10 Small But Perfectly Formed Bedrooms
With the bed dominating the room, a sleep space that’s small on square footage needs to be big on bright, creative design ideas
Jo Simmons
2 October 2016
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
Every bedroom must contain a bed, and beds eat into space! Often, in a small-scale sleep space, the bed takes up almost all the available room, making it hard to squeeze in any other furniture.
A generous application of imagination and creativity is needed to prevent a small bedroom from being just somewhere to crash out, and to help it to become a beautiful, unique destination in its own right. These smart little rooms showcase a range of inspired design ideas and nifty tricks for making a mini bedroom work well and feel good.
A generous application of imagination and creativity is needed to prevent a small bedroom from being just somewhere to crash out, and to help it to become a beautiful, unique destination in its own right. These smart little rooms showcase a range of inspired design ideas and nifty tricks for making a mini bedroom work well and feel good.
Be bold
This colourful bedroom, which is in a teeny, converted railway carriage, is small on space, but packed with pattern and personality. A vintage bed, which features a long headboard and built-in bedside units, is adorned with the bright fabrics the owners design.
A chest of drawers (out of shot, but which you can see via the link below) provides clothes storage, while a neat recessed shelf above the bed creates a space for display.
Tour the rest of this compact home
This colourful bedroom, which is in a teeny, converted railway carriage, is small on space, but packed with pattern and personality. A vintage bed, which features a long headboard and built-in bedside units, is adorned with the bright fabrics the owners design.
A chest of drawers (out of shot, but which you can see via the link below) provides clothes storage, while a neat recessed shelf above the bed creates a space for display.
Tour the rest of this compact home
Try all white
The original sash window in this small bedroom was dismantled and installed elsewhere in the house. In its place, French windows were fitted and do much to help this compact room feel bigger.
A bespoke wardrobe was created to fit the tight space exactly and provide maximum storage. Finally, a white scheme brings light and a sense of airiness, beautifully offsetting the room’s small footprint.
In the market for new windows? Check out these 10 steps to finding the perfect ones for your home
The original sash window in this small bedroom was dismantled and installed elsewhere in the house. In its place, French windows were fitted and do much to help this compact room feel bigger.
A bespoke wardrobe was created to fit the tight space exactly and provide maximum storage. Finally, a white scheme brings light and a sense of airiness, beautifully offsetting the room’s small footprint.
In the market for new windows? Check out these 10 steps to finding the perfect ones for your home
Invest in bespoke designs
When space is tight, every centimetre counts, so to make the most of it, consider built-in furniture. Freestanding pieces that don’t suit the room’s odd angles or corners waste space or look out of place. Building furniture into the room will capitalise on ceiling height and accommodate sloping eaves or tricky corners.
This built-in arrangement converts the often under-used space above the bed into crucial storage.
When space is tight, every centimetre counts, so to make the most of it, consider built-in furniture. Freestanding pieces that don’t suit the room’s odd angles or corners waste space or look out of place. Building furniture into the room will capitalise on ceiling height and accommodate sloping eaves or tricky corners.
This built-in arrangement converts the often under-used space above the bed into crucial storage.
Furnish minimally
A single guest room doesn’t need to feature lots of storage – a few hooks behind the door will do. To feel stylish and welcoming, though, it should include more than just a bed.
Here, a tiny table sits by the bed and a space-efficient semi-circular one stands by the wall, adding detail and a surface for display without cluttering the room. A painting, a circular mirror, and soft throws and linens further boost this room’s comfort and give it personality.
A single guest room doesn’t need to feature lots of storage – a few hooks behind the door will do. To feel stylish and welcoming, though, it should include more than just a bed.
Here, a tiny table sits by the bed and a space-efficient semi-circular one stands by the wall, adding detail and a surface for display without cluttering the room. A painting, a circular mirror, and soft throws and linens further boost this room’s comfort and give it personality.
Bin the bedside tables
In a small bedroom, traditional combinations of furniture often won’t work, or even fit! So rethink how you kit out the space.
One easy sacrifice to make is losing the bedside tables. Remove these from your scheme and you might be able to install wardrobes right up to the bed, as here. Then simply fix wall lights and basic shelves to the wardrobe sides and they will do the job of a bedside unit without eating into precious space.
In a small bedroom, traditional combinations of furniture often won’t work, or even fit! So rethink how you kit out the space.
One easy sacrifice to make is losing the bedside tables. Remove these from your scheme and you might be able to install wardrobes right up to the bed, as here. Then simply fix wall lights and basic shelves to the wardrobe sides and they will do the job of a bedside unit without eating into precious space.
Add boutique touches
A little bedroom does not have to be small on style or minimal in design. Why not treat it to boutique hotel touches that ramp up its appeal? A generous padded headboard is a luxe feature, while statement, swept-back curtains and plenty of cushions bring a sense of elegance, style and comfort, no matter how mini the space.
A little bedroom does not have to be small on style or minimal in design. Why not treat it to boutique hotel touches that ramp up its appeal? A generous padded headboard is a luxe feature, while statement, swept-back curtains and plenty of cushions bring a sense of elegance, style and comfort, no matter how mini the space.
Introduce exciting materials
Give a small bedroom a pinch of ‘wow’ by working in interesting materials. The walls of this bedroom are clad with large pieces of honey-toned ply, bringing warmth and character to a very simply designed room. Try textured wallpaper or panelling for a similar result.
Give a small bedroom a pinch of ‘wow’ by working in interesting materials. The walls of this bedroom are clad with large pieces of honey-toned ply, bringing warmth and character to a very simply designed room. Try textured wallpaper or panelling for a similar result.
Avoid fussy details
A small bedroom will appear even more cramped if it’s decorated with lots of distracting details or colours, so try to keep surfaces sleek, clear and ordered.
This simple bank of wardrobes has handleless doors, the lights are wall-mounted, and all the surfaces and fittings are simply painted white to ensure the bedroom feels as open, spacious and relaxing as possible.
A small bedroom will appear even more cramped if it’s decorated with lots of distracting details or colours, so try to keep surfaces sleek, clear and ordered.
This simple bank of wardrobes has handleless doors, the lights are wall-mounted, and all the surfaces and fittings are simply painted white to ensure the bedroom feels as open, spacious and relaxing as possible.
Work with what you have
You might like to be able to walk around your double bed, or have several feet of clear space above you when lying in it… Too bad! In a small bedroom, these ‘luxuries’ just may not be possible.
Instead, be creative with the floor and wall space you have, and make the most of those weird angles. Tuck a bed under the eaves, add clever shelves that turn odd pockets of vertical space into useful storage, and fit a mini clothes rail, rather than a full-sized wardrobe.
Explore 10 ways to make the most of those tricky spaces in your loft
You might like to be able to walk around your double bed, or have several feet of clear space above you when lying in it… Too bad! In a small bedroom, these ‘luxuries’ just may not be possible.
Instead, be creative with the floor and wall space you have, and make the most of those weird angles. Tuck a bed under the eaves, add clever shelves that turn odd pockets of vertical space into useful storage, and fit a mini clothes rail, rather than a full-sized wardrobe.
Explore 10 ways to make the most of those tricky spaces in your loft
Move to the centre ground
It’s tempting to push the bed up against the wall in an attempt to free up the maximum amount of floor space, but think again. Sometimes, moving the bed to the centre of the room is the best plan, creating sufficient depth for tucked-away niches along one wall, which can be used for hanging rails, cupboards or, as here, shelves.
In this Scandi space, the bed has been pushed forward further still by the addition of a bespoke headboard, which matches the central wall. This has created a ledge big enough for a glass of water, a pair of glasses and bedtime paperbacks.
Do you have any tips for creating the perfect small-scale bedroom? Share them in the Comments below.
It’s tempting to push the bed up against the wall in an attempt to free up the maximum amount of floor space, but think again. Sometimes, moving the bed to the centre of the room is the best plan, creating sufficient depth for tucked-away niches along one wall, which can be used for hanging rails, cupboards or, as here, shelves.
In this Scandi space, the bed has been pushed forward further still by the addition of a bespoke headboard, which matches the central wall. This has created a ledge big enough for a glass of water, a pair of glasses and bedtime paperbacks.
Do you have any tips for creating the perfect small-scale bedroom? Share them in the Comments below.
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Hello Elasim,
Looking at 'Picture 2' The colour used was Wevet from Farrow & Ball so it has a bit warmth to it (i.e. not brilliant white).
I have attached another picture showing the joinery designed with a wall paper in between and you can see how it breaks-up the white.
The timber flooring were stained with "Old English" which is dark colour and works well with light walls.
In this specific bedroom, light colours give the illusion of a bigger room which was needed and worked well. :-)
hope it helps...
Ah, now I can see. Previous photo was look as brilliant white.
Yes, its lovely! Love greenish and grey. And the balcony. Just what I wanted! Can I move in? :)
Box room dwellers, turns out HOUZZ US has something to add on this topic (who would have thought...) 10 Small But Perfect Compact Bedroom Strategies