How to Open Up a Small Bedroom

Whether you’re looking to sell your home or simply enjoy living in it, one of the greatest domestic challenges that a homeowner can face is the classic small bedroom. The more bedrooms a house has, the more likely it is to appeal to family-oriented buyers. Unfortunately, in an effort to maximize the number of bedrooms in a given house, some builders have taken to cramming two smaller bedrooms into the space of what would’ve otherwise been one single, spacious room. Luckily, a homeowner can do several things to make those smaller bedrooms seem just a bit bigger.

Keep it light
Dark walls and carpet will only work to instantly shrink your space. To make a smaller bedroom look less tiny, paint the walls a light, neutral color. This will maximize any natural light that the room already gets while giving a larger overall appearance. The same goes for flooring — stick to lighter carpeting. For a small bedroom with hardwood floors, stay away from oversized area rugs or rugs with busy patterns and colors. The same goes for bedspreads, curtains, and any other decorative items in the room. The darker and busier the pattern, the more cramped the room is going to look. A good bedding choice for a small bedroom is a light-colored bedspread with a simple decorative trim. As for curtains, keep them airy; heavy curtains will only make the room look smaller than it already is.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Hanging a mirror or two on the walls of a small bedroom will really help open it up. Mirrors can make a room look brighter by reflecting any natural light that already comes in. They can also add to the illusion of a larger overall space.

Avoid oversized furniture
Perhaps the most obvious trick, smaller, compact furniture will make a tiny bedroom seem larger. If space is limited, go with a twin-sized bed, a tall, thin dresser, and a flat-screen, wall-mounted television. Also, replace any larger, bulkier floor lamps with recessed lighting or some type of wall-mounted light. The key is to free as much floor space as possible while making sure that the room remains functional.

Put your bed in the corner
The best place for a bed in a small bedroom is along a wall in the corner of the room. By keeping the bed off to the side, you’ll create a larger amount of free, unobstructed space in the middle of the room. The more movement a room allows for, the larger it will seem.

Add some high shelving
Large furniture items can really call attention to the limited size of a smaller bedroom. To open up the space as much as possible, replace a tall bookcase with high shelving. The shelves won’t take up any floor space, thereby freeing up precious walking space within the room.