Furnishing a Small Bedroom
Dorm room decorating is a never-ending, year-round fiasco. There are always sales for more posters, bigger mirrors and extra accessories for your room! As we head into the second month of school, everyone is starting to finalize their rooms and picking up packages that didn’t make it to campus on time.
For my room, I knew having the right amount of space, light and storage would make my little 9-ft by 11.5-ft room seem like the perfect place to work, sleep and hang with friends. We’re going to share how we can make even the smallest spaces feel homey and larger than they really are.
Decorating small rooms can be a complicated hassle. For my room, I knew I wanted to center the space around a rug I bought from Cynthia Huffines Interior Design (the cute white store on the corner between The Root and Oak House)! Basing an entire room off of one rug was going to be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, but I knew it would be worth it in the end.
I started by choosing a color scheme that I thought would be bright and airy. I went with lighter pinks, golds and creams so the small space would reflect light, making it feel brighter and bigger.
I then chose a white daybed from Pottery Barn Teen that I thought would maximize the space in my room and allow for a wider walk-way to and from the door. This bed is not only super comfortable, but it brightens the space and goes well with the two cream poufs from Restoration Hardware Kids as well as the Pottery Barn Teen bedspread. I knew that shopping for a room this small would be difficult, so I often looked in “kids sections” of furniture stores for items that would actually suit the small space.
Finding a desk and chair that would fit would have been just as difficult as finding a full size bed to fit in the space. I found an idea on Pinterest to hang a floating wall shelf above a stool that could be pushed under it. This created space to get in and out of my closest and allows me to still have a vanity, where I can do my makeup and get ready.
Along with the shelf and stool, I found a matching Kate and Laurel mirror from Overstock that fit perfectly between my door and closet. Having a mirror raised from the ground gives the illusion of a bigger room. The light from outside the window reflects perfectly to brighten everything up—especially in the morning.
The brand Kate and Laurel also sells this adorable side table, which is perfect for smaller rooms. It has a huge storage drawer that fits my notebooks, planner and jewelry kit and still has room for more. I would highly recommend ordering from this brand if there are any pieces of furniture or decor you are still looking for to include in your spaces!
My room was coming along nicely, but I wanted to make it feel more cozy and sensible for a college student. I found this acrylic and gold tray from Amazon, put together cute flowers, found a wall calendar and hung my favorite piece of art to really bring the room together!
After a month of waiting for items to arrive, I finally feel settled and at home in my new room. The layout helps to make the space perfect for hanging with friends, getting ready, doing my work and relaxing!