10 Small Bedroom Organization Ideas — Maximize Even the Smallest of Spaces By Following These Simple Tips

If you want to know how to organize a small bedroom, then we have a few solutions up our sleeves. Here's what you need to know

small bedroom with patterned wallpaper and patterned bedding and furnishing
(Image credit: Read McKendree)

It can be quite a challenge to find the best small bedroom organization ideas that will help elevate your home and keep it neat and tidy. But with the right storage solutions and tools, you can turn even the smallest of spaces into a more comfortable and practical place.

Knowing how to organize your bedroom, even if it is small, is the key to a cohesive and balanced home. Your bedroom is your sanctuary, which is why understanding how to take care of it and make the most of it will help you on your organization journey. Lina Galvao, interior designer at Curated Nest Interiors, tells us: "Concealed storage too can make a room feel less busy. It can also boost the expanse of the room. Choosing smart storage solutions and objects that do double duty is key for small spaces."

When choosing the right furniture or storage solutions for your space, it's best to think about where you'll put it and how you'll organize it. We spoke to a few designers to help you with just that. Here are a few easy to follow ideas that will help get your small bedroom organized.

How to Organize a Small Bedroom

Learning how to organize a small bedroom will help you understand the needs of a more limited, small bedroom space, and the steps you can take to make it look its best.

Without further ado, here are 10 small bedroom organization ideas that will certainly inspire you to rebuild your space.

1. Start by decluttering

a bedroom with south east asian style textiles

(Image credit: Zoe Feldman Design)

Before you begin organizing your small bedroom, take a step back and look at it and its contents in its entirety. Note duplicates and extras of anything that you may have. The best approach is to take a minimalist approach to your bedroom design. The more decluttered your bedroom is, the cleaner, neater, and bigger it will look.

With the right small bedroom layout, you'll most likely just need a few essentials to make it comfortable. "Keep the furniture minimal and functional," say Disha Bhavsar and Shivani Ajmera, principal designers and co-founders of Quirk Studio. "The essential elements are the bed, a side table, a chest of drawers for storage, a wardrobe, and, if you need it, a television unit."

Another idea that works is downsizing. "Make sure your furniture is the right scale for your space. Avoid bulky or heavy pieces that will take up a lot of physical and visual space," says Curated Nest's Lina. "And, if your ceilings are not super high, introduce tall or vertical items to draw your eye up to the ceiling and make the space feel bigger. Long drapes, tall bookshelves, and a tall plant are great options."

2. Utilize under-the-bed area for storage

under bed storage

(Image credit: Orthex)

Calm the visual noise in your bedroom by hiding papers, magazines, video game controllers, and electronics. These items may seem small, but together, they can create mayhem in a bedroom.

Make the most of storage ideas for small bedrooms by using under-bed storage solutions. This is a place guests rarely notice, and you'll be surprised at how useful it can be to have storage here. Purchase containers, cardboard boxes, and more, and keep all the bedroom clutter inside them. We also like this Large Under Bed Storage Box from Amazon, which will keep your items neat and tidy.

If you're planning on storing several things under a non-divan bed, you may want to consider options to hide it, such as a valance. Back in the day, these were designed as pragmatic extensions to hide all things unsightly, like the bed frame, mattress, and box spring. Cascading to the floor, a valance helped veil the dust collecting under the bed. They would also stop the chilly drafts from making their way up the underside of the bed.

Valances don't have to be frilly and ornate either, you can find modern linen valances that will suit more contemporary spaces.

3. Use baskets and trays for miscellaneous items

three natural woven baskets side by side on a windowsill holding books

(Image credit: Lulu and Georgia)

When things have a destination, it's difficult for them to be lost. Give everything a place, and if you can't find an appropriate one, or don't have the space for it, let it go inside baskets.

These act as the perfect storage units for anything and everything — from books, linens, laundry, and accessories, to remotes and stationery. Just pop everything here and call it a day. This CHERISHGARD Storage Basket from Walmart, priced at just $26.99 is the perfect little storage solution and works especially well as a kids' bedroom idea with the ever-growing clutter of toys and books.

If you have too many baskets and feel they're disturbing the neatness of your room, you can hide them inside your closet or position them just outside your bedroom.

Alternatively, trunks do well as small storage units, too. "Add a vintage trunk at the foot of your bed for extra wardrobe space or to store bed linen," says Martin Waller, design head, Andrew Martin. "Acrylic boxes or plinths can be used to hold your favorite pieces."

4. Use closet organizers

small bedroom organization ideas with a built-in closet with stroage shelves

(Image credit: Anna Stathaki)

Even if you've only got a small closet to work with, it doesn't mean you don't have enough space to keep everything you own in an orderly manner. You can also achieve this without spending a fortune on new built-in systems.

From slim felt hangers, like this Amazon Basics Slim, Velvet hanger priced at $15.00 to keep clothes from slipping, to clear acrylic desk file sorters for handbags and wallets, there are several hacks to maximize your closet’s footprint. Separate your cupboard into different-sized hanging spaces so you have dedicated areas for different clothes, such as tees, pants, and dresses. Pick up jewelry and watch organizers so these small items don't go astray too.

"Drawer dividers for your pile of t-shirts ensure your clothing remains stacked," says Nishita. "Individual shoeboxes for each pair ensure all the shoes are together and can be stacked on top of each other."

5. Use hooks In Your Small Bedroom

a small bedroom with wall hooks in a hotel

(Image credit: Shoreditch House Hotel)

Hooks can be highly functional in organizing small bedrooms. The best wall hooks provide a system for hanging clothes, bags, scarves, to even shoes and towels. Plus, they keep the clutter off the bed and the floor and allow you to stow everything in an orderly manner. The smallest, hard-working, nifty small bedroom storage solutions.

Simple hook ideas like peg rails are perennially popular, but many contemporary designers are creating hooks that are as decorative as they are functional. These look great when grouped, dancing up a wall.

6. Go for multifunctional furniture

small bedroom with wood clad walls, curtains and Roman blinds by Joshua Smith

(Image credit: Joshua Smith Inc/Read McKendree)

Modular, reconfigurable, multifunctional pieces are the perfect organizational solutions for modern small bedroom ideas. They do double duty and help clear clutter without taking up much space.

Many daybeds, for example, also have plenty of storage space underneath — bedding, pillows, and quilts can be easily kept inside during the day.

"If storage is pivotal, pick a divan over a classic bed frame; this will allow you to maximize the storage space available without taking up any additional floor space," says Adam Black, designer for Button & Sprung. "Drawer storage can seamlessly blend within the divan base to safely store any bedroom essentials. Alternatively, you can opt for an ottoman bed — this allows for instant storage via a mechanical lifting system. Ideal for larger, bulkier items, storage is located within the base of the bed rather than split into individual compartments or drawers."

A storage unit that folds out into a desk and bookcase is a smart small bedroom storage solution as well, tailored to keep the look of the bedroom organized and neat.

7. Turn to flexible furniture pieces

A diwan-style bed in a small, all-white room

(Image credit: Allyson Lubow. Studio credit Joshua Smith Inc)

Trolleys or carts can be a useful addition to small bedroom organization. Whether vintage or modern in style, a cart can double as a side table, snack tray, or magazine rack. It can be wheeled from room to room, serving different functions. It provides a surface area to keep things on and can be removed from the room if it gets too cluttered.

While the market is flooded with a wide variety of carts, making one can be a fun weekend project. Rummage through your garage and give a wooden cart a quick coat of paint. Sand the wood and use a primer before applying hard-wearing gloss or satin-finish paint. Oil the wheels, and there you have it — your very own upcycled treasure, ideal for your small bedroom needs.

You can use the cart as an occasional table in the bedroom for placing a coffee mug or a food plate. It can also be a perching spot for a lamp, books, or a jug of water. Another use is as a dressing table. You simply need to install a mirror on the wall and use your cart to store all your makeup essentials. Once you're done, it can be rolled out of the room.

8. Hide shoes inside box beds or shelves

a bed inside an alcove and storage under the bed

(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to small bedroom organization ideas, shoes feature top of the list of things that need to be dealt with. This is especially hard in studio bedrooms with even less space available.

A dedicated drawer to store all your shoes is probably the easiest solution to end your shoe storage woes. You can place one right beside your bedroom entrance so that the shelf is not immediately visible as you survey the room.

Consider adding built-in storage ideas in the corners of the room to fit the exact measurements of the space. You can attach a door to the shelf and paint it the same color as the walls to mask its existence.

If you don't have the space for an extra shelf or cupboard, it's best to hide the shoes inside your box bed, so they're completely out of sight.

9. Fill up the space above the cabinets 

a built-in wardrobe with tongue and groove MDF doors

(Image credit: Studio Peake)

Another way to increase your closet's storage potential is to look at the underutilized space above it. After all, every square inch matters when you've only got a small closet to play with. Consider adding racks or containers here to store miscellaneous things that you don't need often; otherwise, every day will be a struggle.

You could add recessed spotlights above your cabinet so your belongings aren't in complete darkness. Keep a ladder handy at home to access the top.

10. Maintain a Clean Floor

small bedroom with woven shades and drapes by Marie Flanigan Interiors

(Image credit: Marie Flanigan Interiors)

Freeing up the floor area is a great way to make a small bedroom look bigger. This is because your eyes can travel around the space and take in more of the visuals, tricking the eyes into believing that the room is larger.

Choose table lamps instead of floor lamps, choose floating beds, get rid of bean bags, and open up as much walkable area as possible. With less clutter on the floor, keeping your small bedroom organized and giving it a neat look will be easier.

FAQs

How do I organize a small bedroom with too much stuff?

A small bedroom with an earthy headboard

(Image credit: Studio Munroe. Photo credit by Thomas Kuoh)

Before organizing your small bedroom, you must first purge it of anything that you do not require. Make a note of things you haven't used in a year; chances are you never will. Toss them in a recycling or donation bag.

Some great organizing tools for small bedrooms are hooks and baskets. Hooks help you remove all the floor clutter and hang everything on walls or wardrobes. These encourage you to find a place for everything. For other miscellaneous things, baskets are great as these can be the perfect dumping grounds for things that don't have a place.

Wardrobe organizers can help you segregate your clothes and accessories and store them neatly. Jewelry and watch boxes can help you keep these precious items neatly and safely.

For more bedroom storage ideas, look for the extra area under your bed and above your cupboard. Utilize these precious spaces for storage. Keep boxes and bags here and store all your bedroom essentials in them. "All-in-one platform beds with storage and nightstands too are great. And, they take up very little space," says Stephanie Andrews, interior designer at Balance Design.

Finally, consider investing in flexible furniture pieces, ideally those on wheels that can be moved in and out of the room. These provide a countertop surface for storing things and can be taken out of the room when not needed.

Aditi Sharma
Design Editor

Aditi Sharma Maheshwari started her career at The Address (The Times of India), a tabloid on interiors and art. She wrote profiles of Indian artists, designers, and architects, and covered inspiring houses and commercial properties. After four years, she moved to ELLE DECOR as a senior features writer, where she contributed to the magazine and website, and also worked alongside the events team on India Design ID — the brand’s 10-day, annual design show. She wrote across topics: from designer interviews, and house tours, to new product launches, shopping pages, and reviews. After three years, she was hired as the senior editor at Houzz. The website content focused on practical advice on decorating the home and making design feel more approachable. She created fresh series on budget buys, design hacks, and DIYs, all backed with expert advice. Equipped with sizable knowledge of the industry and with a good network, she moved to Architectural Digest (Conde Nast) as the digital editor. The publication's focus was on high-end design, and her content highlighted A-listers, starchitects, and high-concept products, all customized for an audience that loves and invests in luxury. After a two year stint, she moved to the UK, and was hired at Livingetc. Currently, as the design editor, her focus is on kitchens and bathrooms and she covers exciting before/after projects, writes expert pieces on decor, color, and occasionally reviews exciting travel destinations.

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