Essential Guide to Small Scale Living: Designing a Bedroom

This week, in our second instalment in our Essential Guide to Small Scale Living series, we are moving our focus to the bedroom.

There is likely no place in your apartment where you will spend more time. Consequently, it is crucial to make this room as homely and welcoming as possible. This is especially important when you do not have much space to work with.  We hope that this week’s guide can provide some tips and tricks on how to make the most of your bedroom.

Light: natural and decorative

As with our suggestions for the living room, the most important thing to consider is light. Nothing makes a small room feel smaller than a lack of natural light and dark colours. It is important to make the most of any natural light that you have. Switching curtains for blinds, for example, can help declutter windows and brighten up the room.

White, or a light neutral-coloured, walls can help create a greater illusion of natural light, and this in turn adds a sense of space. Light coloured bed linen and furniture can also compliment this, creating a welcoming environment.

While we recommend a use of light colours for large elements or items, it is not to say that pops of colour have no space in your bedroom. Adding colourful accents brings character to a room and can make a space feel more appealing. Colourful pillows, or a natural wood stool at the foot of the bed can all be used to great effect.

Location of the bed

Speaking of beds, it should come as no surprise that this is typically the key feature of any bedroom. Its positioning is key in defining the look of a room and should be your first decision. Pushing it up against a window or a wall can make it fit seamlessly into its surroundings, and avoids it wasting precious space.

If not up against a window, keeping the wall behind your bed free from too many decorations will also help this. It could be a good place for a minimalist photo, or a small bookshelf.  Perhaps even consider placing a mirror there to create optical illusion and enhance the feeling of space.

For very small bedrooms, you could even look into using a wall bed or a futon which doubles up as a sofa. This would allow you to free up floor space during the day when you aren’t asleep.

Declutter to the essentials

Nothing creates a feeling of smallness more than too many objects. In the bedroom, of all places, it is important to declutter and create a relaxing environment free from distractions. It is important to focus only on the essentials, only on things that have to be in your bedroom. Objects like desks and wardrobes tend to be found in a bedroom. However, if you are struggling for space you could consider moving them elsewhere to reclaim your room. You could have your desk in your living room, for example, and replace it with a smaller corner table in your bedroom.

In-built storage

When decluttering, useful storage space is also a necessity. One great trick is to make the most of the often forgotten about space under your bed. Using drawers or boxes can help keep lesser used items tucked out of sight. This is a great space for bed linen, suitcases, and non-seasonal clothing amongst others items. This option is also ideal for renters who are unable to make large changes to their apartment.

Another, albeit slightly more expensive, option is to install a built-in wardrobe along one wall. It allows for greater storage space and helps create clean lines in your room, avoiding the need for large, isolated pieces of furniture.

Keeping items tucked away and creating useful storage spaces also allows you to effortlessly keep your room clean and organised. It also frees up visible space for more personal items and decorations that liven up the space.

Make the most of your walls

Our final tip for the bedroom is to make the most of your wall space. This is particularly important when it comes to lighting. Time to get rid of those old free standing or desk lamps. Installing a ceiling light, or a few wall-mounted lamps either side of a bed helps save floor space and creates a much cleaner look. Maybe even consider using strips of small LEDs. These generate a warm white light which can be regulated, and tuck away neatly, taking up very little space.

A small, wall mounted shelf can also be a good small space solution. It can double up as a bookshelf and a small desk when needed.  It can also help to delineate the space and create a greater sense of movement.

That’s it for our second instalment. If you are currently looking for interior design inspiration check out our Instagram and our other blog posts for some ideas. Or if you are looking for a new place to live, feel free to browse through our options or visit us in store.

Stay tuned for our next instalment of small scale living solutions.