These Small Bedroom Ideas Prove That Small Is the New Big
How do you make the most of small spaces? It is a conundrum that has confronted city dwellers across the world as well as anyone who is trying to turn a tiny room into a space that leaves a big impression. When asked, designers have excellent advice. "Choose pieces with more vertical lines than horizontal," says designer Brynn Olson. Designer Blair Moore agrees. "Floor-to-ceiling drapery in a lightweight fabric can elongate the walls, creating the illusion of higher ceilings." For designer Marguerite Rogers, color can be an excellent enlarging tool. "Painting your ceiling dark can actually create a sense of depth and make the room feel larger," she suggests. "Opting for a wall-mounted lighting fixture can allow for a smaller bedside table, saving valuable floor space too," designer Roger Higgins tells his clients.
While their advice will surely lead you in the right direction, the rooms we've rounded up below suggest that there are many ways for even the smallest of quarters to pack a major punch. Draping and lighting are key (a guest bedroom designed by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Sheila Bridges where roman shades wisely save space that curtains would have used). So are clever built-ins. Color and patterns, if we're being honest, can work in many formulations. In his Paris pied-a-terre, ELLE DECOR A-List designer Peter Dunham opts for cozy fabrics; In his Chelsea bolthole, designer William Cullum welcomes the rainbow. Whereas, Moore opts for light and airy hues to give a tight bedroom a major impact.
For more inspiration, spend some time with these and other memorable spots to spend the night.
Float The Bed
Designer Mike Moser made the most of the primary bedroom of the house he shares with husband Tyler Thomas by floating the bed. By doing so, it opens up the perimeter of the room for furniture or open wall space.
Drape the Full Length of the Windows
"When designing this small bedroom, we opted to include a wall-to-wall rug to ensure the space felt bigger," designer Meg Lonergan says. "Additionally, draping the windows across the full width of the room helped enhance the overarching sense of space."
A Canopy Can Double As A Partition
Drape the bed with a canopy which can do double duty as a room partition. Designer and event planner extraordinaire Rebecca Gardner covered the bed in her downtown Manhattan apartment with a pink linen and tassel trim.
Cover the Room in a Print
Designer Peter Dunham gave the primary bedroom of his Paris pied-a-terre a cozy, enveloping feeling by covering the walls and curtains in a Hollywood at Home fabric.
Lean Into Unusual Architecture
Architect and designer Sally Mackereth worked with the round structure of a lighthouse she renovated into a home on the coast of England. Here, custom built in bunk beds curve with the shape of the room.
Floor-to-Ceiling Pattern
Work with slanted ceilings by covering the walls and ceiling in the same pattern, as did ELLE DECOR A-List designer Nick Olsen in this humble Hamptons home. It helps extends the eye upwards.
Don't Hold Back on Color
An overabundance of color, as designer William Cullum shows in his Chelsea apartment, can transform small quarters into a grand landscape for the eye and visitor.
Use Roman Shades
Using roman shades over curtains helps keep a small space from looking cluttered. ELLE DECOR A-List designer Sheila Bridges paired roman shades in the same print as the wallcovering of a guest bedroom of a Vermont project.
Pay Attention to Texture
In designer Augusta Hoffman's first New York apartment, the walls are covered in a tweed Phillip Jeffries fabric to add depth and texture to the primary bedroom.
Pay Attention to Scale
In a New York apartment by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Hendricks Churchill, the low bed in the primary bedroom emphasizes the ceiling hight of the room.
Go Bananas with Built-Ins
In the children's room of a New York apartment by Churchill, a built-in surround with a playful scalloped edge provides optimal space in the room and utilizes spaces high on the walls for storage.
Light is Key
In the primary bedroom of a project designed by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Pappas Miron, the ceiling and walls are painted in a golden hue that gives off reflective light from the windows.
Think Strategically About Storage
In a Brooklyn townhouse designed by Georgia Tapert-Howe a reading nook features clever storage above and below the bed optimizing the surrounding floor space.
Use Airy Hues
And of course, there's the oldest trick in the book: go neutral. "Light, airy hues on the walls and soft, natural textures help reflect light and expand the room visually," says Blair Moore of Moore House Design.
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