10 Ways To Make A Small Bedroom Feel Bigger & Brighter

10 Ways To Make A Small Bedroom Feel Bigger

10 Tips and tricks to make a small room look and feel bigger without major renovation

No house is perfect…

Sometimes you are stuck with an odd-shaped room or a closet that’s not quite right, but the most common complaint I hear about is small bedrooms.

Take our primary bedroom in our newly purchased farmhouse for example:

This is how it looked when we first saw the house, lots of great potential but not quite as large as I was hoping for.

Selecting the Right Paint Color for a small room

I wanted our bedroom to feel airy, cozy, and somewhere we were happy to spend time in.

There is no reason you can’t love your bedroom even if it’s not quite the size you want it to be.

This bedroom was a problem I knew we could solve with some decor changes, small updates, and a few diy projects.

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Here Are 10 Ways To Make a Small Bedroom Feel Bigger:

1. Remove Popcorn Ceilings

Our bedroom was cursed with popcorn ceilings, actually, the majority of the house was.

I have never been a fan of them because they make the ceiling appear to be lower than it actually is.

Removal sounds like a bigger ordeal than it is, I promise!

This entire ceiling took Adam about an hour to scrape and 30 minutes to spot sand.

Once the ceiling is nice and clean apply a fresh coat of white ceiling paint and your room will instantly feel bigger.

You can check out our easy popcorn ceiling removal technique here!

2. Choose Wood Flooring and a Large Rug

I know I know carpet is usually the go-to for bedrooms…

Maybe it’s the whole toddler and 4 large dogs thing, but I despise carpet of any sort.

10 Ways To Make A Small Bedroom Feel Bigger

Removing the sagging carpet in this room and replacing it with darker laminate flooring made the room feel like it was hiding extra square footage underneath all that carpet.

I really love adding a large rug though to give the space some clear dimensions. This vintage blue rug is beautiful and also budget friendly.

3. Selecting the Right Paint Color

I am a firm believer that paint is the magic rabbit of DIY.

It’s the quickest and easiest way to completely update a space.

Here are some things to remember when choosing a paint color for a small room:

Light colors, such as whites, creams, pastels, and soft neutrals, are great for small rooms.

These colors reflect more light, making the space feel brighter and more open.

They also create a sense of airiness and can visually expand the walls.

Monochromatic schemes is another trick I use for small spaces, this uses different shades of the same color family.

For example, painting the walls a light gray and choosing a slightly darker shade for the trim and accents can add depth without overwhelming the space.

While light and neutral colors are generally recommended for small rooms, you can also consider adding an accent wall in a slightly darker or bolder color.

This can create depth and visual interest without overwhelming the space.

I know what you are thinking, didn’t you just paint an entire small bathroom black…

Yes, yes I did and I absolutely love it!

But in that space I wasn’t trying to make it feel bright and large, I was going for dark and moody, which is a great choice for bedrooms too if that’s your thing.

Here are all my favorite dark & moody bedrooms

For this room, I went with a very light gray paint color and chose Gray Owl from Behr.

It is the lightest blueish gray I could find and made the room feel light and airy.

You can find more tips and trips on choosing the right color the first time here!

4. Swap Out Swinging Doors

This is usually not practical for the main entrance to a room, but it is the perfect solution for closets and bathroom doors.

We built these sliding barn doors to replace the door leading to our bathroom.
Having two smaller doors on either side of the opening makes it appear to be so much larger.

Adding mirrors to them also helped bounce light and make the room brighter (more on that later).

You can buy barn doors or build your own for cheap like we did.

5. Add Trim To Windows & Doors

This is one of my favorite DIYs because it’s easy, cheap, and makes a huge difference.

We framed all the windows, doors, and added tall baseboards using plane pine wood to elevate the room and make it look grand.

They can be as simple or as detailed as you want but the taller the trim, the higher the ceiling height will appear to be.

Another trick is to paint the trim the same color as the walls or go super bold and paint them black.

Check out all my favorite painted trim colors here!

6. Hang Curtains Tall

Speaking of windows, let’s talk about curtains.

The closer to the ceiling the better, when it comes to curtain hanging.

Just be sure the bottom of the curtains drape the ground romantically or at-least kisses the floor.

Hanging curtains that are too short will have the opposite effect and make the window appear smaller.

Here are my favorite tips for hanging curtains plus some budget friendly options.

These curtains are super soft, pretty, and they are also blackout curtains so when we close them we have just as much privacy as blinds would provide.

7. Add Mirrors

Mirrors are an easy trick for making any space feel larger.

They reflect light and give the illusion of a bigger and brighter space.In our room we utilize a dresser mirror and also our diy sliding doors mirrors.

There are also some really beautiful and budget friendly mirror options you can shop here.

8. Utilize All 3 Types of Lighting

Obviously the more light you can let into a space the less cave-like it will feel.

Incorporate a mix of ambient, task, and accent lighting to create depth and highlight different areas.

Ambient lighting is the general, overall lighting that illuminates the entire room.

To create a sense of spaciousness, opt for soft and diffused lighting. Use fixtures such as recessed lights, flush-mount ceiling lights, or wall sconces that distribute light evenly without creating harsh shadows.

Task lighting serves a specific purpose, such as reading, studying, or working. Use desk lamps or floor lamps, this helps define different zones within the room.

Accent lighting adds depth and visual interest to a room. By highlighting architectural features, artwork, or decorative elements, it draws attention away from the room’s size. Picture lights, or adjustable spotlights are perfect for creating focal points and adding dimension.

9. The Right Bedding

Bedding is usually the focal point of the room along with the headboard/footboard.

If your room feels cramped try lowering your mattress, use a smaller box spring or thinner mattress to accomplish this.

Choosing furniture with legs also creates the illusion of a less cluttered and cramped space.

Choose solid, light colored bedding then use throw pillows and blankets to add pops of color and pattern.

Our duvet cover is bright white with a waffle knit pattern, the duvet is fluffy and makes the bed feel like one from a fancy hotel.

For the sheets I follow suit with lighter colors, usually white for those also.

Check out all my favorite budget bedding finds here!

10. Declutter

My main tip for making any space feel larger is to declutter the surfaces.

Clutter makes a space feel cramped and unorganized, two things I never want for my bedroom.

I keep essentials and a few personal items out for display.

The rest gets hidden in cute baskets or stored in containers under the bed.

Honestly just making the bed helps a room to feel larger and more put together.