Arranging a small bedroom on a small budget so it looks bigger and feels comfortable
A small bedroom doesn't have to feel cramped. Rethink the layout, use colour to blur the room's edges, store things up the walls and choose a single feature wall. Most of it costs less than you'd think.
To make a small bedroom feel bigger, start with the layout: place the bed so a walkway stays clear. Use light colours in one family across the walls and ceiling, add mirrors to catch the light, store things vertically, and have just one feature wall. Most of these ideas cost little, because they rely on rearranging and painting rather than buying more things.
Plan the layout before you buy anything
The easiest mistake in a small room is buying furniture before measuring it. You get a beautiful bed but the wardrobe won't open, or the door hits the desk. Spend half an hour measuring and drawing a plan on paper. It saves more money and more frustration than you'd think.
- Measure the room and the positions of the door, windows, sockets and air conditioner first
- Choose the bed size by the walkway, not by your dreams: leave a clear walkway on at least one side
- If the room is very narrow, try pushing the bed into a corner to free up space in the middle
- Choose slim-legged furniture raised off the floor: you see more floor and the room feels airier
- Watch the swing of the room door and the wardrobe doors
Small bedroom colours that make the room look bigger
Light colours reflect more light than dark ones, so the room looks brighter and larger. But the real secret is cutting down on contrast lines. If the walls, ceiling and cornice are the same colour or very close, the eye can't find the edges of the room, so it looks bigger than it is.
Soft white, cream, light beige, misty blue or a muted pastel green are good choices. Avoid a stark, blue-tinged white in a room with little light, because it will look grey and dull.
Another route many people don't dare to take is using a dark, muted colour throughout. The room won't look bigger, but its edges fade into the darkness, so it feels deep and warm. It suits a room used only for sleeping.
Mirrors and lighting: a small room's helpers
A large mirror works like a second window. Place it to catch the light from the real window and the room brightens instantly. As for lighting, move the light onto the walls instead of standing lamps on tables, and you get the space on the bedside table back.
- Hang the mirror on a wall at right angles to the window: it catches light well without bouncing sun into your eyes
- Use a full-length mirror on a wardrobe door: you get a dressing mirror and a sense of space
- Swap table lamps for wall lights or pendants beside the bed
- Use warm white bulbs in several places instead of a single ceiling light
Vertical storage
A small room has little floor, but its walls are as tall as a big room's. Make the most of the height: store things you rarely use up high, and things you use every day at hand height.
- A shelf above the door or the headboard for boxes of things you use only now and then
- A bed with drawers or a lift-up base for blankets and out-of-season clothes
- Hooks on the back of the door and a rail on the wall, instead of a chair that becomes a pile of clothes
- A fold-down wall desk or a long shelf that doubles as bedside table and dressing table
Decorating a bedroom on a budget: what to do first
A small budget doesn't mean the room has to be ordinary. You just need to prioritise: spend first on what you see every day and what changes the room most. Repainting is often the way to change a room the most for the money you spend.
One feature wall is enough for a small room. It could be the headboard wall one step darker, or a wall painted halfway up. Before you start, order Voqe sample bottles and try two or three shades side by side on the real wall, so you don't have to paint twice.
- Clear things out first: it costs nothing and makes the biggest difference
- Repaint the walls, or just the headboard wall
- Change the sheets and pillowcases to one colour family
- Change the curtains to floor length and hang the rail high
- Add a small rug beside the bed and one plant
Things that make a small bedroom look smaller
Sometimes a room isn't small; we make it small ourselves. Check this list before you buy the next thing.
- Lots of small pieces of furniture instead of pieces that do several jobs
- A strong contrast between wall and ceiling colours, so the room's edges stand out
- Short curtains stopping halfway down the wall, which make the windows and ceiling look low
- Too many colours in one room
- Things on the floor in every corner, until you can't see the floor
“A small room isn't the problem. Too much stuff is what makes it small.”
Frequently asked questions
What colour should I paint a small bedroom?
Light colours such as soft white, cream, light beige, misty blue or a muted pastel green, with the walls, ceiling and cornice in the same or very similar colours. The room will look larger and taller.
Can I paint a small bedroom a dark colour?
Yes. A dark, muted colour throughout makes the room's edges fade, so it feels deep and warm, even though it won't look bigger. It suits a room used only for sleeping, with warm white lights in several places.
Where should the bed go in a small bedroom?
Place it so there's a clear walkway on at least one side. If the room is very narrow, push the bed into a corner to free up the middle, and make sure it doesn't block the door or wardrobe doors.
Where should I start when decorating a bedroom on a budget?
Start by clearing things out, then repaint the walls or the headboard wall, and then change the sheets and curtains. These three steps change the room a lot without a big budget.
Where should a mirror go in a small bedroom?
On a wall at right angles to the window to catch natural light, or use a full-length mirror on a wardrobe door. The room will look larger and brighter.
Colour on a screen never matches colour on a wall
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