See EXACTLY how to decorate a small bedroom with a king size bed!

I don’t get why decorating takes so long. But it does. It took us over over a year to get our bedroom in order! Since your room is one of the most used spaces in your home, it’s important to make it functional and choose a style you’ll love long term.

But easier said than done. Our bedroom especially came with a handful of challenges…

After months of brainstorming and problem solving, we love how ours turned out. You won’t even recognize the before photos below!

To prove small can be functional and beautiful, scroll below to see EXACTLY how we did it! Not to mention you may be facing these same challenges too. They are as follows:

This post has become very popular so answering some common questions before I get into it!

FAQ

• What are the dimensions of your bedroom? 12’3″ x 10’4″
• Did you place your bed on the short wall or long wall? Short
• What size rug did you buy? 8′ x 10′ (yup! still had to buy the bigger, more expensive rug. Ugh! But don’t go smaller. Trust me.)
• Love the bedding, where’s it from? Serena & Lily! Their bedding is the BEST and we used them for our guest bedroom too.
• Where’s the headboard from? It’s actually a platform bed BUT there’s a headboard option too. The color is Talc and is linen! BUT I highly recommend scrolling down to the very bottom of this post because there are several places you can buy it from. And a very expensive home decor online shop marks up the SAME EXACT bed for almost an additional $500! It’s the BEST kept secret ever.
• Have a question too? Leave it on THIS Instagram post and I will get back with you!

Okay, now back to our problemos!

Our Bedroom Issues

• We have a VERY SMALL room. So you have to be meticulous with every single item you put in it. There’s no room for error! Literally.
• Our king size bed takes up most of the space, creating an eye sore. A queen size bed would be SO much better but when your husband is 6’4″ , there’s zero negotiation. You may also consider replacing the bed with something that is suitable for you especially if you have a medical condition. You may visit now to view an online catalog of beds.
• Three of the four walls have windows or doors.  Due to the shape and size of the room, we had no choice but to place our bed in front of a window. This is an interior design no no, but after trying every which way, this way felt the best.
• Off-center window. To achieve symmetry and balance, we were left with the following debacle:
  • Center the bed on the wall (leaving the window off center above the bed) OR
  • Put the bed centered under the window, leaving unequal wall space on either side of the bed.

To see how we over came these obstacles, I broke down our process into two parts: renovations and decor.

Renovations

First, thanks to my parents DIY help, we made some MAJOR cosmetic changes.  In order to get the full effect, here’s an overview of what we did, plus some before and after photos!

Under the carpet we SCORED hardwood floors! But as you can see, they were in rough condition. We rented a floor sander and re-stained them ourselves. They aren’t pro but they are a HUGE improvement.

Installing 5″ crowned and corner molding was by far the biggest game changer of the room. It’s hard to see, but in the photo above, you’ll see the original room had a very thin trim on the ceiling.

My how paint can transform anything! We painted the room Skylight by Farrow & Ball, which is one of Mark D. Sikes favorite paint colors. Depending on the lighting and time of day it can look gray or a very pale blue. It feels so fresh, light and neutral but nice to have a little color. We are so OBSESSED we painted the rest of the upstair bedrooms (even Penelope’s!) the same color.

BEFORE & AFTER RENOVATIONS 

As you can see above, the walls and crown molding make a huge difference. But our decor on the other hand… lord help us! This was our holiday bedding and a rug that used to be in our living room. I didn’t want to buy anything until I knew exactly what our plan was.

So moving along to the decor…

Design Solutions

The Instagram That Changed It All

I don’t know how I found it, but I stumbled upon this Instagram Story with a similar bedroom set up to ours – including a bed in front of an off center window! So, as one does, I stole all her ideas, claimed them as my own, and everything else fell into place. Let me break it down for you.

How To Disguise An Off Center Window and Make It Appear Bigger

The curtains are a HUGE game changer. And actually serve two major purposes. Ours are from Ikea.

First and foremost, they create the illusion of a centered window. Doesn’t the window appear smack dab in the middle of the wall? It’s not! To achieve this, we centered the rod on the wall. Then hung the panels (we used two on each side) high, wide, and slightly to the left. In the photo below you can see how the window is further to the right.

Hi Larry!

Balance Out A King Sized Bed

Secondly, the curtains frame the bed and draw your eye up. Which visually disperses the monstrosity of the bed. {Pro Tip: before purchasing, make SURE your curtains are long enough so you can hang them as high as possible.} Sean thought it was weird we were hanging curtains that covered an entire wall. But once up, the room felt SO MUCH bigger and open! They also add drama, texture and dimension, and lighten up the space.

Comfortable Flooring

The best way to start and end your day is on a soft and cozy floor. Ballards just opened a design studio in Oakbrook and we found this classic rug that feels like you’re walking on clouds with your bare feet.

Maximize Functionality

Once again, space is precious in a small bedroom. Sconces don’t eat into the surface area of your nightstands, so these made sense for us over lamps. These lights have two settings, so you can make the room bright or keep it dim. And speaking of nightstands, we just ordered new ones that are on their way as we speak!

You can see the update here – and my interior designer actually shares how to EXACTLY style your nightstands.

The Secret Resource for Beds

Thanks to my visit to Pencil & Paper Co’s Creative Camp, Gen spilled the beans on her favorite, secret resource for beds – Skyline Furniture. They make great quality, affordable beds that look expensive. Gen has one herself and recommends them to her design clients alllll the time. You can find our exact bed here and here. {Hot Designer Tip – One Kings Lane doesn’t reveal this bed is by Skyline but it’s the EXACT same one from Target and Walmart!}. My advice is to check all three resources and buy whatever’s the most affordable. It changes everytime I look!

The Key To A Good Night’s Sleep

To make your bed as comfortable and stylish as possible, don’t take your bedding choice lightly. We love our Serena & Lily duvet cover and sheets so much {They usually are having a sale!} I just ordered more for our guest bedroom {which is on major sale too}.

FINAL BEFORE & AFTER

To see the difference, here is the before & after side by side. It doesn’t even look like the same room!

I hope you found these design solutions helpful! We love the results so much, sometimes we pretend we live in a tiny, stylish hotel room downtown New York. If you have any questions, leave them on my latest Instagram post and I’ll answer them.

Also don’t forget to see our nightstands updated and styled by our interior designer! She gives some FABULOUS tips to make your bedroom more functional and pleasing to the eye.

Stay tuned.

Photos by Wonder & Awe