Welcome to our latest blog post, created by our guest-blogger Myra Campbell, from Seattle based company TUCK: A community for advancing better sleep
A cozy bedroom is inviting, but a bedroom that's too small can quickly feel cramped if you're using inappropriate design. In a small bedroom, you can use simplicity, sparing bold accents, and the right colour to make the room feel more spacious.
Focus on simple, clean lines. A busy bedroom will feel jumbled and cluttered, especially in a small space. Keep simplicity in mind in everything you bring to the room, choosing minimalist furniture with simple lines and minimal patterns.
Use bold accents. A few simple strong accents can hold the attention of the room, such as a single bold piece of art, or a colourful lampshade.
Use light paint colors. Dark paint colors can make your bedroom feel too cavelike and small. Light colors can open up the space. Look for colors on the pale scale from beige to blue. Blue in particular is a good choice for bedrooms, as it is calming and can be good for sleep.
Do double duty with furniture. The less furniture you need in your bedroom, the more room you'll have. Consider a bed frame that offers storage underneath, such as drawers or shelving around headboard. Instead of a separate standing mirror, use a dresser that has a mirror on top.
Keep drapes off the floor. While you want to elongate drapes as much as possible by hanging them high, don't let your drapes hit the floor. This cuts off the flow of the room and makes it appear smaller. Hem them a few inches off of the floor, or tie them up in a chic knot.
Hang shelves on the wall. Turn your walls into storage space so there's more room on the floor, and ideally, less of a need for furniture. You can use them to store books, photos and jewelry.
Use a low profile bed frame and mattress. Keeping your bed low to the ground creates more space above and makes the ceiling feel higher. Choose a bed frame and mattress that you can use without a box spring so your room will seem more spacious.
Keep your covers simple. An elaborate patterned comforter is too busy for a small bedroom. Use a lightly colored cover with a single color or simple pattern.
Expose furniture legs. Choose furniture with exposed legs, which can create the illusion of space below. Don't use a bed skirt, look for furniture with tall, long legs, and keep the area below your furniture clean.
Use multiple lamps. More than one source of light can draw your eyes around the room and make it feel as if there is more space. You can place a lamp in a corner, or two lamps on either side of your bed.
Banish clutter. Clutter and mess can make your bedroom feel smaller, giving you less room to move around. Keep your bedroom neat and organized for a look that's refreshed with more space
Myra works for TUCK, a Seattle based company of team of sleep experts, managed by Sarah Johnson. For more information, please visit: www.tuck.com