3 Tips to Maximize Space and Style in a Small Bedroom

You guys I just overhauled a pretty small bedroom in our 1886 home and with the right furniture it doesn’t even feel small at all anymore- win! I learned so much about how to maximize space and I’m sharing it all with you! Anyone, no matter the room size, can benefit from these 3 tips when designing a bedroom, too! So excited to show you another room reveal at our home turned Vacation Rental!

In case you missed it, I just revealed our Master Bedroom and shared my 7 Steps to Creating the Perfect Dream Master Bedroom and you can read that post here.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Brick. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.

1) Take Measurements to Maximize Your Small Bedroom Space

Measurements are so freaking important!! The first step to pulling off a gorgeous space in a super small room is to take measurements.

First of all, most people will look at a space whether for a renovation or a makeover and decide right off the bat, without measurements, “You can’t fit a queen bed in here…or this space won’t fit a kitchen with an island…” You get the point- people make a snap judgements about what is possible without measuring the space and playing around with the layout first.

How and What to Measure in a Small Bedroom

Open the door so you can see how the door affects the space. In the case of this bedroom the open door ends up on the main wall, so it has to be taken into account.

If you have options for which wall the bed can fit on, it’s best if you work with the longest wall, so that you can fit bedside tables. Often in a really small space there is only one wall that can fit a bed. That is the case with our space. Once you take out the closet wall, the doorway to enter, the windows and radiator, there is only one wall.

So we need the length of the wall with the bed, minus anything that takes away from that total length- e.g. a radiator or door swing. Then you have your working dimensions.

Must Have – A Gorgeous Upholstered Queen Bed!

My goal for a bedroom is to fit a queen bed. Essential for couples, and as kids grow I think a queen bed is optimal. If you’re transitioning your child into a bigger room, I often skip right to a queen bed if the space will allow it…why not? It’s more comfortable and saves another transition down the road.

I chose the Grace Queen Bed for our guest room. This was my daughter Penelope’s room and I would have chosen this bed for her either way. I’m looking for the same features in a bed, whether for guests or my daughter. I want an upholstered headboard with beautiful details, and curves are my favourite. Upholstered headboards are so functional. To sit in bed and read a book, scroll through your phone, do homework, or type a blog post (like I am right now) you need a comfortable place to rest your back against.

Maximum Comfort with the Perfect Mattress

One of the most important pieces in any bedroom is a really great quality mattress. For this space I chose the Sealy Posturepedic Crown Germaine Queen Mattress Set

I chose this mattress because it has ALL. THE. THINGS.

I love traditional mattresses with pocket coils and Sealy Posturepedic is known for having the best Posturepedic Technology. Each of the coils supports each part of your body. Guests are going to love this mattress, if they have back issues, because It’s firm but then also has a layer of Pressure Relief memory foam over the coils that responds to your pressure points!! I know right?! So good!!

AND not even done…The mattress is made with gel-infused high-density foam and SealyAIR fibre which keeps the mattress cool if you’re a hot sleeper. So even if our guest is the toughest mattress critic with so many aches and pains (ummm like my Dad)…we’ve got them covered with this mattress!

The Reviews Speak for Themeselves

Guys, I’m so proud to say that we have only 5 star reviews and let’s get serious- we could not do that without the right mattress, because how you sleep is everything when you’re staying somewhere!

Subtract Bed From Your Measurements

Ok so back to measurements, you subtract the width of the bed from the wall and what you’re left with we’ll use for the rest of the furniture.

2) Chose Narrow furniture and Decor to Pull-Off the Ultimate Layout and Maximize Style in Your Small Bedroom

Even though I have a small space, I don’t want to sacrifice on symmetry, so I’m still centering my bed. I love when there is a matching bedside table on both sides of the bed, it feels like a hotel and allows both people in a bed to have a place to set their things down and it feels balanced and harmonious.

In the past in a small bedroom, I put one normal sized bedside table on one side and nothing on the other and it felt off. In this case I was determined to find narrow bedside tables and still have an ideal bedroom layout.

You won’t believe how many widths of bedside tables you can find if you go hunting and broaden your search to include all types of cabinets and not just “bedside tables” which tend to be wide.

The Brick has some awesome narrow options! I chose the Enna accent cabinet with a width of only 16″ !! These exact cabinets come in 32″ as well which is more typical of bedside tables. I love these cabinets so much that I have them in my Glam Transitional Family Room too in the wider size.

I still get the exact look of a traditional bedside table but in a skinny size to fit my small space just perfectly.

Skinny Mirrors and Lamps to Elevate Your Small Space

My favourite look in a bedroom is matching bedside tables with matching mirrors above. In order to pull this look off in a small space, we need a matching narrow mirror to go above the bedside table. You don’t ever want the mirror to be wider than the table, it will feel top heavy and totally unbalanced. Luckily ,The Brick has a mirror in every shape and size. I chose the Venetian Mirror. This mirror is drop dead GORGEOUS! I can’t even. I love it in this space but I also am obsessed with a matching pair over a vanity…which I totally want to try so bad!

If you don’t have a small space you can get this mirror in a wider size too! Check out the Mansard mirror for the same look in a wider size.

I also found the perfect skinny Crystal Lamps with narrow shades that still have maximum style for our small space. Honestly I can’t believe in a space this small we fit matching bedside tables and lamps! We didn’t have to sacrifice on one luxury!

When Everything is Narrow You Create an Optical Illusion

K so this is a little bit of magic in the way of an optical illusion taking place. If your tables are narrow, your mirrors, and your lamps, suddenly everything just feels “normal sized”. Like if you put these pieces in a wide space they would feel out of place and tiny, but here in the exact right sized room they feel spacious! Such a gorgeous win!

3) Use Hidden Power Bars to Maximize Layout Functionality and Number of Outlets Without an Electrician

So first off this house is from 1886, so it didn’t even freaking have outlets on this wall! I’m not kidding so this power bar hack would be perfect for people who don’t have outlets and small bedrooms.

However, we’ve used up all wall space with our furniture, so how could people plug in their laptops and phones without literally having to move furniture out of the way?

I have to thank Matt Cornies our contractor and Matt’s best friend for this one. He totally dreamed this insanely smart idea up! And there is a power bar on both sides?! Stop…each person can charge their phones, work in bed, whatever their little heart desires!

To pull this off, if your outlet is on a different wall, you tack the cord along the baseboard and plug it in at the first available outlet.

Do Not Sacrifice Anything in a Small Bedroom

The moral of the story is that you do not have to sacrifice anything in a small space if you take measurements, choose narrow furniture pieces and decor, and use clever electrical.

You can still have a huge luxurious queen bed, matching bedside tables with mirrors and lamps achieving that dreamy hotel look all in a super small room!

Check out our Master Bedroom Reveal! It’s one of my all time fav spaces!

To book your stay, click here.