Original fireplaces, ornate cornicing, beautiful masonry and on-trend, encaustic tiling are just some of the things we love about our British homes. But the character and charm of our properties can often come at the price of space.
While more regency style homes flaunt their high ceilings and equally lofty bay windows, for the vast majority of us, finding the best way to give homes a spacious feel is often a priority when considering renovations, redecoration and buying furniture.
Regardless of room size, we all need our bedrooms to be an oasis at the end of a long day, and an inspiration to wake up to in the morning. What small bedrooms lack in square footage they can still exude in clever styling and thoughtful design.
Here, our in-house stylists give their top 10 tips on how to maximise space in a small bedroom.
Choose a Luxury Bed with Low Footboard
Your eyes should be able to look across the (perhaps bijou) landscape of your bedroom uninterrupted.
Footboards, as decoratively lovely as they are, and as much as we love them for our luxury French-style beds, can stand to obstruct the eye in a small bedroom.
Opt for a classic French bed that has a low or, even better, no footboard; creating a sense of open space in your boudoir.
Style All White Bed Linen
Calm, even-toned rooms fool the eye into thinking they're larger than they really are. Add a variety of textures to keep the space from falling flat; layering white cotton sheets, a white linen duvet cover, and a neutral quilted throw can achieve a luxurious look without relying on bold pops of colour, which can feel cluttered in a small room.
Shed Some Light With Wall Mirrors
Fake space ‘til you make space! It's the oldest design trick in the book: Mirrors will make your space feel larger, lighter, and airier. Use beautiful wall mirrors to bounce light around the room, and full-length French mirrors to give the illusion of height.
Full-Size Bedroom Furniture For a Bijou Boudoir
It may seem counter-intuitive but styling a small space with just a few large-scale pieces of French furniture (rather than a mishmash of pint-size furniture) can actually make it feel grander. Resist the urge to push all of your furniture up against the walls. If you create space behind your French style chest of drawers for example, this trick will make the room appear wider than it is.
Switch Bedside Lamps For Pendant Lights
Surface space is quite often at a premium in small bedrooms; don’t take up valuable bedside space with a bedside lamp, when you can opt for a modern, low-hanging ceiling light. The elegance of the low-hanging pendant will also help add height to the space.
Add An Area Rug
It may seem counter-intuitive, but when placed next to a bed, a large rug can make a small floor space look bigger. Place the rug partially underneath the bed, leaving a border of visible floor space around the edges of the rug. This will draw the eye around the room and make it appear wider. It's important to balance the size - too small a rug will make the bed look too large for the small space.
Make Every Piece Work
In small bedrooms, French-style furniture has to work hard to justify its space, so choose bedroom furniture that offers maximum functionality in minimal square footage. Instead of a buttoned bench at the foot of your French bed, opt for a slim console table and bedroom stool, to double as dressing table and extra surface. And just think of all the hidden storage in our clever and stylish upholstered storage bed.
Raise Your Curtain Game
To give the sense of palatial high ceilings, raise your curtain rail to ceiling height. Whether you have the height or not, this nifty trick makes a small bedroom look bigger by drawing the eye upwards. Hang artwork above eye level for the same effect.
Make A Statement With Lighting
More light = more space. Or at least, the illusion of it. Natural sunlight is the best, but an oversized pendant light or chandelier can help bring in as much illumination as possible. An overhead light will cast a glow over the whole room. Opt for a glass French chandelier to refract light into every little corner of the room.
Always Edit Your Small Bedroom
Nothing makes a space feel smaller than clutter! If something stands out or doesn’t feel right, consider removing it. While there may not be space for too much furniture, there’s always room for improvement.
For more ideas on how to style a small bedroom chat to our knowledgeable and friendly in-house stylists. They love nothing more than chatting about which French bed might be the best for your bijou boudoir, or which of our luxurious bedding will optimise your small space.
