6 Ways to Maximize Space in a Small Bedroom

When we moved back into our new brownstone last August, we were thrilled that we had a second bedroom. The idea of extra space, an extra closet and potential for friends to stay over was exciting for us! The truth of the matter, however, is that in Boston (and other big cities), the term “second bedroom” is a loose one. I knew that I would need to focus on space planning and get creative with layout to make this work. I think that the result is pretty great actually – it works for us!

Though there is no secret to maximizing space, there are a few tips and tricks I have learned along the way that I want to share with you.

6 Ways to Maximize Space in a Small Bedroom

– It’s important to know how you want to use the space. For us, we needed a space that gave us a ton of extra storage and provided some sort of bed for guests – we chose this Ikea daybed because we did not want a bed to take up the entire room.

– Go vertical! The bookshelves added to the nook by the fireplace provided extra storage, a place to display items and really maximized every square inch. I love being able to incorporate plants, color and texture into the room this way.

– Build storage into your design. We chose our specific daybed because it included three very deep drawers which serve as a linen closet for us. We keep all of our spare sheets, blankets and pillows here.

– Keep it light. There is only one window in the room so it doesn’t receive much natural light so we opted for a light gray wall. I chose white and neutral furniture to keep with the minimalist look and clean design.

– Measure, measure, measure. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Our dresser fits exactly in the side nook – literally, we have about 1cm of spare space. Had we not measured – and measured again – we would have been in big trouble.

– Space plan prior to purchasing. We had a few different layout options that we were playing with in our head and each one included different furniture options. I taped out the options on the floor to help us decide which made the most sense in the room.