6 Design Mistakes that Make a Bedroom Feel Smaller

It’s easy to make furniture and decor mistakes that make an already-petite bedroom feel positively claustrophobic – a dark colour here and a dim lightbulb there can easily tip the balance and give you small bedroom vibes.

You might not have the luxury of space, but you can make clever use of your space. The truth is that the tiniest spaces can appear light and airy with a few tweaks. Even something as simple as painting a feature wall in a light colour or using horizontal stripes to make walls appear wider can work wonders.

In any case, avoid these common design mistakes:

1) Choosing an oversized bed frame

Squeezing a bed that’s too big, such as a king-size bed into a double room or a double bed into a single room, is simply asking for trouble.

The bed frame also plays a role – bulky solid wood frames with chunky legs and thick headboards can reduce floor space.

For small rooms, choose a simple metal bed frame with slender legs that enable you to see under the bed easily. Similarly, avoid overhead canopy or poster beds in low-ceilinged rooms as they make the space feel closed in.

 2) Selecting a bed frame that sits too high

Many people love the ease of getting in and out of a tall bed frame. However, lifting the mattress higher reduces what you can see—namely, the rest of your room.

Lower bed frames keep your eye line trained on more floorspace, helping make a petite bedroom appear more spacious. The downside to a super-low bed frame is a lack of built-in storage, so try to find a middle ground.

3) Cluttering with bulky and poorly sized furniture

When it comes to compact bedrooms, decluttering is essential. However, many people replace clutter with chunky storage items like a tallboy, dresser, and oversized wardrobe.

This furniture wall can occupy over 50 per cent of the floor space in a small room. Instead, look for multi-purpose and wall-mounted storage solutions.

For example, a wardrobe with a built-in drawer kills two birds with one stone, and you could also consider the ottoman storage bed to store bulky items like your winter duvet or winter wardrobe to give you more wardrobe space?

6) Using Dark Paint and Fabrics

Deep colours like black, brown, and navy may look stylish, but they absorb light and make small spaces appear smaller.

We recommend creating the illusion of roominess with light, bright colours like soft greys, airy blues, barely-there pinks, and crisp white walls to tie everything together – and you can apply the same principle to window treatments and bed linens with lightweight curtains and bedspreads in pale, airy hues.

 7) Neglecting proper lighting

Bedrooms need layers of light for ambience and task purposes. Overhead lighting alone casts shadows in a small room. The best scheme combines recessed ceiling lights with task lighting like directional bedside or wardrobe lamps.

Use accent lighting such as wall sconces and LED strip lights if your bedroom has real estate. Use the highest wattage bulbs allowable for your fixtures to combat dark corners and make your compact bedroom feel bright, open, and expansive.

Natural light should take centre stage during daylight hours – a roller blind is ideal to let lots of light in while providing privacy on a whim.

8) Mismatching patterns and colours

An overwhelming clash of patterns and colours across your decor can make a space feel claustrophobic. Pare your colour palette to a few complimentary hues, and you will instantly feel the space open.

If you’re concerned about losing visual warmth, lean on texture with natural fabrics like linen, cotton, and wool in your soft furnishings. Use textural wall coverings and bed linens and bring in wooden furniture and accessories for warmth. An abundance of textures makes for a welcoming space without adding colour.