Furnishing a Small Bedroom—With These Tricks It Looks Bigger

Let's start at the very beginning. No matter how your small bedroom is laid out and what size the window is—you are simply better off with light colours than with dark tones, as they reflect the incoming daylight and artificial light and make the room appear larger. Ideally, the ceiling and walls should be white, but beige and cream tones or a light yellow also open up the room and give it more space. If you don't want to do without colour, we recommend using your favourite colour only in specific places. Either just on one wall or you can add colour accents with accessories rather than with a paint roller. The colour concept should also be continued with the furniture and textiles. Furniture made of light wood looks friendly and not as space-consuming as its dark relatives. Light bed linen or a light bedspread are just as beneficial to the room as airy curtains. We have put together a few wonderful white bedrooms for you.

You know that light is the be-all and end-all. So try to let as much daylight into the room as possible. In other words: don't cover the windows and save on decorations directly on the pane and avoid too many knick-knacks on the windowsill. You'll also have a clear view. This is usually towards the neighbours, and if you're worried about your privacy, you can use light, transparent curtains or blinds. These let the light through, but shield prying eyes. With a little practice, you can also attach frosted glass film to the pane, which has the same effect. When the sun slowly disappears over the horizon or behind the neighbouring house, artificial lighting comes into play. There's usually no room for opulent floor lamps in small bedrooms anyway, so concentrate on the walls. Of course, ceiling lamps can also be very attractive, but direct light from the ceiling makes a room seem smaller. It would be stupid not to at least opt for wall lights as well.

Now we're going to dig deep into our bag of tricks: we need a mirror! Since most people keep their clothes in the bedroom and get dressed there every day, a mirror is a must anyway. After all, outfits, hairstyles and makeup, if necessary, need to be checked. Opt for a large-format model! Firstly, you can then look at yourself in full height and width even after Christmas and secondly, the bigger the mirror, the more effective it is in terms of cheating in terms of width. Mirror surfaces act like a second window and give the room more depth. They also reflect the light and make your small bedroom look even bigger.

However, it should not go unmentioned that according to Feng Shui rules, mirrors are not welcome in the bedroom. They are considered to be disruptive energies, and you can also get quite frightened in the semi-darkness if your reflection moves. A simple solution is to cover the mirrors with a cloth in the evening. You can find out more about some do's and dont's in the bedroom in our corresponding ideas book.

Now we finally come to the most important object in the bedroom—the bed. It should be sized to fit into a small bedroom and have a smaller volume. For singles, a normal bed with a 90 cm wide bed surface is sufficient. Sleepers who find that too small and couples can choose a bed up to 160 cm wide. Above that, it quickly becomes too bulky for a small bedroom. And it's much more comfortable to snuggle up in a smaller nest.

With all the space-saving tips, you shouldn't forget about comfort and your sleeping habits. If you move around a lot at night, aren't a fan of cuddling, or just want to stretch out all the time, you shouldn't do without a large bed. After all, this is about furnishing a bedroom, and the most important thing is that you sleep well. To create more space for the bed, you can, for example, save on bedside tables and instead put a shelf on the wall. This way you have storage space for alarm clocks, books, etc. and still have a few centimetres more for a wider bed.

Whichever bed size you choose, think about placing the bed at a high level. Especially with high ceilings, a loft bed can make all the difference in a small bedroom, as it almost doubles the usable space. Loft beds can of course be bought ready-made—ideal for anyone who doesn't like DIY or is impatient. However, you have to take what you get. This may not make much difference when it comes to the sleeping area, but it does when it comes to the height, as body size and room height vary from case to case. It is therefore better to build the loft bed yourself and adapt it to the individual circumstances. With a little skill or help from experienced hobby carpenters, you can create the perfect solution for your small bedroom. The area under the loft bed can then be used in a variety of ways—as a cosy sofa corner with a couch and side table, as a walk-in closet, as a work area or as a hammock paradise. With so much more space, you suddenly have unexpected possibilities for furnishing your small bedroom nicely.

Once the bed question has been resolved, we come to the next point. What is always lacking in small rooms? That's right, storage space. But there are ways to store a lot in even the smallest room. First, let's come back to the bed. Bed frames with drawers or compartments offer an incredible amount of storage space for bed linen, towels, clothing and all kinds of odds and ends. Another advantage is that they are usually a little higher up because of the drawers, which also guarantee easy entry and exit but you can also get a lot out of a normal bed frame. The simplest solution is to slide under bed chests of drawers underneath. These also offer space for all kinds of things and protect them from dust. You can get even more space if you put the bed on higher feet or even a small platform. The latter in particular can look great and bring a split-level look to your small bedroom. If you spend a little more money, you can use every available centimetre in the bedroom with custom-made wardrobes and store a lot of things.

If you don't want to furnish your small bedroom with too many pieces of furniture, you should look for clever pieces that have multiple functions. The furniture shown is a wardrobe, storage space and mirror all in one. Hollow stools with removable lids also fall into this category, as they are storage space and a place to sit at the same time. If there is enough space, you can also put a chest at the foot of the bed. Winter shoes, blankets or travel bags can easily disappear into it and with a few cushions on top, it is also a great place to sit.

You know statement necklaces and of course, there is also statement furniture. These are pieces that attract everyone's attention and have a big impact on their own. Is that possible in a small bedroom? Of course! Statement furniture like this distracts wonderfully from the manageable size of the room thanks to its colour or other design and it doesn't have to be huge. An unusual sideboard, a great chair or an eye-catching wardrobe can give the furnishing of a small bedroom the finishing touch.

Delicate pieces of furniture are a little more reserved. They are also ideal for furnishing small bedrooms, but have a completely different effect to their statement counterparts. A chair with a wire frame, a delicate table or inconspicuous shelves naturally have the same function as their bulkier relatives but fit particularly discreetly into the interior. They usually do not take up much space or at least appear less dominant visually. Due to empty surfaces or the use of glass, they are almost transparent and yet very useful.

Finally, we have a few general tips that should be followed, especially in small bedrooms. Be cautious with the decoration and excessive furnishings. Otherwise, the small room will quickly appear chaotic and confusing—not a nice atmosphere for relaxing. So opt for a few, selected pieces that will then really stand out.

Try to keep everything in order. That may sound stuffy, but it makes a difference. With the storage tricks, it shouldn't be a problem to hide all the sweaters, trousers and shoes behind closed doors and in drawers and boxes. You can also trick yourself here: if you do without chairs, stools and armchairs, you won't be tempted to create mountains of clothes on said furniture.

Last but not least, you should do a thorough clean-out from time to time. This not only frees up your closets but also your mind. Let's be honest: your jeans no longer fit, your shoe soles are worn out and hopefully, the cut of your sweater won't go back. So get rid of these slow-selling items, they just take up space. The same goes for vases, picture frames, candles and other decorative elements. Get rid of them and give your small bedroom room to breathe.