Struggling with a small bedroom that feels cramped or cluttered? The right paint colours can completely transform how your space looks and feels (and, guess what — you don't even need to do a full renovation for this!). With a few clever designer tricks and the perfect paint colour palette, you can create the illusion of space, height and light, even in the smallest bedrooms.
Here are our top tips on making your small bedroom feel bigger, brighter and more inviting using some secret DIY painting tricks and a truly feelgood, game-changing colour palette.
1. Consider the paint colours.
When it comes to visually expanding a small room, light and airy paint colours are your best friend. Soft whites, warm creams and pale greys reflect natural light, distribute it evenly in the space and help the walls recede, making the room feel more open. Consider using shades like our Serene Peach paint colour for a relaxing and rejuvenating feel (and a timeless backdrop that pleases neutral and colour lovers alike), warm sandy hues like our Serene Yellow paint colour or even pale greys like our Restful Grey paint colour for a sleek, minimalistic and contemporary look.
Light, almost-neutral (or full on neutral — you do you!) paint colours can help the natural light bounce around the room and create a feeling of openness and tranquility.
Our Serene Peach paint colour is pale, soft and almost-neutral, making it a perfect solution for small bedroom spaces, especially with a lower amount of natural light.
2. Create depth.
The easiest way to create depth in a small bedroom and make it truly cosy and inviting is to use a monochromatic, tonal colour scheme. Using different tones of the same paint colour can make your bedroom feel more cohesive and expansive. Try layering tones of soft blue, blush pink or sage green across walls, furniture, and soft furnishings like bedding, cushions and throw blankets.
Pro tip: choose wall paint in a mid-tone version of your chosen hue and complement it with lighter or darker accessories for depth. This essentially prevents the eye from being 'stopped' by stark contrasts, helping the room feel bigger.
3. When in doubt — colour drench it.
Colour drenching is something we absolutely love here at YesColours, and, fortunately, this is an incredible painting trick to turn any small bedroom (or any other room for that matter) into a spacious, inviting space where you'll always feel welcome.
Painting the ceiling the same colour as the walls is a well-used interior designer trick that's particularly effective in small bedrooms with low ceilings. By doing this, you'll blur the line between vertical and horizontal surfaces, visually stretching the room’s height and making your bedroom bigger. If you’re not entirely sure about using the same paint colour on the ceiling, opt for a lighter version of the wall colour. Try pairings like our Restful Blue and Fresh Cool White paint colours to crate a cohesive, tonal colour scheme that goes beyond the walls.
Our warm, pale Restful Blue paint colour is an excellent colour choice for children's bedrooms and adult bedrooms alike, and your best friend when it comes to colour drenching or creating a tonal, monochromatic colour scheme.
4. Use accent walls strategically.
An accent wall (or a feature wall) can actually make a small bedroom feel larger when used correctly. Instead of dark or bold contrasts, try a subtle shift in tone on one wall to create visual interest without breaking the flow. For example, if your room is painted in soft greige, use a deeper, coordinating taupe on the wall behind your bed. This draws the eye in, adding depth and dimension without making the room feel boxed in.
Our vibrant Electric Blue is perfect for accent walls, helping you zone your bedroom into distinct areas. Use it to carve out a dedicated home office space that feels focused and intentional, without taking over the whole room.
5. Try colour blocking.
Colour blocking isn’t just for fashion — in fact, it’s a brilliant way to define space in a small room. You can paint a band of colour halfway up the wall to elongate the space or add a painted headboard in a contrasting tone to frame your bed without taking up physical space.
Stick with calm, muted shades to avoid visual clutter. Think dusty rose hues like our Nostalgic Pink paint colour paired with a warm beige like our Graceful Neutral, or pale sage greens like our Graceful Green complementing a warm, creamy white hue like our Restful Neutral paint.
6. Use the right paint finish.
In a small bedroom, every bit of natural light counts. Choosing a paint with a slight sheen, like an eggshell or satin finish, will help reflect light more effectively than matt emulsion and therefore become your best friend on the quest of maximising the impact of the natural light in your small bedroom and distributing it evenly across the space.
For a slightly bolder, more colourful small bedroom look, try the eggshell finish versions of our Fresh Peach, Serene Blue or Calming Green paint colours.
Your small bedroom doesn’t need to feel limited. With thoughtful paint colour choices and a few expert techniques, you can transform even the tiniest space into a calming retreat that will help you relax after a long working day (or make your Sunday mornings even more joyful).
And if you need some help with choosing the paint colours for your bedroom, feel free to book a colour consultation with us and we’ll sort your colour puzzle in no time. Free option is available too!
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