Is Your Bedroom Too Small? 3 Smart Ways to Make It Feel Bigger (Without Adding Square Footage)
Featuring West Slope Modern
If you’ve ever stood in your primary bedroom thinking,
“Why does this feel cramped?”
“Is my bed too big?”
“Why doesn’t my room look like the ones on Pinterest?”
You are not alone.
At West Slope Modern, we had to downsize our bedside tables to maintain proper flow and functionality around a king-sized bed.
One of the most common questions we hear from homeowners—especially those who don’t want to add square footage—is:
How do I make a small bedroom feel bigger?
At our West Slope Modern project, we faced this exact challenge. We needed to keep the footprint tight while still carving out space for an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet. No bump-outs. No magic wand. Just smart design.
Here’s exactly what we did.
Here's what we started with: a small, bare room with adjacent windows. Not pictured are the walk-in closet and primary bathroom.
1. Does Everything Actually Fit? (Be Honest.)
The number one reason a bedroom feels small?
Furniture that doesn’t fit the room.
If your nightstands block your closet doors…
If you have to shimmy sideways to get into bed…
If your dresser is fighting your doorway…
It’s not just a layout problem. It’s a scale problem.
In small bedrooms, spatial flow is everything. Oversized furniture disrupts movement, blocks light, and makes the room feel visually heavy.
At West Slope Modern, we carefully selected pieces that:
Allowed breathing room around the bed
Preserved clear paths to doors and closets
Felt substantial—but not bulky
Pro tip: Measure everything. And then measure again. That extra 3 inches matters more than you think.
If you’re stuck wondering “Is my bedroom layout wrong?” — it probably just needs scale adjustments, not a full renovation.
2. Ditch the Table Lamps (Yes, Really.)
Lighting is one of the fastest ways to make a small bedroom feel larger.
Traditional bedside lamps eat up valuable surface area. And in a small room? Every inch counts.
Instead, we installed lichen-green wall sconces from Schoolhouse to:
Free up nightstand space
Keep surfaces uncluttered
Add vertical interest
Maintain a clean, elevated look
No hardwiring? No problem. Plug-in sconces work beautifully and still create that airy effect.
When homeowners ask us,
“Why does my house feel dark?”
It’s often because light is trapped at eye level instead of layered thoughtfully.
Wall lighting opens the room. Period.
The Primary Bedroom at Lake Oswego Modern features hardwired wall sconces above the bed frame. See the rest of this project at tealandscott.com.
3. Mirrors: Not Just a Trick—A Strategy
Yes, mirrors make rooms feel bigger.
But placement is everything.
In this project, wall space was limited (hello doors and windows), so we mounted a mirror directly onto a closet door.
This single move did three powerful things:
Created a natural outfit-check moment (duh).
Reflected light from the nearby window.
Visually extended the room when viewed from the bed.
Mirrors aren’t just decorative. They’re architectural tools.
If your bedroom feels dark or tight, ask yourself:
Where can I bounce natural light?
Where can I extend the sightline?
The Takeaway for Small Bedrooms
If you’re a busy homeowner feeling stuck with a small space, here’s your checklist:
✔ Right-size your furniture
✔ Use wall-mounted lighting
✔ Be intentional with mirror placement
✔ Protect your walking paths
You don’t need more square footage.
You need smarter decisions.
SHOP THE LOOK
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HELPFUL LINKS
For more on spatial planning, check out our other blog on Mastering Space Utilization!
Again, to see the full visual story of this project and many others, follow us on YouTube.