Small Room Simple Decorating Ideas

francois catroux provence stone house

Pascal Chevallier

At first glance, decorating a small bedroom can seem quite limiting. When square footage is at a premium, it can feel as if you have only so many room layouts and furniture pieces to choose from. But whether you're transforming a cozy attic into a spare bedroom or carving out some space in your studio apartment, you may find that a small bedroom has unlimited potential—you just need to get creative. For inspiration, browse through these 72 standout ideas. From textured touches to creative uses of traditionally overlooked nooks, these rooms prove that petite spaces can be big on style.

jean lin colony 40 bleecker

Brooke Holm

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The Dark Side

Contrary to popular belief, dark colors can make a small space appear larger. Colony's Jean Lin used a deep, inky blue in this travel-inspired apartment.

danielle colding upper west side apartment

Brittany Ambridge

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Create Contrast

As the old saying goes, opposites attract. When tasked to design this apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Danielle Colding embraced her bold streak with an orange bed from Design Within Reach and offsetting blue accessories.

antonio martins house guest room

Christopher Stark

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A Bold Bed

Just because your bedroom is small doesn't mean it has to be boring. San Francisco–based designer Antonio Martins added an 18th-century Portuguese Bilros bed to this guest room in his home. While the intricate carved posts are eye-catching, the negative space of the canopy keeps the room from feeling claustrophobic.

thomas hamel house tour

Mark Roper

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Pretty and Pragmatic

To give a statement bed a practical edge, take a cue from Thomas Hamel, who flanked this Fortuny fabric–clad canopy with tall cabinets.

emiliano salci apartment in milan

Andrea Ferrari

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Sitting Pretty

If you want to enjoy your small bedroom beyond those eight glorious sleeping hours, add a perch. For his room with a view in Milan, Dimorestudio's Emiliano Salci placed this small chair in front of his bedroom's casement window.

isabel lopez quesada madrid apartment

Miguel Flores-Vianna

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Layer Your Lighting

Up your small bedroom's cozy factor with warm, layered lighting. In a Madrid bedroom, designer Isabel López-Quesada paired a reading sconce with a classic table lamp.

tom scheerer project

Francesco Lagnese

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Make the Most of Monochrome

For a low-effort way to make a big impact, stick with a monochromatic color palette. In this apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Tom Scheerer used a soft blue throughout to make his clients feel as if they're floating on cloud nine.

mumbai apartment

Fabien Charuau

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Get Creative With Your Ceilings

When decorating your small bedroom, it's important to make the most of every available space—even your ceiling. In Srila Chatterjee and Mahesh Mathai's Mumbai apartment, the couple punctuated the pitched ceilings of this attic guest room with artwork.

francois catroux provence stone house

Pascal Chevallier

9 of 72

Power Combo

In his French weekend home, the late designer François Catroux turned the main bedroom into a serene oasis by juxtaposing warm neutrals with a splash of blue. This space features a custom bed draped in Bernard Thorp fabric and collages by Yves Saint Laurent.

nicole hollis stinson california

Douglas Friedman

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Push the Limits

In this Bay Area abode, Nicole Hollis made the most of this small children's bedroom by pushing the custom-designed bunk beds and cabinets up against facing walls.

nebihe cihan apartment main bedroom

Stephan Julliard

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Wonder Wall

Want to make a real statement in your small bedroom? Swap out an accent wall for a serene mural, as designer Nebihe Cihan did in this London apartment.

steven gambrel malibu hacienda

Douglas Friedman

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Embrace the Old

Give your small bedroom an otherworldly edge with some vintage pieces. In this Malibu hacienda, designer Steven Gambrel offset a 19th-century Spanish bed with an Annie Selke coverlet and a rug from J&D Oriental Rugs Co.

charlie ferrer apartment bedroom

Stephen Kent Johnson

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Studio Apartment Excellence

Creating a stylish sleep area in a studio apartment is no small feat. But in this Manhattan setup, designer Charlie Ferrer rose to the challenge with a custom bed by Robert Stilin, an Hermès blanket, and bedding by Anichini Linens.

large bed with mosquito netting and fan overhead

Ricardo Labougle

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Space-Efficient Style

Consider the bedroom in this home on the coast of Uruguay the perfect blend of form and function. A dainty mosquito net hangs from a wall bracket that swings over a charmingly ornate bed—it's a practical finishing touch for an all-white bedroom.

tuscan villa by hubert zandberg

Simon Upton

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Mix and Match

Why settle for one pattern when you can enjoy a few? Designer Hubert Zandberg decked out this de Le Cuona–clad canopy bed with various patterns. The secret to this style move is sticking with a consistent color palette, as Zandberg did in this Tuscan villa.

guerini hilow iwaszura apartment main bedroom

Francesco Dolfo

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Tiny Touches

As the old adage goes, the devil is in the details. The creative couple who lives in this Milan abode sprung for a bed frame with handblown glass finials for a subtle statement. Rounding out the room is a mohair blanket from South Africa as well as bedding and a lamp from Zara.

samuel amoia boy's bedroom

Nina Poon

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Textured Treatment

Transform your small bedroom from crammed to cozy with a hefty dose of texture. In this apartment on Manhattan's Park Avenue, designer Samuel Amoia used plaster panels to create the illusion of suede walls.

Furniture, White, Room, Bed, Bedroom, Wall, Bed frame, Yellow, Interior design, Product,

Reid Rolls; Styling: Chelsea Fierst

18 of 72

Bold Stripes

For entertainment executive Kent Belden's Hamptons guest bedroom, designer Brigette Romanek incorporated a black-and-white-striped accent wall, a Poltrona Frau bed, and a B&B Italia nightstand.

Room, Living room, Blue, Interior design, Furniture, Wall, Table, House, Couch, Home,

Alex Lukey

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Twin Beds

A grasscloth wallcovering by Kravet serves as the foundation for this gender-neutral twin bedroom design by Sabrina Albanese. To complement the look, the designer outfitted the space with bed frames and a nightstand by CB2 along with bedding by St. Geneve Linens and Ralph Lauren.

Curtain, Room, Interior design, Textile, Furniture, Window treatment, Pink, Bed, Architecture, Canopy bed,

Simon Upton

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Dramatic Curtains

Designer Alessandra Branca went for a Moroccan-inspired guest bedroom in a 1910s mansion in Chicago. Window coverings and bed curtains in a custom Bennison fabric add to the room's cocoon-like feel. The George IV bedside table features inlaid brass and mother-of-pearl, and the table lamp is late-19th-century English.

Blue, Green, Room, Bedroom, Turquoise, Aqua, Interior design, Teal, Furniture, Bed,

Douglas Friedman

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Modern Beach Look

A Miami Beach getaway designed by Lee F. Mindel is a lesson in decorating with color. Benjamin Moore's vibrant Cool Aqua pairs well with headboard, in a Link Textiles fabric, along with pops of crisp white. to finish the look, Mindel settled on custom bedding by E. Braun & Co., Oluce lamps from MSK Illuminations, and Design Within Reach nightstands.

Pink, Wall, Room, Purple, Violet, Furniture, Lilac, Leaf, Orange, Interior design,

Douglas Friedman

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Oversized Art

Colorful, oversized artwork by Vik Muniz inject personality into a child's bedroom, featuring a bed by Meridiani with sheets by the Company Store. Delphine Krakoff, the designer of the space, finished the look with a soft pink cashmere throw from Williams Sonoma, and a side table by Pinto Guillemin Voisin for Ligne Roset.

Bedroom, Bed, Blue, Room, Furniture, Ceiling, Interior design, Bed frame, Decoration, Wall,

Oberto Gili

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Trompe L'Oeil Striped Tent

The trompe l'oeil striped tent—hand-painted by decorative artist Deborah Phillips—lends a contemporary edge to this Ken Fulk–designed guest room. Linens by Schweitzer and a photograph of model Cheryl Tiegs by Anne Collier enhance the design scheme.

Room, Property, Furniture, Wall, Floor, Interior design, House, Ceiling, Building, Bedroom,

Alec Hemer

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French-Inspired Bedroom

To make his Connecticut attic bedroom feel luxe, designer Christian Siriano added several light fixtures throughout the space. A combination of white walls, whitewashed floors, and white bedding make for a cozy atmosphere.

Bedroom, Furniture, Bed, Room, Bed sheet, Interior design, Ceiling, Bed frame, Bedding, Wall,

Stephen Kent Johnson

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Cozy Penthouse Bedroom

From an eye-catching collection of paintings to an 18th-century Italian mirror, thoughtful accessories steal the show in this Greenwich Village bedroom. The bed, featuring antique French linens, is upholstered in a neutral striped fabric by Robert Kime. The side table is 18th-century English, the lantern is 19th-century Indian, and the walls are in Farrow & Ball's Off-White.

blue bedroom

Daniel Wang

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Vibrant Hues

In a prewar New York City apartment, a rich sapphire wall accentuates the expansiveness of a relatively small master. Osborne and Little's butterfly pattern upholstery—seen on the lampshades and chair—inspired the bedroom's overall color scheme. The custom headboard in a Schumacher fabric is flanked by hand-painted vintage Korean chests; the settee at the end of the bed is vintage and custom upholstered.

Bobby Berk Queer Eye Small Spaces

Airbnb Plus

27 of 72

Underbed Storage

"I'm a huge fan of platform beds with dressers underneath," Bobby Berk says. "There's so much real estate under your bed that can be maximized with proper storage." To optimize that space, Berk recommends using vacuum-sealed bags for clothes you don't wear, storing them in stackable, organized boxes.

Bobby Berk Queer Eye Small Spaces

Airbnb Plus

28 of 72

Neutral Palette

"When you're working with a small space, a neutral palette is ideal," Bobby Berk advises. Go for subdued, natural colors, and stick with them throughout the space. In a bedroom, for instance, opting for white cotton sheets, a white linen duvet, and a neutral quilted throw can achieve a layered look without relying on bold pops of color, which can feel cluttered

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