the impression that the room extends beyond its actual dimensions.

Go for Light Colored Walls

Light colored walls help a small bedroom feel larger, while the dark accent wall adds depth to this tiny room.

Opting for light colors on the walls is a powerful technique when it comes to making a small bedroom feel more spacious.

While these colors don’t necessarily have to be pure white, they work wonders in lending an expansive feel to the room.

Light shades, such as soft pastels or pale neutrals, reflect more natural and artificial light, brightening up the space and creating an open, airy ambiance.

Light-colored walls have the remarkable ability to visually push the boundaries of the room, making it appear larger than it actually is.

They also create a serene and calming atmosphere, which can be especially beneficial in a smaller bedroom, fostering a sense of tranquility and comfort.

Whether you choose a delicate cream, a gentle blue, or a subtle gray, the transformative effect of light colors is a design choice that can make your small bedroom feel significantly more expansive and inviting.

Let in the Natural Light

Fill a small room with natural light will help a tiny space feel larger. Neutral linen look window treatments with white wall and a green board an batten accent wall, neutral bedding, black pendant lights.

Leveraging natural light is a key strategy in making a small bedroom look bigger and more inviting.

Sunlight has a magical quality of erasing boundaries and creating a sense of openness.

It infiltrates the space, bounces off surfaces, and washes the room in a warm, inviting glow.

By maximizing the exposure to natural light with minimal window treatments that don’t block the light and strategically placed mirrors to reflect light, you can eliminate shadows and make the room feel brighter and more spacious.

This infusion of light not only accentuates the design elements but also evokes a sense of airiness.

Harnessing natural light is a simple yet highly effective way to create an open and welcoming atmosphere in your small bedroom.

Window Treatments

Choosing the right window treatments can be a game-changer when it comes to making a small bedroom appear more expansive.

One essential tip is to hang them from the ceiling and extend beyond the window frame.

By doing this, you visually elongate the walls, drawing the eyes upward and outward, thus creating the illusion of height and width.

This technique not only makes the window appear grander, but also allows more natural light to pour into the room.

Opt for sheer curtains or blinds to maintain an open and airy feel while still providing privacy.

The careful selection and placement of window treatments can significantly impact the overall perception of space in your small bedroom, giving it a sense of grandeur and charm.

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Declutter

Decluttering a small bedroom is a crucial step in making it appear more spacious and inviting.

The importance of decluttering lies in the simple principle of creating a clean, organized environment that allows the room’s true potential to shine.

By removing excess items, unnecessary furniture, and personal belongings, you free up physical space and reduce visual clutter.

This not only makes the room feel less crowded but also helps to establish a calming, uncluttered atmosphere, which is essential in a small space.

When each element in the room has its designated place, the sense of order allows for a more open and breathable ambiance.

A decluttered bedroom also allows natural and artificial light to bounce off surfaces more freely, enhancing the sense of spaciousness.

Ultimately, decluttering is not just about aesthetics; it’s a practical and transformative approach to make the most of your small bedroom, turning it into a serene retreat that feels more expansive and comfortable.

Implement Clever Storage Ideas

Making a small bedroom look bigger with creative organization. The closet has a custom built organizer to maximize the space. Also a 4 drawer black and ratttan dresser help to keep this tiny room organized

Implementing clever storage options in a small bedroom is a game-changing strategy for maximizing space and maintaining a clutter-free oasis.

The key lies in finding creative solutions that utilize every nook and cranny.

One of the areas in Gavin’s small bedroom that we implemented better organization was the closet.

In fact, we gutted it, removing all of the shelves and rod.

Then we built a custom shoe organizer for his shoe collection.

Hey mom’s, do your kids love shoes?

I mean the expensive ones, they mostly like to just look at?

Other options you may consider are wall-mounted shelves, multifunctional furniture and under-bed storage drawers.

There are countless ways to make the most of available space.

These clever storage solutions not only help keep your belongings organized and accessible but also free up valuable floor space, making the room feel more open and uncluttered.

By optimizing storage, you can create a well-organized and visually spacious bedroom that allows you to enjoy your living space to the fullest.

Choose Rug Wisely

A light colored rug that is an appropriate size for this small bedroom. White oak finish modern bed with neutral bedding.

Selecting the right size and color of a rug is a crucial aspect of designing a small bedroom.

When it comes to size, it’s essential to strike a balance between functionality and aesthetics.

A rug that is too small can make the room feel disconnected make the room appear smaller than it is, while an oversized rug can overwhelm the space.

Ideally, the rug should fit under the major furniture pieces, defining the central area and creating a sense of cohesiveness.

In terms of color, opt for lighter shades that complement the room’s palette to maintain a sense of airiness.

Light-colored rugs can visually expand the space, making it feel more open, while darker rugs can create a cozy and intimate atmosphere.

The right rug, both in size and color, can harmonize the room’s design and enhance the overall perception of space in your small bedroom, adding a touch of comfort and style.

Select a Slender Bed Frame

Modern bed with slender lines help this small room feel larger.

Choosing a slender bed frame is a smart decision when designing a small bedroom.

These streamlined frames are an excellent way to maximize space, as their reduced width and minimalistic design create a lighter and more open vibe.

In a small bedroom, every inch counts, and bed frame with simple slim lines allows for more floor space and improved traffic flow.

Additionally, the simplicity of the design can make your small bedroom feel less crowded.

In our room, we took a Facebook Market place find and transformed it into a modern streamlined bed and then applied a faux rifted white oak finish.

Use Pattern to Your Advantage

Utilizing pattern strategically can be a powerful tool in making a small bedroom feel more spacious and dynamic.

Patterns, when used thoughtfully, can draw the eye and create a sense of depth.

As in the way our board and batten accent wall added dimension to our small bedroom, incorporating vertical stripes or patterns that lead the gaze upward can visually elongate the walls, making the room appear taller.

Similarly, patterns on the floor, like a striped rug, can elongate or widen the room.

In our bedroom we used pattern on the bed with a striped coverlet.

Contrasting patterns on curtains, bedding, or accent pieces can add visual interest, making the room feel more dynamic and engaging.

However, it’s important not to overdo it; too many busy patterns can have the opposite effect.

By harnessing the potential of patterns, you can turn a small bedroom into an aesthetically pleasing and seemingly more substantial space, adding layers of visual depth and dimension to your design.

Add a Mirror

Add depth and light to a tiny room with the addition of a mirror. Simple arched mirror hung on the wall with simple art. White walls with a rich green accent wall, white oak modern bed with neutral bedding, black and rattan nightstands, black pendant lights.

Incorporating a mirror into a small bedroom is a tried-and-true technique for creating the illusion of more space.

Mirrors, by nature, reflect light as well as create a sense of depth, making them a powerful tool in visually expanding a room.

Placing a well-positioned mirror, such as a large one on one wall, can instantly double the perceived size of the bedroom.

It bounces natural and artificial light around the room, brightening it and giving a more open and airy feeling.

Mirrors not only enhance the room’s illumination but also add a touch of elegance and sophistication.

They also create a sense of depth, making the space seem larger and more inviting.

Whether it’s a full-length mirror or an artful wall mirror, the transformative impact of mirrors is a simple yet highly effective way to make your small bedroom appear more spacious and visually appealing.

Don’t Over Crowd the Bedroom

Avoiding overcrowding is a fundamental principle when designing a small bedroom.

It’s a common mistake to overfill a small space, placing furniture from wall to wall.

Just because it fits in the room, doesn’t meet it should be in the space.

Clearly an excess of furniture and decor can create a feeling of claustrophobia and impede the functionality of the room.

Select a few essential pieces and keep pathways clear, you’ll maintain an open and airy feel.

Streamlined furniture, multi-functional pieces, and thoughtful storage solutions are key.

Remember that less can be more in a small bedroom; each element should have a purpose and contribute to the overall aesthetic.

Maintaining a sense of openness not only makes the room feel more comfortable, but also visually expands its dimensions, creating a more inviting and harmonious space to relax and unwind in.

Furniture Scale

In a small bedroom, don't overcrowd the room with furniture. Small black and rattan nightstands on legs flank the white oak modern bed with neutral bedding. Black pendant lights hang over each nightstand.

Furniture scale is a crucial aspect of interior design, impacting not only the functionality of a space but also its visual aesthetics.

Choose furniture that is appropriately sized and proportioned to fit the room.

In a small bedroom, getting the scale right is particularly important as oversized furniture can disrupt the balance and flow of the room.

Additionally, multifunctional furniture, such as a storage ottoman or a daybed with drawers, can be invaluable in maximizing utility without sacrificing style.

Create a layout of your room with the desired furniture on graph paper or digitally and allow open space to ensure that your room will not feel overcrowded.

The correct furniture scale helps create a harmonious, well-balanced environment, ensuring that the room functions well and feels visually cohesive, making the most of your available space.

Use Sconces or Pendant Lights

Incorporating wall sconces or pendant lights into your small bedroom can have a transformative effect on the ambiance and functionality of a space.

Wall sconces, with their ability to add both ambient and accent lighting, are an excellent choice for small bedrooms where space is at a premium.

They save valuable floor and table space and can be strategically placed to illuminate specific areas or create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Pendant lights, on the other hand, are versatile and can be used as statement pieces, drawing the eye upward to add a sense of height to a room.

When thoughtfully selected and positioned, these lighting fixtures not only serve a practical purpose but also contribute to the overall aesthetic, making a small bedroom feel larger and visually appealing.

I need to share a little secret with you…

Our pendant lights are not hardwired!

We mounted them to the ceiling and then added remote control battery lightbulbs!

Select Window Treatments to Blend with Walls

To help a small bedroom look bigger select window treatments that are the same tone as the wall color. Linen look drapery panels hung to the ceiling on a white wall.

Choosing window treatments that blend with the walls is a savvy design choice for several reasons.

When the color or pattern of your curtains or blinds complements the wall color, they seamlessly blend into the room’s overall aesthetic.

This creates a sense of continuity and helps to visually expand the space.

By eliminating a stark contrast between the walls and window treatments, the room appears more cohesive and uncluttered.

This technique also allows other design elements to take center stage, whether it’s the furniture, decor, or architectural features.

It’s a subtle yet effective way to create a harmonious, unifying effect in a small bedroom, making it look bigger, more open and visually inviting.

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Final Thoughts

In the quest to make a small bedroom look bigger, it’s clear that the small design details can make all the difference.

From the clever use of color, lighting, and mirrors to strategic furniture choices and creative storage solutions can truly make a huge impact on the way your small bedroom feels.

By thoughtfully implementing these design principles, you can transform your small bedroom into a cozy, visually open, and harmonious retreat.

Remember that making a small bedroom look bigger isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a functional and inviting environment where you can truly relax and unwind.

With a touch of creativity, a dash of practicality, and a keen eye for balance, your small bedroom can become a haven that feels both welcoming and visually expansive.

Clearly proving that size truly doesn’t limit the potential for style and comfort.

Did you find some inspiration today that you can use in your home?!

Thanks for spending some time with us today, we hope you’ve been inspired to implement a few of these ideas to make a small bedroom in your home feel larger!

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