Professional Staging Tips for How to Make a Small Bedroom Feel Bigger

Small rooms are usually the biggest complaint that homeowners have with their homes. And usually, small bedrooms are at the top of this list of frustrations. While a bedroom space might seem large, after adding a bed frame, dresser, nightstands, and other furniture, homeowners realize they hardly have any room to move around (or for any other furniture, for that matter!).

While the only way to actually make a small bedroom bigger is with a remodeling project, our professional team of home stagers and decorators has some tricks up our sleeves to make small bedrooms look larger. Follow these tips to add more visual space to your small bedroom.

What can I do to make a small bedroom feel bigger?

The first step is to remove all clutter (seriously — get rid of it!). Then, focus on building the room up rather than out. For example, choose floating shelves and wall sconces over bookcases and lamps, and slim furniture pieces rather than oversized ones. Finally, opt for a light color scheme to reflect natural light, and use gauzy window treatments and mirrors to maximize its impact.

Need a personalized plan for making your small bedroom feel bigger? Our experienced team of home stagers and decorators would be happy to help — just request a free instant quote to get started!

A Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Small Bedroom Feel Bigger

1. Remove Clutter

The most foolproof way to make a small room look bigger is to remove all visual clutter on dressers, nightstands, and shelves. Declutter regularly (and often!). Many homeowners skip this step, but trust us — the other advice on this list won’t even be relevant until your room is spotless.

Pro Design Tip: Use trays and bowls to organize small items that can’t be stored away — it gives the entire room a more polished look.

2. Utilize Vertical Space

Small bedrooms might not have a ton of floor space. However, they usually do have plenty of wall space, which is why we recommend decorating up rather than out.

Place books on floor-to-ceiling shelves instead of on bulky bookcases. Trade lamps on nightstands with wall sconces on either side of the headboard for an airy look. Find a bed with a tall, elegant headboard rather than a chunky one for a more spacious design. Display decorative items on floating shelves instead of on dressers and nightstands to minimize clutter. Hang art up to the ceiling to create the illusion of height. If you haven’t already caught on — draw the eye upwards to create the illusion of more space.

Related: If you need additional pro tips for how to stage a bedroom, check out 7 expert tips for staging a bedroom like a pro.

3. Select Light Colors

Want to hear one of the oldest design tricks in the book? Here it is — stay away from dark colors in small spaces. Maximizing natural light is one of the most important ways you can make a small bedroom feel larger, and since dark colors absorb light, they don’t work in your favor.

However, you know what colors reflect natural light? Very light shades, which create the illusion of space. Now, you don’t need to ditch every color in your bedroom for white bedding and walls. Often, the best choice for walls is a soft neutral color, like cream or greige, and soft pastels can add a touch of color to throw pillows, bedding, curtains, and decor without overwhelming the space.

4. Maximize Natural Light

While light colors can work wonders for enhancing a small room’s visual size, we use other decorating strategies to accomplish this same goal.

First, we trade heavy drapes or window treatments with light, gauzy curtains or roll-up shades to allow more natural light into the room. Our designers will also strategically place mirrors next to windows to create the illusion of more space.

Pro Design Tip: Want to catch the warm morning and evening light in your bedroom to create a glowy atmosphere? Place a mirror adjacent to your room’s largest window. Want to catch the mid-morning and afternoon light to really illuminate the space? Place a mirror across from your largest window.

5. Choose the Right Furniture

You might think the size of the furniture you choose for a small bedroom matters most to maximize space. And sure, while choosing scaled furniture to match the room’s dimensions is important, what most designers won’t tell you is that the style of the furniture is just as important as the size.

For example, furniture with thin, elevated legs creates an airy feel and draws the eye upward to provide the visual illusion of more floor space, making the room feel larger. Additionally, multifunctional furniture can be a great way to save space in small bedrooms. Think under-bed storage to eliminate the need for a dresser, loft beds that draw the eye upwards and create space for a desk or dresser underneath, or storage ottomans that provide a space-saving solution for blankets and pillows.

Pro Design Tip: Our designers frequently recommend the mid-century modern style for small bedrooms — most of the furniture that aligns with this look is small and lightweight with slender legs!

Make Your Small Bedrooms in Texas or Florida Feel More Spacious with The Staging Company

No one wants to sleep in a small, cramped bedroom — especially potential buyers looking at your home on the real estate market. This is one of the many reasons homeowners reach out to The Staging Company for professional home staging services.

Ready to make your small bedroom feel bigger, so you can sell your home quickly and for more money? Contact us to get started — we proudly serve homeowners in San Antonio, Austin, Orlando, and other cities across Texas and Florida.

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