16 Small Bedroom Design Ideas 2021

Turn that small bedroom into an oasis, an office, or a little bit of both. Small bedroom design ideas can help you pinpoint the perfect additions (or subtractions) from your small private spaces. These little rooms may lack space, but they don’t have to lack style or function. Size limits give you a chance to think creatively to set the right atmosphere. 

While warm colors surge in popularity (and we’ll get to that later), classic white never goes out of style. In a small space, white walls and ceiling reflect light, making the bedroom look bigger. Cool colors visually cause the space to recede, adding to the illusion. Fill the bedroom with white and neutral accessories, and you’ll give it a calm, serene feel that doesn’t overpower the room’s small size. 

White spaces allow accent pieces in any color. However, a soft, blush pink adds color, keeps the room light and airy, and pairs with additional accents, both light and dark. A few well-chosen pieces can build interest in a white space without creating visual clutter. 

Natural expands a space, giving it a light and airy feel. Open curtains, add a skylight, or use mirrors to reflect and boost a room’s natural light. If you’re working with a basement bedroom or bedroom with small windows, paint the walls white to reflect more natural light. If you need some privacy, use sheer curtains to keep natural light glowing. 

Small bedroom design ideas in 2021 include the resurgence of the upholstered headboard. When you’re short on space, you have to add comfort with every piece. In a small bedroom, an upholstered headboard touches on luxury and provides a soft place to sit up in and bed to read a book or watch TV. Dark, light, tufted or smooth—it doesn’t matter as long as the headboard makes you want to lay down and stay awhile.

Interior designers embrace sustainability and eco-friendly small bedroom design ideas. Repurposed pallets, organic textiles, and color that comes from houseplants and other natural sources give the room a cozy feel and protect the environment, including you. These products bring fewer chemicals and fumes into the home and are made with methods that protect people and the planet. 

With short headboards on the rise, paintings and photos behind the headboard amplify it as the room’s focal point. It’s a great place to create a wall display of family photos or favorite prints, leaving other walls with minimal decor to keep the eye focused. In a minimal space, you can use photos to bring the color. In an already colorful room, photos and art can give the eyes a place to rest. 

Floating furniture takes advantage of vertical space and reduces clutter. A floating nightstand offers easy access to storage but lets the eye travel. You won’t skimp on storage and the floating aspect prevents furniture from feeling heavy. 

If you’re really cramped on square footage, a hanging nightstand offers storage and takes up zero floor space. Even a bedroom that can hold little more than a twin bed has room for a hanging nightstand because they can hang close to or even slightly over the bed. It’s also a great way to upcycle trays, chargers, and other flat storage pieces. 

Get that lighting off of the floor. Wall-mounted lighting keeps floor space open and saves space on your nightstand because there’s no need for a table lamp. Sconces come in all shapes, sizes, and finishes to fit in with any design or architectural scheme. 

Small bedroom design is all about maximizing the use of space without compromising the functionality. A bedroom without good lighting feels dark and dreary. Pendant or hanging lights are another option to get the light you need without eating up floor or wall space. Clear, glass lamp shades let light spread throughout the bedroom, or you can use a lampshade that concentrates the light for reading. 

All white and white with accents have both been covered, but what about white and light? White offers a palette for any color scheme, but it might be a little too cold for some people. If that’s you, use light colors in warm tones like beige or grays with orange and red undertones. They’ll warm up the room, but still visually open the space. 

Even if minimalism isn’t exactly your thing, consider using minimalist principles in a small bedroom. Minimalism keeps things...minimal. Think less is more. Furniture choices can reflect this principle too. It’s bed frames with little ornamentation, clean lines, and simplicity for a very Zen experience. 

Warm colors are taking over interior design in 2021. Expand the bedroom’s visual space by using the same warm colors on the walls and ceiling. Your eye travels with the color. If that color keeps moving, so does the eye, making a small space look like it just keeps going. 

Both horizontal and vertical stripes can work in a small bedroom. Vertical stripes make a room look taller because the eyes follow the stripes to the ceiling. Horizontal stripes make a wall look wider for the same reason. Either way, stripes can make the most of a limited small bedroom design. 

Small bedrooms can’t handle or hold a lot of accessories, so you have to use them wisely. Bed textiles like throws and pillows may be all the color and decor you need. Mix patterns like stripes with florals and solids and textures like chunky knits with smooth velvets. It’s another way to add interest without cluttering the space. 

Paint isn’t the only way to add a striped effect. Wood planks add the warmth of wood and create the same visual illusion as painted stripes. Horizontal planks, in particular, make a room feel wider and more expansive, more so than vertical planks. Vertical planks get cut off at the ceiling, which doesn’t help a small space.