Small Room Decorating Ideas

Take advantage, or create the illusion of vertical space

If your small room is blessed with lofty ceilings, you need to take full advantage of them. Hanging curtains high above a window will help to accentuate the perceived height of a room even more, making it feel more spacious.

Another small room idea if you have high ceilings is to install a larger light fitting. As well as adding more light to the room, a larger light fitting will create a much grander atmosphere – making the room appear much bigger than it is.

If you’re not blessed with much vertical space, there are some creative ways to make the ceiling feel higher than it is. Such as, using lower furniture and taller, thinner bookcases to create the illusion of higher ceilings.

Mismatch furniture

Mismatching furniture can help to create the illusion of space because you can use it to trick the mind. Combining taller storage solutions, like shelves, with low seating will help a small room look bigger. When choosing seating, try to select chairs and sofas with open arms – these allow light to pass through the room, making it appear bigger still.

Be clever with storage solutions

When thinking about small room ideas, smart storage solutions should be one of your first ports of call.

Ask yourself: are there any opportunities to build in shelves and storage units in the small room? Does your room feature a fireplace, and could you incorporate shelving to the side of the chimney breast?

Once you have decided on whether you can implement built-in shelving, you should think about pieces with dual functionality. Ottomans, for example, can be used for storage and sitting on.

To make your room feel bigger, you need to avoid clutter – so think about where you can add storage to places that won’t be used. If you can put boxes and baskets under your sofa, this will help keep your room clean and tidy, maximising space that otherwise wouldn’t be used.

Take a look at our collection of under bed storage ideas here.

Try a sliding door

When you think about space-saving ideas for small rooms, it’s normal to think of storage space – but hinged doors can also cause problems. The wider a hinged door is, the more space you’ll need to open and close it.

Sliding doors, on the other hand, only need to account for the thickness of the door – making it a convenient way of saving a lot of floor space.

Explore our range of sliding doors now to see how much small room space you could save.

Make it cosy

Rather than trying to make your small room feel much bigger, why not turn it into a cosy snug where you can escape to and relax?

Instead of trying to maximise your space, work with what you have to create a haven of plush rugs, cushions, comfy chairs and blankets.

You could also go against the rule book and look at using darker paint colours for a more luxurious feel to the space. Plus, colours such as dark blues, greys and greens will help to camouflage the fact that it’s a small room, as people will automatically be drawn to the theatre of the space.

Top tip: Dark colours look particularly good in North or East facing rooms, as they typically have cooler and more limited light. So work with the natural lighting of the room, rather than against it, for a cocooning and cosy feel.

If you’re in search of some more decorating inspiration beyond small room ideas, take a look at our Ideas and Advice hub.