20 ways to maximize your small bedroom

We can’t all have the grand master bedroom, but that doesn’t mean your bedroom space is hopeless. You may love the view or the location or any number of things about your living location, so now it’s time to bring that love to where you unwind.

Use these tips and tricks to maximize not only your storage space, but to provide a cohesive feeling to your room, and declutter even if you don’t feel like it. You’ll have a room you love in no time.

One of your best chances for loving your small bedroom is maximizing your storage space. Here are a few of our favorite ideas.

Raise your bed

Lifting your bed a few inches can give you enough clearance to store simple plastic totes out of sight. Use them to corral seasonal clothing or protect your shoes. They’re also good for things you don’t always need every day like art supplies. SFGate offers several tips on how to raise your bed successfully.

Add drawer dividers

Drawer dividers help you turn one big jumble into the most organized drawer space ever. Take a few tips from Marie Kondo’s folding techniques, and you may find plenty of space for the things you love.

Maximize your closet

Organize and cull your closet items so that you can find unused space. Double rods add space for shirts and pants. Over-the-door hangers hold shoes or small accessories like scarves. Invest in durable storage baskets and bins to keep things organized on shelves and the floor. But if you have a small bedroom with no closets, don’t worry. You can check out our brilliant storage ideas that are also stylish.

Use the walls

Maximize your space by installing shelves or cubbies on the walls instead of bulky nightstands, hang mirrors instead of floor options, and use hooks and shelves to create storage where bulky furniture once stood.

Invest in a wall wardrobe

That might be counterintuitive, but for a small space, a streamlined wall wardrobe gets rid of your dressers, tables, storage containers, and a host of other things. With just your bed and a simple set of side shelves, all the rest of your belongings are safely hidden. Bob Vila shows us all different kinds of wardrobes to fit any room and style.

Fool the eye

Once you’ve got better organization, use decorator’s tips and tricks to make your bedroom feel bigger, more comfortable, or less crowded.

Bring in the light

Replace heavy drapes and window treatments with curtains or simple blinds that allow light. Install curtains high above windows to create space and strategically place curtains to hide off-center windows.

Go moody

You don’t have to limit yourself to pastels or neutral colors for a small space. A dark color on the walls or even an accent wall can up the drama factor and give your small space a luxurious feeling.

Fake high ceilings

Painting the ceiling a light color with some gloss can automatically add a few inches to your perception. Come down with the ceiling paint a few inches on the wall, and it will feel like you’ve got much higher ceilings.

Streamline furnishings

Consider other places to locate things like your television, bulky dressers, or big side tables. Focus only on what’s essential for your bedroom and free up floor space for a cleaner feeling. Multifunctional furniture can also help.

Match the walls and furniture

When colors contrast, they break up your line of vision. Consider altering your furniture color to match your wall space. With white walls and white furniture, for example, your eye has a hard time distinguishing where the boundaries are, making the room feel more expansive.

Upsize mirrors and art

Displaying large pieces of art or large mirrors help your eye believe the space is bigger than it actually is. The mirrors will reflect and add dimension, while large art adds depth. Plus, a few larger pieces instead of a cluster of small ones feel less cluttered.

Clear out clutter

Clutter is one of the biggest killers for smaller space. As Marie Kondo believes, you can only go so far with your storage. You have to downsize at some point. These tips can help you declutter and streamline for maximum breathing room.

Eliminate furniture

Is your side table really helpful, or does it just gather things? Consider replacing it with a smaller cubby or even just a floating shelf to give you space for essentials. If you need the storage, get something small with a few drawers to help you keep things organized and out of sight.

Get rid of electronics

If you’re using your dresser to prop up a television with a gaming system, that whole setup can move outside to give you more space to walk. You may not need a TV in your bedroom, anyway. If you’ve got a studio, move it to the living room or away from your bed area.

Clear out walkways

Consider the flow of your room. If your bed or a dresser comes right up against the entrance of your bedroom, it can feel cluttered no matter how organized. Rearrange the room until you have maximum clearance in front of the room’s entry, and it will feel like you’ve got more space to move.

Downsize your bed

Take a good long look at the size of your bed. You may not need bed space when what you need is floor space. Consider downsizing from that king mattress to a queen, or from a queen to a full. Even a twin bed can provide a lot of space if you get a daybed style to decorate like a couch. Maximize that floor space gain a few inches in even the smallest bedroom.

Keep your bedroom clear

You may not want to clean your bedroom often, but decluttering and getting better about organization can make cleaning go more smoothly. Follow Marie Kondo’s advice for decluttering and then take a good look at where you can find storage space for the things you most love.

Your bedroom is a sanctuary, and you may feel so much better taking out unnecessary furniture and getting back some of your floor space. Use the space to decompress at the end of the day, and you may find yourself loving your bedroom all over again.