1Use a Striped Wallpaper
William Jess Laird Vertical stripes, whether you’re choosing a shirt or decorating a room, create the illusion of height. In a guest bedroom in her own New Orleans home, designer Michelle R. Smith covered the walls in a classic blue stripe by Lewis & Wood. A plush blue velvet quilt and charming vintage artworks lend the space a cozy storybook quality.
2Try an All-Over Pattern
Nick Mele You might think a maximalist pattern would overpower the quaintest of quarters, but it actually—like a mirror—conceals where the walls start and end. We are particularly obsessed with this wild cheetah-print look, courtesy designer Lori Deeds. Bruschwig & Fil’s classic Les Touches pattern adds Palm Beach glamour that is surprisingly neutral.
3Pick Pretty Sconces
Manuel Rodríguez Elegance is the name of the game in Lindsay Stall Falconer’s pretty New York City bedroom. In addition to the elevated palette of gray, blush, white, and gold in classic fabrics, she lifted the look with a pair of antique sconces.
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4Choose a Fun Headboard
Tim Lenz Neutral mastermind Augusta Hoffman added fun touches to her client’s bachelorette pad, including the trefoil-shaped headboard—a big move for a small space. We are also eyeing that mini floating nightstand, which saves space and adds lightness.
5Pile on the Complementary Patterns
Simon Upton This Parisian house decorated by Eric Allart is centuries old—and has the quirky architecture to prove it. Allart gave this small garret bedroom plenty of personality with complementary block-printed fabrics in aqua hues.
6Choose Deep Jewel Tones
Nicole Franzen Your bedroom may feel like a cave, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a chic cave. Take this enveloping bedroom designed by Le Whit. The designers painted the walls in Sherwin-Williams’s Naval and upholstered the bed in a wine-colored Zak+Fox fabric—deep hues that spell deep slumber.
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7Pitch a Tent!
Simon Watson We’re here for some glamping—especially when the tent is designed by Veere Grenney. In this London townhouse, the decorator swaddled a combined dressing room and nap quarters in a striped fabric by Le Gracieux, creating height while leaving a sleeper wrapped in style.
8Make Your Headboard Work
Kelly Marshall If the only thing your bedroom can fit is, well, a bed, make your headboard work for you. We love this vibrant idea in the Los Angeles home of Mara Brock Akil, designed by Tiffany Howell. This custom blue velvet bed is tricked out with a nightstand, lighting, and plenty of ’70s glamour.
9Embrace Pared-Back Pretty
Maureen M. Evans Star Mexican chef Elena Reygadas has a small sleeping space, sure, but her home is blessed with sky-high ceilings and tons of light. The pale blue Chippendale bed, an heirloom from Reygadas’s grandmother, adds a sense of vintage romance without being over the top.
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10Pile Your Pillows
Serena Eller Vainicher When space is at a premium, be sure to make the most of your bed itself. Here, in a perfectly situated Rome apartment, design duo Alvisi Kirimoto piled an antique bed with pillows by Vox Populi. A space-saving, squiggly-legged nightstand by Maarten Baas provides extra punch.
11Frame It Out
Stephen Kent Johnson When it comes to your sleeping quarters, why not create a room-within-a-room with a striking four-poster bed? We love the barley twist version that designer Tatyana Miron Ahlers sourced for her chic Manhattan pad.
12Nestle in a Nook
Douglas Friedman As we’ve reported earlier, built-in beds are having a moment. And, with their integrated storage, these cute compartments make the perfect space-savers too. Filmmaker Dorothy Berwin tapped Sandra Arndt of Studio AKTE to create this adorable custom children’s nook in her swank Manhattan home.
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13Find Space Where You Can
Chris Everard Sure, you might have a tiny bedroom, but is your footprint as small as this lighthouse? Rather than fight the quirky building’s tight geometries, designer Sally Mackereth found space where it was available and tucked one bedroom beneath a winding spiral staircase. Dare we say the look is shipshape?
14Work Your Angles
Stephen Kent Johnson An attic space needn’t feel dreary, as shown in this cozy Connecticut Colonial overhauled by Ryan Lawson. The designer tucked the bed below the slanted ceiling; he also assembled a group of lush plants at the lowest point to help avoid clunks on the noggin.
15Craft a Creative Headboard
Joshua McHugh This bed, custom designed by Cochineal, might have one of our favorite headboards of all time. It brings a fresh, wavy look to this Manhattan bedroom—and directs your eye to the window to boot.
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16Curate Your Own Gallery
Michael Moran This pint-sized bungalow in Palm Beach might be a mere 800 square feet, but that didn’t stop architect Lee F. Mindel from maximizing the bedroom’s small footprint. The all-white paint job creates the illusion of space, while a set of antique watercolors draws your eye up and around the room.
17Find a Stand-Out Nightstand
Kirsten Francis If you have space for just one bedside table, make sure it’s stylish enough to earn its keep. We love this burled Art Deco–style piece in designer Augusta Hoffman’s apartment in Manhattan’s East Village.
18Go Over the Top
Stephan Julliard No space for a soaring four-poster bed? No problem! Create a canopy by hanging a boho tapestry on the wall and ceiling, à la Jean-Louis Deniot in his family’s French seaside retreat. The mini custom nightstands complete the look.
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19Try a Daybed
Jennifer Hughes When a full-sized mattress just won’t fit, opt for a smaller daybed. We love how landscape architect Thomas Woltz slotted this elegant antique alongside a window in his Virginia Victorian.
20Go Wild
Kirk Davis Swinehart Sometimes, it’s best to embrace your treasures. William Cullum, a senior designer at Jayne Design Studio, certainly did in the tiny-but-mighty 500-square-foot studio apartment he shares with his partner. His maximalist design ethos? “If we love it, we make it work.”
Anna Fixsen, Deputy Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, focuses on how to share the best of the design world through in-depth reportage and online storytelling. Prior to joining the staff, she has held positions at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record magazines. elledecor.com
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, and ELLE Decor, among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
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