How to furnish a small bedroom: space-saving tips and ideas

Having a small bedroom doesn’t have to mean giving up comfort and style. It’s important to optimise the available space and choose the right furniture, if you want to create a functional and inviting room. Come, as we explore a number of practical ideas on how to furnish a small bedroom to make the most of every available inch.

These tips can also be used for a guest bedroom, which are usually smaller than the master bedroom. Or you can apply them to a second bedroom, or a room in a holiday home, where size constraints often demand space-saving furnishing solutions.

Choose the right bed

The bed is the main item of furniture in any bedroom and choosing the right one is especially important if the room is small. A storage bed, like Tod, is a practical place to keep linen, off-season clothes and other belongings. These beds are a way to keep things in order, by turning an area that would normally go unused into a concealed, but easy-to-access storage space.

For those who prefer upholstered storage beds, Scirocco is a great solution for all types of bedroom.

Beds with slim headboards and tall feet deliver a feeling of uncluttered, visual lightness. Talak is an example of a minimal bed that provides comfort with two maxi-size cushions on the headboard.

Ander is an excellent alternative for small bedrooms, with its slim frame and rounded headboard that add a touch of style, without overloading the room. Its compact but elegant structure make it perfect for compact spaces.

Multifunctional beds also offer innovative solutions for optimising space in small bedrooms, combining several functions into a single item of furniture, as we will see.

Use multifunctional furniture

Multifunctional furniture not only helps maximise space in a small bedroom, it also ensures the room stays tidy and functional. The versatility of these items allow you to combine several functions into a single piece, reducing the amount of space occupied and making it more efficient to use. First off, the bed.

Plinio, for example, has a headboard with an open compartment that can be turned into a handy bookcase. This is a great solution for booklovers, as it enables you to keep books and other objects at your fingertips without needing additional furniture. The open compartment is also perfect for displaying small decorations and adding a personal touch to the bedroom without taking up too much space.

Nashi offers two small shelves in the headboard, where you can place books, glasses and other personal items. Their position makes them easy to reach and gives them a clean, minimal look.

Zefiro is another shelf that is incorporated into the headboard and can easily stand in for a bedside table.

There are also modular systems, like Scacco, which can be personalised so that the bed, storage units, shelves and other items are arranged to suit the needs of the space and the room’s occupants.

Furniture can be adapted to the specific shape and dimensions of a room. So a built-in shelf, say, can serve as both a desk and a make-up table.

Other multifunctional and space-saving solutions can be added to complete the design. Take Leonardo, a clever bedside cabinet combined with a clothes stand that provides somewhere to keep clothes, but also a storage surface next to the bed.

Another handy solution is the Atena mirror, which has a storage unit behind it for hanging clothes out of sight.

Keeping things in order and avoiding clutter is even more important when space is at a minimum. Multifunctional furniture items do not resolve the issue of limited space, but they do help create a room that is well organised, where everything has a place and every functional need can be met efficiently.

Use the walls

A great way to save space in a small bedroom is to make the most of wall space. Wall-mounted shelves and bookcases provide vertical storage and free up floor space. Space-saving shelves can be installed above the bed, next to wardrobes or on any other empty wall. Go for Scandinavian-style minimalism and lighter colours to help keep the room airy despite its small size.

Small wardrobes with hanger units are a valid alternative to bulkier clothes storage units. These compact wardrobes provide dedicated space for storing clothes, outerwear and accessories, without taking up too much room.

Hanger units mounted on the sides of wardrobes are another space-saving solution. They can be used to make the most of every inch of available space, providing a convenient place to hang clothes, bags and other everyday items.

Hanger units mounted on free walls or behind a door help keep the room tidy without taking up precious space. If they are chosen in different shapes and materials, they add a decorative touch to the room.

Choose the right colours and decorations

Colour and decorations play a key part in determining how we perceive a space. Pale, neutral colours, like white and pastels, make the room seem bigger. It’s always best to avoid dark or very bright colours that might make the room appear smaller.

One tip to bring balance and harmony to a small bedroom is to use a combination of a main colour, a secondary colour and an accent colour.

This image shows an example of a colour scheme for a smaller bedroom:

• Main colour: pastel blue for the storage unit cabinet, the walls and the bedlinen, a colour that conveys a sense of freshness and tranquillity.
• Secondary colour: the grey grain in the bed brings a subtle contrast that works in harmony with pastel blue.
• Accent colour: the red table adds a certain vivacity and dynamism and interrupts the monotony of the more neutral colours.

Mirrors are important decorative features that amplify space, reflect light and decorate the room, as well as allowing you to check your appearance just before you leave the house. Hang them on walls like artwork.

Maximise storage space

Creating space for storage is key in a small bedroom. You could replace traditional bedside tables with tall, narrow three-drawer cabinets like the ones in the photo. A tall chest of drawers might be better option than a dresser, as it takes up less floor space and gives the room vertical height.

If there’s enough room for a wardrobe, choose one with sliding doors which take up no extra space. You might also want to consider see-through or mirrored doors, which can make a room appear larger.

Also, optimising wardrobe interiors with shelves, drawers and dividers can significantly increase storage capacity. Special containers, boxes and organisers like tie racks and belt hangers can help keep everything organised and easy to access. Internal lighting systems can improve functionality, prevent untidiness and help you find what you’re looking for.

As we have seen, storage beds provide hidden but valuable space for bedlinen and other items. If you don’t have a storage bed, you could use under-bed storage boxes and containers, perhaps with wheels to make them easier to get to and move into position, and see-through to make it easier to know what’s inside.

Benches and poufs are great for storage and also add a touch of style to the bedroom.

Lighting tips

Great lighting is key in a small bedroom. Use a combination of different sources – general lighting, bedside or reading lamps, wall lighting, pendant lamps and LED lights integrated into furniture – to create uniform, flexible lighting for different activities and times of the day.

Wall lamps are an excellent way of saving space on bedside tables and keeping the area around the bed clutter-free. Wall lamps and spotlights can be installed above or next to the bed to provide direct, adjustable lighting, ideal for reading in bed. Choose them in styles and materials that complement the furniture in the room.

Or why not install pendant lamps above bedside cabinets next to the bed as a modern, elegant alternative to traditional table lamps, while freeing up bedside space. They can be adjusted in height to deliver the required amount of illumination.

Some beds have incorporated LED lights, or backlit headboards which, in addition to being functional, help create a soft atmosphere.

Lastly, it’s important to make the most of natural light. Sheer curtains let light into the room while preserving privacy. Keep windows clean and clear of obstacles to maximise the amount of natural light coming in.

In conclusion, designing a small bedroom demands creativity and attention to detail. Choosing furniture that is multifunctional and visually lightweight, optimising the use of wall space, selecting a suitable colour scheme and carefully assessing all storage options are all effective strategies. Small bedrooms are no match for Santalucia Mobili! We see them as a great opportunity to create even more innovative solutions.

Browse the Homy Notte catalogue and find out how to transform a small bedroom into a super functional, modern, stylistically curated space.