Brooklyn-based interior designer Jennifer J. Morris added a bold accent wall to create more depth in this small bedroom. (Seth Caplan)
Great organization is essential for any space, but especially in small bedrooms and studios, which are a dime a dozen in New York. Adult bedrooms are meant to be spaces of rest and retreat, above all else, but the reality of most NYC apartments is that they also need to hold a lot of stuff — clothes, shoes, books, furniture — without offering much square footage. And because a cluttered room will leave you feeling anything but relaxed, you’ll likely need to get creative with your decor and layout, to ensure your bedroom works hard without feeling overcrowded. We talked to some top professional organizers and decorators to find out how to organize a small bedroom. Here are six hacks.
1. Embrace Your Inner Minimalist
“Keep it simple,” advises Meryl Starr, the New York-based professional organizer of She Clears Clutter. “Only keep in your environment the things you really love, enjoy, and use…clothes that look good and books that feed your soul.” Although figuring out how to store clothes in a tiny apartment can seem impossible, one of the best hacks for small bedroom organization is merely paring down your closet.
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Interior designer Jennifer J. Morris, of JMorris Design in Park Slope, Brooklyn, suggests only keeping the bare essentials in the bedroom while finding space for everything else in other rooms. “See if coats can go in another closet and books in the living spaces. You might be surprised what can go elsewhere,” says Morris, who believes that as much as possible, the bedroom should be limited to “sleeping, dressing, and relaxing.”
2. Maximize Vertical Space for Storage
Patty Morrissey, Chief Organizing Expert at Mercari, recommends maximizing vertical space. “Store infrequently used items in higher and harder to reach spaces.” High shelves in closets are an excellent source of extra space, as are built-in wall shelves.
“Feel free to put up shelves across the whole wall,” adds Starr. “You can use beautiful baskets to hold things in — it will look fantastic and open up a whole world of storage.” Morris suggests installing a built-in shelf above the door and windows, running wall to wall like crown molding around the room. “It’s a great way to store books, if they’re a must in the bedroom, without taking up valuable floor space.”
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3. Double-Duty Furniture for Small Apartments
To open up floor space, Morrissey recommends installing sconces for your apartment lighting, instead of floor lamps.
Sconce offer added space and a bit of sophistication to this bedroom designed by Jennifer J. Morris. (Jacob Snavely)
While most of the experts agree it’s better to avoid storing things under the bed, it’s not always possible. Storage beds are a great way to take advantage of all that extra space without appearing heavy or clunky.
“Only put gentle things under the bed, like sheets and towels or off-season clothes,” notes Starr, who recommends Ikea as a source for budget-friendly, good quality multi-purpose furniture. Ikea’s storage beds start around $200 and offer a great solution to how to organize a small bedroom on a budget.
Meryl Starr, a New York-based professional organizer, swears by multi-functional furniture pieces like storage beds. (Dan Mayars)
4. Best Bedroom Color Schemes
“Cool colors — light blues or silver, in particular — are generally perceived as expansive and calming, while reds and oranges can be exciting,” says Morris, who recommends cool blues on the ceiling for a more open feel.
Starr advocates for sticking mostly to neutrals in a small bedroom and then indulging your taste for color with a bold pop in a pillow or an ottoman, or even a small accent wall. “The lighter you keep it, the simpler you keep it, the larger the room will look,” she says.
A dark accent wall creates structure and adds dimension in this small bedroom designed by Jennifer J. Morris. (Alexey Gold Dvoryadkin)
You don’t have to shy away from bold color trends, though completely. In her own bedroom, Morrissey draws inspiration from feng shui, which avoids white in the bedroom because it invokes mourning and death. “I was initially resistant to the change because white makes rooms feel lighter and brighter, but once I made the shift to natural linen bedding in a purplish-gray color, it made a big difference. The space feels more grown-up and put together with more character and richness.” Keep in mind: painting doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. You can transform a room with a simple DIY painting project.
5. Make the Most of Your Bedroom Closet (If You Have One!)
One of Starr’s top tricks on how to organize a small bedroom requires rethinking how you use storage space. She suggests using hooks on the back of your closet door to create more space for jewelry and handbags. She’s also a big fan of clear stackable boxes or drawers for shoes. “That way, you can see everything, and you’re taking up every inch of space in the closet,” she says.” If you don’t have a closet and are open to thinking outside the box, Morris suggests no closet solutions like a simple exposed clothing or wardrobe systems. Her favorites include The Container Store’s Elfa system and the ones from Poliform. “It’s a wonderful way to make an empty wall a hardworking storage unit.”
Jennifer J. Morris used balanced, clean lines to keep this small bedroom feeling airy and open. (Alexey Gold Dvoryadkin)
6. Consider Style and Scale
While choosing pieces you love is for essential small apartment decorating, it’s also crucial to consider the scale and style of your furniture. “Go petite in terms of size, but also stylistically,” recommends Morris. “Clean tailored lines and tight upholstery will help add breathing room both spatially and visually.” If you love more traditional, more-is-more decor, add embellishments in the form of fluffy pillows, a textured rug, drapery, and durable fabric and bedding patterns. Morris also suggests wallpapering the headboard wall to create a big “wow” moment.
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