A small bedroom, well organized, can be as satisfying aesthetically as it is practical. Bedroom necessities are few: A bed large enough for sprawling, with a mattress relatively hard or soft according to taste; a table or shelf on either side of the bed; lights designed for bedtime reading; cupboards and drawers for clothes; a couple of hooks on the back of the door for dressing gowns. These are the essentials and, with clever planning, they can be fitted into a space not much bigger than the bed itself.
The most efficient way to utilize space is with fitted furniture. Most small bedrooms have at least one wall that can be filled from floor to ceiling with cupboards. In order to maximize every bit of wall space, it is usually worth commissioning bespoke joinery if at all possible. In an old house, for example, wardrobes may fit best on either side of a chimney breast. When planning hanging space, always ensure there is sufficient depth for a wide wood clothes hanger, plus the bulk of the garment hanging on it, to move freely without scraping against the back of the cupboard or the door. Trying to give yourself a few more centimeters of floor space at the expense of the wardrobe is a false economy that will irritate ever after.
Beds can also be built in and designed to incorporate invaluable storage in that dead space underneath, which is otherwise the preserve of fluff and hiding children. A simple wood plinth, extended at the top to provide bedside shelf space and with a mattress laid on top, makes a stylish bed for a modern room. Wall lights, as opposed to table lamps, leave more space for books, alarm clocks and glasses of water.
There are two decorative routes for a small room: One works to create the illusion of space; the other makes a virtue of necessity by emphasizing its inherently cozy, enclosing qualities. The first demands coherence, plain, pale colors and a lack of clutter only possible with ample cupboard, shelf and drawer space. A color scheme of neutrals and naturals is soothing and not quite as demanding, or potentially dazzling as brilliant white. Don’t forget the power of mirrors – unrivaled for magnifying light and volume as well as being invaluable for checking whether your trousers are the right length. Sliding mirrored doors can look sleek and contemporary while giving the illusion that a room is twice its real size. Using mirrors to panel small areas of wall, alcoves and rebates can make even the most cramped space feel bright and airy.
Fabrics, whether bed linen, curtains or rugs, provide the softness and texture that are essential to the feeling of comfort in a bedroom. Blackout roller or Roman blinds take up less floor and wall space than curtains, and are good for a pared-down look. If, however, you are going for all-out coziness, there is no better way to promote it than with acres of drapery, be it wafting muslin or heavy folds of linen. Fabric can even be used to line the walls, stretched on battens like a soft, slightly textured wallpaper. A patterned fabric will draw the walls in around you, making you feel thoroughly cocooned and insulated from the outside world. Using the same fabric for walls, curtains and bed-hangings helps to give decorative coherence to a small bedroom which might otherwise be overwhelmed by too much pattern.