I’ve lived in a “cosy double bedroom” (or “shoebox” in layman’s terms) for three years. A room so small that when you open your bedroom door you almost instantly feel claustrophobic? That was my reality every single day.
However, the thing I have been able to do and I mean genuinely is turn this tiny room into a larger space than it physically is. I’m not talking about using wishful thinking, or using Instagram filters to create the illusion. I’m talking about genuine ways to expand the perception of the size of a room. To the point where guests will ask if I knocked down a wall.
The first big help came via the humble paint. Although everyone raves about how painting the walls of a small room white can make them appear larger, I quickly discovered that a pale, cool colour that contains just a little warmth can work just as well. I chose Farrow & Ball’s “Morning Mist” (although I also found a near-identical Dulux alternative for less than a tenth of the cost). I think the secret to this working effectively was painting everything (walls, ceiling, skirting boards) in the same colour. It may seem a risk, however, by doing so you are creating a sense of continuous flow that tricks your eyes into seeing the end of one area of a surface as the start of another.
My ceiling is approximately average in height at 2.4m, yet the colour scheme made it appear as though it was higher. One friend visited recently and, after the visit, she said she thought I’d had some sort of renovation work carried out. She was convinced the room was higher than it was previously.
The next real breakthrough for me was using mirrors. However, I learned this one the hard way. I purchased a fashionable round mirror and placed it opposite my window. Photographically, it looked great; in reality, it achieved nothing for the space. The issue? The mirror was too small and in the wrong position.
The mirror that actually achieves the desired result is massive virtually floor to ceiling and positioned perpendicularly to my window, not opposite it. By doing this I have created the illusion of another window and doubled the amount of natural light being bounced around. I picked mine up second hand on Facebook marketplace for £45. The original retail price was £180. The seller was downsizing to a new home and it didn’t fit. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of timing.
Here’s where I started to get a bit creative with reflective surfaces other than just mirrors. I changed my old wooden bedside cabinet for one with a glass top and lucite legs. Sounds pretentious, I know, but the transparency allows the viewer to travel through the furniture rather than having to stop at a physical boundary. Same principal applies to my wardrobe I changed the solid doors for sliding ones with a mirror finish. Instantly my room appeared to have a depth to it not just width.
Scale of the furniture was probably the biggest lesson I learned. I used to believe that a small room = small furniture. While that is logically correct, it is completely incorrect. In a small room, small furniture only serves to highlight how small and cramped the room is. Therefore, I chose to invest in fewer, larger pieces of furniture that actually fit the room. My bed is a proper double, and my wardrobe runs along one complete wall and is floor to ceiling.
Painting the wardrobe the same colour as the walls was the trick. It basically disappears into the background and becomes part of the architecture rather than part of the furniture. I store everything I don’t use on a regular basis on the top shelves Christmas decorations, out of season clothing etc., and spare bedding. How many things you can actually hide away on top of a wardrobe is incredible.
Another surprise for me was lighting. It took me months to get right. I removed the central ceiling light (it created harsh shadows and highlighted the fact the ceiling was very low) and instead created what I refer to as a “lighting landscape”. Sorry that sounds pretentious. What I mean is I installed multiple light sources at different heights. I have LED strip lighting under my headboard that produces a gentle glow. A sleek floor lamp in the corner that reaches almost to the ceiling. Small table lamps on either side of my bed and on top of my chest of drawers.
The floor lamp was a find from IKEA their “Foto” pendant lamp, however I bought the floor version for £35. The key was selecting something that drew your eye upwards. It is white, minimalist and the light that is cast on the ceiling makes the room appear taller.
Window treatments were a nightmare initially. I had heavy curtains that stopped at the sill of my windows, which made my window appear even smaller than it actually is. Now I have white linen curtains that run from the ceiling to the floor and about 30cm past the edge of the window frames. When they’re closed, you can’t see where the window finishes, and when they’re open the window appears larger than it is.
The curtain rod is important, however. I selected a simple white pole that is mounted as high as possible and extends far beyond the window. Cost me £25 from B&Q. Took me an hour to put it up (the majority of that time spent swearing at the wall plug that wouldn’t fit straight!). However, the results were instant.
As for storage, I went vertical and got creative with unused areas. Under my bed I have thin storage containers on wheels perfect for shoes and seasonal clothing. I converted the space above my door into a narrow shelf for books I rarely read. I even made the back of my bedroom door useful with an over-the-door organizer for jewelry and accessories.
Something else I learned the hard way while patterns can work in small rooms, they need to be subtle and used in moderation. I have a geometric rug in soft grey and white colours that makes my floor appear larger than it actually is. The pattern creates movement and interest in the space without overwhelming it.
Collectively, these modifications have a genuinely dramatic effect. My bedroom feels at least 50% larger than it is, and most importantly, it feels calming rather than cramped. Guests frequently remark on how spacious it seems which still amazes me, considering I can literally reach both sides of the room when I stretch my arms out.
These are not expensive tricks or major renovations they are simply thoughtful choices regarding colour, light, reflection and scale that collectively create illusions in your mind that there is more space in the room than actually exists.
