My daughter wants to redecorate her room. My dilemma is that the bedroom is small. The dimensions are 11′ high ceilings, in a 13′ x 11′ room. One wall has sliding glass doors that lead out to the pool (we live in FL) which she rarely uses. Another wall has the room entrance and a large four panel louvered door closet, which basically leaves two walls with a corner in between to place her bed, dressers, desk etc. We have used in the past probably every possible configuration we can think of, so I was looking for some help or new ideas.

The furniture pieces involved currently are a dresser with a mirror, a lingerie dresser, an oversized night table, a corner desk, and a wrought iron full size bed. All the furniture is white. The walls currently are chocolate brown. Can we place the bed in front of the sliders? Or is that a just not done? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Design Answer

Arranging furniture in a small bedroom can be tricky, but not impossible if you follow a few general guidelines.

• When redecorating a bedroom, the first thing to do is to decide what the focal point of the room will be. Typically in a bedroom, it is the bed. For a cohesive bedroom interior design, the other furnishings should be arranged around the focal point. Once you have chosen the room’s focal point, you can then decide how to arrange the furniture.
• Start with the largest bedroom furniture piece in the room, which in this case from the great detailed description you gave will be your daughter’s bed. Choose the wall that will best accommodate the bed.
• Make sure that your daughter will be able to move around each piece of furniture easily without bumping into something else. Ensure that doors and drawers can be opened and closed without impeding the room’s traffic flow.

There are no rules about using the sliders as a “wall” for the bed. As long as it is not one of the house’s escape exits in the event of an emergency, there’s no reason that the bed cannot be placed in from of the sliding doors.

If your daughter doesn’t use the sliding doors, another option is to put the corner desk in the corner formed by the glass doors and the wall, and then place the bed on an angle in the corner that was occupied by the desk. Sometimes placing the bed on an angle in a small space opens up the room by altering the focal point. See if this little trick will work in your daughter’s bedroom.

Hope this is helpful in giving you a workable solution. Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday when we tackle another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.

A club chair or a recliner parked beside an accent table instantly forms its own grouping separate from rest of the living room. Just add a lamp and you have your own personal space for reading the latest bestseller or catching up on the evening news.

In a living room or family room, pairing a loveseat with the Butler Specialty Plantation Cherry Wood Nesting Tables increases your options: it allows you to have a meal in front of the television; a place to put two different bowls of munchies while watching a movie; and when entertaining, you can move the nesting tables around the room to wherever else they are needed.

Placing an unusual mirror above a console table in a foyer makes a statement about your personality and the home you’re welcoming people into. Whether the mirror is an attention grabber or not, pairing a console table and a mirror together is a practical combination – you can set down your keys or purse to check your appearance or fix your lipstick just before you go out the door.

To create a conversation piece and punch up the room’s visual impact, include pieces of furniture that are typically found in other rooms, such as a dresser in the dining room instead of the traditional sideboard or a baker’s rack in a hallway in lieu of  the standard console table.

I have stayed in places where there was no nightstand by the bed; it always causes me minor annoyance at the realization that I have to now get out of bed to turn out the light just as I feel I could easily drift off to sleep. A nightstand or a bedside is the perfect companion for any type of bedroom, from a master bedroom to a guest room to a child’s room. If you want to ramp up your bedroom décor replace the standard night stand with a hand-painted accent chest or a bachelor chest, which is slightly wider than a nightstand but not as wide as a dresser.

Pairing furniture pieces in such a way as to increase the room’s functionally is just good sense. You can also make your furniture pairings stand out and grab attention by selecting living room, hallway and bedroom furniture pieces that are unique and striking.

Traditional style as adapted by colonists, particularly British colonists of the Victorian Empire is the perfect example of how tropical materials and motifs were incorporated into bedroom furniture construction and design for a look that spells the ultimate in style and sophistication. The Tommy Bahama Home Island Estate Barbados 3 Drawer Chest brings a tropical feel into the bedroom interior design through the use of leather wrapped carved wood posts made to resemble bamboo. The lamp has a woven rattan shade, a common material found in tropical areas of the globe. It’s the little details that add up to a master bedroom that will be your own personal tropical retreat.

In a master bedroom, the bed will be the natural focal point of the room. Popular choices when choosing a bed for you master bedroom are the four poster bed, the canopy bed or the sleigh bed. Because of their imposing and commanding profiles – soaring posts for the poster and canopy beds, a covered frame top or draperies for the canopy bed and the sinuous “S” curves of the sleigh bed panels – any one of these types of beds will provide the perfect stage for layers of pillows and accent cushions in exotic fabrics silks and brocades. Ditto for when choosing bedding to dress the bed. Bedding and upholstered accent chairs or bed benches can also include exotic animal prints.

For a master bedroom to be inspired by the tropics, bedroom furniture should be constructed of tropical woods such as teak, mahogany and ebony or have rich, medium to dark finishes. Case goods like dressers, bachelor chests and nightstands commonly include pineapple motifs, faux bamboo posts and cane or rattan panels. Bedroom furniture accent pieces, including bed benches and armoires, can have louvered or open lattice doors or accents. Do you ever dream of retiring to your own tropical island? Well, just open the door to your bedroom.

Start with the walls. Colors typically found in a cottage style bedroom include the yellows of lemons, buttercups and sandy beaches; the blues of a summer sky, a seascape and twilight witnessed from winding country road; and the greens of summer grass, forests and country apples. Soft pastels in milk paint are a good choice. Using painting techniques such as glazing or stenciling are also some other ways to give the room a cottage style atmosphere with a little touch of country thrown into the mix.

The cottage style palette can also be brought into the room through furniture pieces like the Riverside Furniture Splash of Color California King Panel Bed. Cottage style furniture is commonly made of wood. Beds and other types of bedroom furniture like dressers or a chest of drawers might have beadboarding, decorative molding or scalloped aprons. Headboards and footboards commonly have round finials. Finishes are often distressed for an antiqued or lived-in appearance. While wood is the construction material of choice in a cottage style bedroom, a tufted headboard in off-white, cream or a soft pastel such as rose or mint would not be out of place.

When choosing fabrics for dressing the bed, window treatments and/or an area rug and accessorizing, cottage style does possess a certain country air. But expanding on traditional country choices, cottage style fabrics are a happy mix of fabrics: ginghams with silk, wool with velvet, plaids with patterned or striped linens. While they can also include classic floral motifs, cottage style bedding colors tend to be brighter and more intense.

The time to really solidify the cottage style look is when accessorizing by adding those details that matter. Use ceramic bowls to hold jewelry; spare change or small miscellaneous items. Select lamp shades with a floral pattern in pastel shades complete with ruffles or bows. Include candles or hurricane lamps for that real cottage style touch. Mirrors should be decorative with molding or metalwork accents. Cottage or country artifacts like enamelware jugs or porcelain wash basins are perfect cottage style accessories.

Visit again next week for the final part of this mini series where we’ll take a look at the cottage style dining room. Also if you feel so inclined, send me some interior design style suggestions for upcoming min series: I’d love to hear what styles you would like to explore further.

Hi Heather, I have just moved to a studio apartment in the city and I’m tight on space. As you walk in the door, to the right is the kitchenette and to the left is the bathroom. Straight ahead is the bedroom area and it’s all in one space. The furniture I have is a double bed, wooden chest, a bedside table and lamp, a computer desk and chair, a small table for 2 along with a bamboo mat.

I want a Japanese style because of the lack of space in the unit as its size is of two normal sized bedrooms. Can you help me with any ideas?

Design Answer

The first trick to decorating a small space is to think cozy instead of small. You don’t want too much furniture in the space, because that will make it cramped. But you can err on the side of caution, too, but having not enough of the “right” kind of furniture; by that I mean the right number and right type of furniture pieces that will make you comfortable and your home welcoming.

The second trick to decorating a studio apartment is to choose furniture that is in scale. Many people make the mistake of thinking “small” instead of compact. When buying bedroom furniture or living room furniture for small spaces think dual purpose like a futon, which can double as a sofa and a bed; platform bed with storage drawers or a TV stand with multipurpose shelving and/or drawers.

The third trick to keep in mind when decorating a bachelor apartment or a studio apartment is to pay attention to how you arrange the furniture. Because everything is out in the open, so to speak, you will want to choose one or two specific furniture pieces, preferably larger ones such as an entertainment center, dresser or armoire, as focal points in the room. Make sure that you have enough room to move around each piece of furniture; that you will have enough room to pull out your desk chair when sitting at the computer; opening drawers; or accessing cabinets, etc.

More Tips for Decorating Small Spaces

Japanese style is a great choice for studio apartments, because lines are simple, walls are typically unadorned and colors are earth tones or soothing neutrals.

Add a large framed mirror directly opposite either the window or the door; this will help to make the space appear larger.

Select furniture that includes some type of open design like chairs with ladder backs; headboards with a lattice or openwork pattern; open style bookcases or storage shelving units; or tables with glass tops. By selecting furniture that isn’t “solid” (as in dense) looking will also help to make your living space look larger.

Thanks for writing in. Stay tuned next Monday when we tackle another interior design question. And don’t forget to keep sending me those emails!

Hello! I ran across your post about interior design help from the Interior Design Forum.

I am getting my first apartment in August so I have no idea how to best decorate a small room. Attached is the basic layout of the room I will be living in (unfortunately, that is the only perspective I was able to find) and the picture has been taken from the entryway.

I know the trick to make a small room to appear bigger is light, neutral colors, so I was thinking of maybe painting the whole room as such, or maybe have an accent wall behind my bed frame (the bed will most likely be rotated – vertical rather than horizontal) or the small portion of wall behind the desk.

I am currently a college student so a space promoting “concentration”, edgy but fun, or a mixture with sophistication would be great. I am really open to any ideas/themes you might have, so if it would be no trouble, I would love an input from you. Thanks!

Design Answer

The picture is fine – good enough to give me an idea of your new living space.

You’re right about the tricks to make a small room seem larger: maximize the source of natural light in the room and ensure there is a balance of task and ambient lighting; paint the walls a neutral or light shade; and use mirrors to “move” light around the room. I would choose deeper neutrals or earth tones over lighter shades. You could also go light shades of cool colors such as pale blue or green. Your instinct regarding pairing a neutral color with an accent shade is a good one. If you go that route, though, plan on using a bold or intense warm color (reds, oranges, browns, purples).

Match one or more colors in your bedding, curtains and area rug to the accent color you chose for the wall. If you decide not to use an accent wall color and you stick to neutrals, this will give you the opportunity to bring color into the room when dressing the bed and accessorizing the other parts of the bedroom.

The fact that the room already has mirrors in the form of closet doors is a plus. To get maximum mileage from these mirrored doors, place large framed (larger than the ones currently on the wall) pictures or prints with lots of lighter colors directly opposite. This also will help make the room appear bigger.

To attain an interior design look that mixes edgy and fun with some sophistication, selected contemporary bedroom furniture with clean lines and a smooth, darker finish like espresso, chocolate or cappuccino. Another tip to keep in mind when shopping for bedroom furniture for smaller spaces is to choose furnishings that are dual-purpose, like a platform bed with storage drawers; a bed bench that allows you to store extra bedding or seasonal clothing; or nightstand that can hold magazines or books.

Hope this is helpful in giving you a starting point. Thanks for writing in. Let me know how it turns out.

Come back next Monday when we tackle another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.

Since it can be bright, colorful and “noisy,” when decorating a global style bedroom, it is important to emphasize diversity while create a relaxing and rejuvenating bedroom environment. The appeal of this eclectic style can be largely attributed to how color is used and layered throughout the room. Choose where you would like to concentrate the color: if you would like to use a bright and bold color palette for the walls, plan on more neutral or softer shades for your bedding, curtains and area rug; when accessorizing with bright colors and fabrics, paint the walls with earth tones or neutral tints.

Once you have picked your color scheme, you are ready to select the global style furniture that you would like for your bedroom. In addition to cultural diversity, global bedroom décor focuses on natural woods, fabrics and organic elements. Think tropical woods like mahogany, teak and walnut for beds, nightstands and other types of bedroom furniture; fabrics like silks and wool for curtains, accents pillows and rugs; and organic elements like shells, wicker rattan and sea grasses for decorative accents on furnishings, lamps and accessories. No matter how sophisticated a décor look you are striving for, the overall effect should include subtle rustic elements that have a hand-crafted appearance.

To accessorize a global style bedroom, layer texture upon texture. This can include handmade wood candlesticks; a bedside lamp with a brocade shade in rich colors with gold braid; an upholstered chair or bed bench in woven fabrics of natural materials. Many shops, retail stores and boutiques offer unique collections of area rugs, sculptures, carved wood boxes and accent pillows that are original artifacts or reproductions with a tribal or ethic design elements. You don’t need to be a world traveler to enjoy the eclectic appeal of a global décor bedroom to get the bedroom interior design that best expresses your style and personality.

This headboard was an oak color. I repainted it white and put a beige color overtop. I am not pleased with the results. It looks like it’s been painted white with beige rubbed on. I would like a more unique finish. Was thinking it may look better just white with the color on the edges sanded off. Can you suggest a color or technique for this style? I have a whole suite I would like to do, so I would like to appreciate it for a few years.     Thank you 

Design Answer

It actually didn’t turn out too badly but I can see why you would be reluctant to paint an entire bedroom set in this way. There are several things you can consider trying.

Option #1 – Repainting it White

Painting it all white with the shade of white you used originally and then lightly sanding the edges, the crown molding and maybe random areas of the posts will give the headboard a distressed or antiqued look. Actually you could use the sanding technique on any color you chose to give the headboard and the other pieces in your bedroom suite a distressed finish.

Option #2 – Glazed Finish

Because the headboard has a charming old world look that could be adapted to several décor styles including country, French country and even traditional, you could use a glazing technique that would give it the appearance on an heirloom found in a rural cottage. To get the desired effect you will need to use three paint colors: base color, glaze color and an accent color. Since you already have purchased paint, I suggest that you use those two; then you only have to purchase an accent color and a clear glaze. The accent color should be a color that matches or complements one that is already in the room. For example, you may have a shade of blue you like that appears in the pattern of your curtains or your comforter. Here’s how to get the look I have in mind:

1. Apply two coats of the white paint (or whatever color you choose for the base coat) to the headboard.
2. Let dry thoroughly between each coat.
3. Lightly sand the headboard. When finished sanding, wipe down with a damp cloth to remove dust.
4. To create the glaze mix two parts of your beige paint (or whatever other color you decide to use) with one part glaze. Using a rag, apply the glaze to the headboard in small, circular motions. Try not to go over the same place twice. Make sure it’s dry before going on to the next step.
5. Paint the edges of the furniture piece with your accent color. You can also highlight the crown molding of the headboard or the edges of the drawer fronts of a dresser or night stand.
6. Using your accent color, for an added country charm, stencil a floral motif on the footboard (if the bed has one; you only mentioned the headboard) and on the drawer fronts and/or sides of the case goods of your bedroom suite.
7. To protect you handiwork, apply one to two coats of a clear finish. 

Option #3 – Glazed and Distressed

To give your headboard a distressed appearance, follow the above steps 1 through 5.

You will need extra-fine steel wool and finishing wax.

Before steps 6 and 7, take the extra-fine steel wool and dip it into the finishing wax. Rub gently in a circular motion to give the surface a distressed look that is smooth.

Thanks for writing in. Hope this has been helpful. Let me know how it turns out. Keep sending me your design questions and pictures.

 Incorporating coastal style or a beach theme into the master bedroom also allows you to contrast soft neutrals of earth and sand with corals, ocean blues and sea greens. When choosing a color palette for your bedroom, take some cues from the a day spent sailing (white and blue), the scenic view from a resort cabin (beach sand with cloud white) or a classic surf and turf combo (bold greens and blues paired with warm browns).

To make a coastal style bedroom truly comfortable, think of ways you can give it seaside resort atmosphere. Choose furniture, like a headboard or dresser mirror that incorporates organic materials that reflect a coastal lifestyle. Dress the bed in cool linens, either in crisp whites or in bold colors and pile on the pillows. Not only will a variety of accent cushions and pillows make the bed a comfortable place to rest and relax, it will also make the bed more of a focal point by defining the surrounding area and adding texture. Drape the windows in mosquito netting-like sheers. Lighting should be evenly diffused throughout the space; a balance of ambient (overhead) and task (bedside lamps) lighting that is practical while not being intrusive.

Anywhere there is a coastline or an ocean, the resulting lifestyle is unique to that region. The west coast, for example, has an entirely different flavor from the east coast, while the California coast is distinctive from the rest of the Pacific coastal region. When decorating a costal style bedroom, mix and match different coastal styles with care. The focus and atmosphere of the room should be calming and harmonious. While coastal style does possess an eclectic element, it shouldn’t be so “mixed-and-matched” that the overall effect is busy or cluttered. A coastal style bedroom is one that is exudes tranquility and will give you the feeling of a seaside vacation year-round.

There’s no denying that color plays a major role in setting the overall atmosphere for a master bedroom. Modern palettes should be cool, neutral or earth toned. If you would like to add color to the room, choose a cool, neutral or earth tone color that is rich (saturated) or deep. Another way to bring color into the room is to select an accent color that will complement the main color you have chosen. But for a more classic modern styled master bedroom, go with cool colors like blue, green or violet and of course, neutral beiges, whites and tans. 

Modern Master Bedroom #1

This room is definitely sophisticated modern. The walls, bedding and area carpet are neutral colors that work together for a soothing effect. In true modern form, the furniture pieces of the Global Furniture USA Soho Modern Wood Platform Bed 5 Piece Bedroom Set have no decorative detailing. Rather, visual interest comes from veneer panels of the headboard and the dresser’s interesting use of geometric shape.

Modern Master Bedroom #2

The room has been painted a deep shade of a cool color. Since the color has been added to the walls, neutrals have been chosen for the bedding, lamp and area rug. The picture frame with a black and white photo matches the frame of the Fashion Bed Group Chatham Contemporary Metal Bed while the hanging cylindrical lamp makes both the bed and the corner of the room focal points. This minimalist modern master bedroom is still restful while being interesting.

Modern Master Bedroom #3

The Modloft Ludlow Platform Bed in White Leather with Wenge Frame is ideal for an ultra modern master bedroom. White and (almost) black are contrast colors and paired as they are here, create an uncluttered and “breathable” space. Using contrast brings each one of the individual elements of the room together, while emphasizing the clean lines of the bedroom furniture pieces.