• Contact
  • Disclosures
  • Free Printables

A Nod to Navy

Home Decor & DIY Blog

  • Home Decor
  • DIY
  • Organization
  • Home Tour
  • Shop Our House

How To Make A Small Bedroom Feel Big

06/28/18 | Design, Home Decor, Home Tours

Over the years I’ve struggled to find ways to make the small bedrooms in our home function better. Here are my best take aways on how to make a small bedroom feel big.

white upholstered headboard and blue west elm bedding

I think I’ve mentioned before that we live in a modest size home (which works for us since we are totally ok with modest;) There are actually a lot of benefits to living in a smaller size house; it’s easier to keep clean and the upkeep is more manageable from a financial standpoint. Also, quite honestly, I think smaller houses are way easier to decorate as well.

I’ve thought about that aspect quite a bit, and come to the conclusion that they’re easier to decorate because you have fewer choices. While that may sound like a negative, I think it’s really a positive. A smaller home forces you get creative and to make hard choices about what you bring into your home because you can’t bring everything into it that you want to. 

How To Make A Small Bedroom Feel Big

In our home it feels like most of the square footage is in the main living areas at the cost of the bedrooms. In fact, the master bedroom is the only one of our three bedrooms that even accommodates a queen size bed. So I’ve tried to get creative. I want our master bedroom to feel  calm, like a place to unwind and relax. Not like I’m sleeping in a cramped little box. While I can’t change the size, there are things that can be done to make it feel more like the calm oasis I’m going for, here’s how:

white upholstered headboard and blue west elm bedding

Paint Color

It’s been said many times before and will probably be said many times again, but paint is one of the easiest things you can change. Since the room is small and we live in a rainy part of the world (ha!) lightening up the room was probably the easiest decision to make. It makes the room feel lighter, and bigger by default. We chose Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers for the color and it’s still one of my favorite grays.

white upholstered headboard and blue west elm bedding

 

pink peonies on a pottery barn white bedside table

Choose Furniture That Fits The Room You Have (Not the Room You Want)

I’m a classic example of someone who sees something in a magazine or a store, loves the way it looks, and tries to force it to work in my own home. This has driven me to make some costly mistakes over the years. Buy furniture for the space you have, not for the space you see in a magazine or store. 

These bedside tables are a good example of that. These are actually our second set of bedside tables. The first set was beautiful, but were bought on a whim as I frantically tried to “finish” our home right after we got married. I ended up with a pair of nightstands, that while beautiful, were totally impractical (no drawers or shelves) and too big for the space. When you’re thinking about buying something for your own space, ask yourself:

  • Does it meet the everyday functional needs of the room?
  • Does it fit? (Is it going to make the space feel cramped or is it large enough to adequately fill the space?)
  • Do I love it? If you don’t, wait until you find something you’ll love looking at everyday.

white upholstered headboard and blue west elm bedding

 

pink peonies in hobnail glass vase

Make Your Bed The Focal Point

If you’re bed is going to take up most of the room, own it. There’s really no way around it, so you might as well make the most of it. This is where that smaller homes are easier to decorate philosophy comes in from earlier. Since all we could fit in here was a bed, side tables, and a narrow dresser, we splurged on the side tables and an upholstered headboard.

By putting that money into the two things we use the most in this room we were able to comfortably afford them and eliminate adding clutter to the room from buying unnecessary accessories.

white upholstered headboard and blue west elm bedding

 

white upholstered headboard and blue west elm bedding

Lastly, think about the materials you want to bring into the room. Small choices can make a big difference. I used clear glass lamp bases from Target to help keep the space visually open and a couple of decorative mirrors above the bed to reflect natural light.

Remember, small doesn’t have to mean less. It just means you may have to think about your choices more carefully, but I promise you, it will be worth it when you get to enjoy a room you love in the end!

Enjoy this post? You might like these:

Small Bedroom Reading Nook Ideas

Ideas For Decorating Around A Television

Want to save this post? Pin it here!

white pottery barn bedside table and blue west elm bedding

You might also like...

  • The Best Carrot Cake Breakfast CookiesThe Best Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
  • How We Added Character To Our EntrywayHow We Added Character To Our Entryway
  • How to Style a Decorative TrayHow to Style a Decorative Tray
  • Guest Bath Design BoardGuest Bath Design Board

Comments | 14 comments

Subscribe

Get the latest posts and inspiration straight to your inbox!

« Free Printable Patriotic Quote
How To Reupholster A Chair Cushion »

Comments

  1. Marissa | Squirrels of a Feather says

    at

    I spy with my little eye my favorite book! The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up! We live in a small townhome as well, so footage makes MANY things challenging….love the post, glad to hear from others with similar experiences ☺️.

    Log in to Reply
    • Tiffany says

      at

      Thanks, Marissa!It’s one of my favorites too. I’m so much more aware of clutter because of the size of our home – no room for it here!

      Log in to Reply
  2. Beverly says

    at

    Great tips for a small bedroom. Love your bedroom. It looks so relaxing and lovely.
    Hope you stop by Thursday Favorite Things since you were featured.
    Hugs,
    Bev

    Log in to Reply
    • Tiffany says

      at

      Hi Beverly – Thanks so much for the feature!

      Log in to Reply
  3. Julie Briones says

    at

    Really great post! Love all the tips, and I totally agree with you! I’m going to add some of these tricks to my wee bedroom!

    Log in to Reply
    • Tiffany says

      at

      Thanks, Julie! And your bedroom’s pretty adorable;)

      Log in to Reply
  4. Margaret says

    at

    I do agree with you. Buy—to fit the space you have, and don’t over dress a small room. Most guest will be there for a short period. If guest is part of the extended family they understand your space. By all means have fun while decorating.

    Log in to Reply
    • Tiffany says

      at

      Thanks, Margaret! Having fun while decorating is always a good thing 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  5. Kippi says

    at

    Relaxing and pretty master bedroom. I agree the wall color is so pretty. Great job!

    Log in to Reply
    • Tiffany says

      at

      Thanks, Kippi! I really do love that wall color:)

      Log in to Reply
  6. Donna Eberhart says

    at

    Thank you for this! You’re totally right about making it for the space you have and not the one you want–such good advice. Home decor magazines and scrolling through Pinterest led me down a rabbit hole of personal wants but not necessarily what the space wants to be beautiful.
    Thanks for writing this.

    Log in to Reply
    • Tiffany says

      at

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Donna! Honestly, there is so much to recommend being content with what you have. I’m still in the process of getting there myself, but you’re right, it’s so worth it!

      Log in to Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sundays at Home - Starfish Cottage says:
    at

    […] check out this week’s features… Tiffany from A Nod to Navy provides great tips on how to make the most of a small bedroom. Looks like she nailed it to us! How fun are these free S’mores printables from Clean and […]

    Log in to Reply
  2. Sundays at Home ~ link party | My Soulful Home says:
    at

    […] out this week’s features…       Tiffany from A Nod to Navy provides great tips on how to make the most of a small bedroom. Looks like she nailed it to us!       How fun are these free S’mores printables from […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Oh, hi there!

Welcome! I'm Tiffany. I love renovating, decorating, and classic design with a touch of whimsy. I hope you'll join me as I share the little things that bring me joy! Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search

Don’t Miss Out!

Join our family of subscribers and get all of our latest posts & inspiration straight to your inbox!

Get Free Printables!

Most Popular

Scandinavian Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal

Our Crate and Barrel Lounge II Sofa Review

Make A Vintage Armoire Out Of A Thrifted Cabinet

How To Install A Vertical Shiplap Backsplash

A Light & Bright Dining Room Tour

Get the latest

Get all our latest posts straight to your inbox!

Copyright

Would you like to feature us? YAY! We would love for you to! However, we only allow one photo with a direct link back to A Nod to Navy to be used when featuring our work.   Read More…..

Disclosures

A Nod to Navy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.   Read More…..

Let’s Be Friends!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2025 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Tasteful Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in