Small Space Living: Compact Bedrooms That Are a Total Dream
These small-scale bedrooms offer a great night's sleep in spaces that are compact and cosy, but never confined
There is only one essential ingredient in a bedroom, and the clue is in the name – a bed. But once you’ve found space for a single or tucked in a double, it’s up to you how much more furniture you squeeze into a petite sleep space. Some dinky boudoirs are just somewhere to rest your head or put up guests for the odd night, but others work a little harder, and include clothes storage, bedside tables and drawers, too. Check out these 10 beautifully designed bedrooms, all of which have found ways to make style win over square footage.
Raise the roof
Your small-scale bedroom may have a child’s size footprint, but it can grow to a giant’s height if you remove the ceiling and expose the rafters. Gaining vertical space like this is an excellent way to make a room feel bigger and deliciously airy.
Your small-scale bedroom may have a child’s size footprint, but it can grow to a giant’s height if you remove the ceiling and expose the rafters. Gaining vertical space like this is an excellent way to make a room feel bigger and deliciously airy.
Go white
It’s a whiteout in this small bedroom, but any other colour would fight with the view. White looks cool and clean, and helps this little space feel open, airy and much larger than it is.
It’s a whiteout in this small bedroom, but any other colour would fight with the view. White looks cool and clean, and helps this little space feel open, airy and much larger than it is.
Build up
Storage that stretches right to the ceiling is a gift in a small bedroom, even if you have to access it via a ladder. Use the top cupboards for out-of-season clothes and keep those pieces in everyday use on the more accessible lower levels.
Storage that stretches right to the ceiling is a gift in a small bedroom, even if you have to access it via a ladder. Use the top cupboards for out-of-season clothes and keep those pieces in everyday use on the more accessible lower levels.
Build in furniture
Getting furniture made bespoke, so it perfectly fits the available space, is a sound idea in a small-scale bedroom. These clever units are wardrobes and bedside tables combined, thanks to the cutaway section two-thirds of the way down, which creates space for bedtime essentials.
Getting furniture made bespoke, so it perfectly fits the available space, is a sound idea in a small-scale bedroom. These clever units are wardrobes and bedside tables combined, thanks to the cutaway section two-thirds of the way down, which creates space for bedtime essentials.
Fit reflective surfaces
It’s well known that reflective surfaces help a space feel bigger, but a wall of traditional mirrors can look a little tacky in a bedroom, and in a small space can be positively distracting. This room demonstrates a super stylish alternative – foxed mirror glass, which creates a softer reflection and brings subtle burnished colour to the scheme. Hanging mirrors high also prevents them from reflecting you from the minute you step into the room.
Browse 10 ways to work magic with mirrors
It’s well known that reflective surfaces help a space feel bigger, but a wall of traditional mirrors can look a little tacky in a bedroom, and in a small space can be positively distracting. This room demonstrates a super stylish alternative – foxed mirror glass, which creates a softer reflection and brings subtle burnished colour to the scheme. Hanging mirrors high also prevents them from reflecting you from the minute you step into the room.
Browse 10 ways to work magic with mirrors
Walk on the wide side
Wide, horizontal lines help to make a small, narrow space feel broader. It’s easy to work these space-expanding stripes in, too, with a narrow bedspread and a striped stool and rug, as here.
Wide, horizontal lines help to make a small, narrow space feel broader. It’s easy to work these space-expanding stripes in, too, with a narrow bedspread and a striped stool and rug, as here.
Know no limits!
Don’t let the size of your bedroom restrict how you decorate it. This space is beautifully styled and packed with pieces that would normally belong in a much bigger room. The chandelier, for example, almost fills the ceiling, but what a fun, luxe statement it makes!
Don’t let the size of your bedroom restrict how you decorate it. This space is beautifully styled and packed with pieces that would normally belong in a much bigger room. The chandelier, for example, almost fills the ceiling, but what a fun, luxe statement it makes!
Create a feature wall
Painting a small bedroom in just one shade can leave it feeling rather boxy, but a single wall hung with dramatic wallpaper creates a focal point and tricks the eye into thinking the space is bigger. This wallpaper has a slightly reflective background, which works well in a tiny bedroom, creating a glow above the bed and lashings of interest.
Explore how to create an eye-catching feature wall
What is your favourite way of styling a small bedroom? Share your tips in the Comments.
Painting a small bedroom in just one shade can leave it feeling rather boxy, but a single wall hung with dramatic wallpaper creates a focal point and tricks the eye into thinking the space is bigger. This wallpaper has a slightly reflective background, which works well in a tiny bedroom, creating a glow above the bed and lashings of interest.
Explore how to create an eye-catching feature wall
What is your favourite way of styling a small bedroom? Share your tips in the Comments.
When you can’t fit in anything else but a bed, don’t try to make it blend in. Let it take its rightful place as the main focus of the room by picking a striking cast iron bedframe and dressing it with a colourful bedspread.