The master bedroom is generally the largest bedroom in the home, but not always. Some homes do not have a true master space. Sometimes all of the bedrooms are about the same size, and nothing but an attached bathroom sets them apart. It is possible to make a small master bedroom look significantly larger with a few easy decorating techniques. Even a very small room can appear open and more spacious than ever before.
My first master bedroom was quite small. It was barely large enough to hold a queen size bed, a chest and a dresser. Even though it was adequate, I wanted it to look and feel larger than it actually was. I had just begun taking home design and decorating classes, and I decided to make my small master bedroom my first project. I came up with ways to make the small square room look considerably larger, and it became one of my favorite rooms in the home.
Give the Walls a New Coat of Paint in a Light Crisp Hue
The walls in my first master bedroom were dark and drab. They were paneled in 1970’s paneling, but I did not want to invest in drywall. I primed he walls with high hiding primer, and I gave the paneled walls two coats of paint in a light, crisp hue. I chose a very light shade of green. The color was barely there, but that was what I wanted. It made a tremendous difference in the overall appearance of the space. The coats of clean, crisp paint opened up the small master bedroom, and it made the space appear a lot larger. If I had not changed another thing, the room would have still looked much larger than it did before covering the paneling.
I did not need the chest in my master bedroom. The dresser provided plenty of space for clothes that had to be neatly folded and tucked away. I repurposed the chest to a small bedroom, and I used it to hold off season clothing and miscellaneous items. I also downsized my bed. I donated my queen size bed and purchased a full size bed with a memory foam mattress. I did not share a bed with anyone, and I did not need the extra space. Downsizing the bed and repurposing the chest made my small master bedroom look a lot larger. With the lighter and brighter walls it no longer looked like the same room.
Remove Heavy Drapes and Blinds
Heavy drapes covered the windows of my small master bedroom. I knew that letting light shine in would also make it look larger. The lighter and brighter the room was, the larger it would appear. I donated the heavy insulated drapes and purchased privacy blinds and lightweight sheers. I selected four sets of deep green panels and four sets of white. I paired the green and white panels on each window to create a dimensional look. I also attached pretty wrought iron tiebacks along the window frames that could be used to hold the sheers open when privacy was not a concern.
I still have fond memories of my very first home. Even though the master bedroom was small, by the time I was finished adding wall art to fit the space, it looked and felt much larger than it truly was. The actual size did not matter at the time. I was proud of what I had accomplished, and the room provided more than enough space for my personal needs.
