Modern small bedroom ideas

When we come across a small space, we often tend to think that we won’t be able to decorate it much; the fact that it has little space requires us to choose the decoration more carefully to avoid overcrowding the area, and it’s normal to end up feeling frustrated and giving up. However, with a bit more meticulous preparation, small bedrooms can go a long way and become charming small bedrooms.  Being small doesn’t mean it can’t have style, there are a lot of modern small bedroom ideas.  A detail here and there and carefully planned furniture according to the dimensions of the room can create charming small bedrooms worthy of decoration magazines. Want to know how? At Manuel Torres Design, we reveal all our secrets!

Think before acting

Although any room requires some planning and ideation, when it comes to decorating small bedrooms, this must be more conscious. We must consider that we have a limited space to work with, so we can’t design thinking that we can put an unlimited number of elements.

The trick is to maximize the space using decorative strategies. We must understand that, from a decorative point of view, we have another mission: to make the bedroom appear larger than it is. To do this, some visual maxims must be taken into account, prioritizing practicality and functionality. However, spatial efficiency does not mean giving up style: charming small bedrooms that suit our needs can be achieved.

We must not forget the primary purpose of a bedroom: to rest. The decoration must accompany that objective, which is why a visual spaciousness is usually sought in these spaces to make it seem more relaxing and inspire peace and tranquility.

Tips to keep in mind

In addition to considering the space of the room where we are going to make this radical change, we can help enhance and play with its size with other decorative elements. Since we can’t magically make it larger, we need to focus on adding ‘accessories’ that make it lighter so that it appears more spacious. Consider these tricks:

Colors

The color of the walls is what can most help visually enlarge the space. And, of course, our best ally will be white or, failing that, neutral colors. These shades will provide light in a completely natural way and enlarge the space without the need for more because they reflect it. Don’t think that painting the walls white will make the bedroom cold or boring; we can make it original and charming thanks to the other decorative elements we choose.

If you want to add some color to the walls to make the room more vibrant, you can do so only on one of them and carefully, ensuring that it doesn’t take up too much space or steal too much prominence. If you have that idea fixed, we recommend using colors that bring light (orange, green, yellow…).

Fabrics

It may seem trivial, but the textures we choose for our rooms can make them appear more cluttered than they actually are. Since we are working with small bedrooms, which can be a bit more overwhelming if not careful, it is best to use linens and cottons. These types of fabrics are visually lighter and airier, so they will always accompany the room with a sense of lightness. In this townhouse, we chose a translucent fabric for the curtains, allowing some light to always enter the bedroom.

We recommend that if you don’t like these fabrics very much, at least use them in the curtains; in cushions or bedding, you can use others, although cotton is the quintessential fabric for these spaces where softness and peace are sought.

Light

In our quest for spaciousness, light plays a fundamental role, as it is what helps us achieve visual meters. It is best to ensure that nothing blocks the main source of light, which is usually a window or a balcony. Make sure there is nothing in front of it, and if you are thinking of making any small reform, choose floor-to-ceiling windows, accompanied by very thin frames, so that their size complements that search for visual enlargement. Of course, it will be essential to choose suitable artificial light; it is best to use several different light sources and not rely exclusively on ceiling light. If you want more reform or lighting advice, our team can help you create charming small bedrooms suitable for their characteristics.

Furniture

One of the biggest challenges when furnishing a small room is that there is no space to add all the elements we would like to enjoy. Therefore, we have to be smarter and plan to choose furniture that serves for more than one thing and save space in this way.

One of the most common and useful ideas is to buy a bed with a lift-up base or an ottoman. If not, you can always resort to the typical drawers with wheels underneath the bed, although in that case, remember to measure the height between the floor and the bed to buy the most suitable ones.

If your room must have a study area, things get complicated, but it is not impossible for these two spaces to coexist. We need more storage space, so it is best to choose floor-to-ceiling wardrobes, like the ones we chose for the complete renovation project of an apartment in Badalona. In the end, we must lean towards decisions that meet the storage needs we need in a bedroom.

Ideas

Now that we have in mind the basics of creating charming small bedrooms, we can move on to the most ‘fun’ part: decoration! This part of space creation can also help us make the room a little larger without giving up originality and style. Everything in life can be decorated if we put in a little effort and consider these ideas:

Decorate with wicker

We must choose our allies well when reducing visual clutter. We’ve previously explained that fabrics can help with this, but there are also other materials capable of lightening the decoration. Wicker is one of them: it can keep the room organized, cozy, and spacious.

It also adds a lot of personality and charm, as these types of fibers provide warmth without taking up space. You can use it in baskets, ornaments, blankets, lamps, etc. If you like nature, you will surely love this texture. You can also add, if space allows, a pouf of this material to serve as a bedside table to give the space a more informal touch.

Add mirrors

This decorative element can be your great ally in small spaces. Not only are they an excellent accessory, which you can personalize by adding the frame you like the most (or not putting one at all), but they will also reflect light and walls, making it appear that there are more rooms or space than there actually is.

Tall vegetation

Plants can help us give a fresher and more vital finish to the room, not to mention the multiple benefits they have on air quality. Since we are dealing with charming small bedrooms, we advise you to choose tall and vertical plants so that they do not take up much space and visually ‘stretch’ the room. There are dozens of options: bamboo canes, palms, cacti, Aloe Vera… You’re in charge here!

Colorful accessories

As we mentioned at the beginning, neutral colors (specifically white) are the wisest choice for the wall color in a small bedroom. However, this does not mean that color cannot be added, but rather that a balance must be sought and everything must be combined well. Although we add elements or tones, the goal is for the room to remain organized and bright to give a sense of spaciousness, so our recommendation is to add colors in bedding, cushions, with paintings, in curtains… basically, in all the accessories you can to inject life.

You can choose a ‘protagonist color’ and work with that color range by incorporating it into various accessories in your bedroom, always maintaining the white color as a base on walls and ceilings, as if it were a blank canvas.

Rugs

It is often thought that rugs cannot be placed in small spaces because they make visual space disappear, but if the right one in size and fabric is chosen, they can provide an original and charming touch without taking away other qualities. The key is to avoid intense tones and look for more neutral or subdued colors that do not steal the spotlight.

Break the rules

However, at Manuel Torres Design, we also encourage breaking the rules from time to time, so we also encourage you to explore the space and think about what you want to do with it. Often the wildest ideas work best. If you want your room to follow a more maximalist style, go ahead! In the end, you are the person who is going to enjoy it, and you must feel identified in that space. Add colors and lots of decoration if that’s what you’re looking for. If you’re not convinced by the idea, look at this bedroom we created for the ‘Eclectic Suite’ interior design project; everything is possible if planned carefully!

However, if you’re still not sure how to combine all those ideas you have in mind or need help figuring out what your style is or how to achieve that charming small bedroom you long for, our studio can answer all your questions. At Manuel Torres Design, our goal is to offer a comprehensive service with the highest quality, maximizing available resources and minimizing time in project execution. The result of a good project is the result of a good client because design is not an expense but an added value.