In addition to soaring housing prices, another concern among New Yorkers looking to rent or own apartments is the lack of floor space. A survey reveals that New York apartments are some of the smallest in the United States, with three of its local boroughs following Seattle as the top city on the list, with homes having an average size of 659 square feet. Meanwhile, Queens apartments with an average size of 681 square feet are at the number two spot, Brooklyn at number three with 692 square feet, and Manhattan at number five with 740 square feet.
Fortunately, there are many ways New Yorkers can make their living spaces feel homey and comfortable despite being small. For example, a previous post on ‘Multifunctional Furniture Ideas for Small Spaces’ highlights how pieces like a convertible sofa or a nesting table can serve many purposes in places like the living room without taking as much storage space.
Meanwhile, this article illustrates how you can be smart and creative in styling a massive California king bed in a small bedroom, allowing you to feel luxurious despite the limited space.
Optimize the Bed Placement
Whether you want a lot of bed space for you and your partner or only for yourself, a California king bed is your best option, as it’s longer but narrower than a standard king-sized bed. You’ll also find that California king bed sets vary in color, style, and storage functionality, but they all have the same measurement to make layout planning for your bedroom a lot easier.
So, whether you choose a Hillsboro California King Bedroom Set with four storage pieces or a Voyage Natural California King set with its wooden and upholstered canopy that fits a rustic theme, ensure that you place the bed in the middle, right across from the doorway, to create an illusion of space. It can serve as the focal point that brings the entire room together, as opposed to pushing it against the corner.
Prioritize Good Lighting
Another way to make the bedroom feel less constricting despite having a big California king bed in the middle is to bring in as much natural light as possible. This means sticking to blinds and curtains for light management and keeping windows unobstructed by objects and furniture like chairs and tables.
If you want more control over the lighting, you can refer to this Real Homes article on bedroom lighting ideas. For small bedrooms, interior design experts recommend swapping bedside table lamps with space-saving, extendable wall lighting, as well as hanging pendant lights on either side of the bed to introduce more light into the room without overpowering the limited space.
Consider Adding Reflective Surfaces
Mirrors are also a practical way to add depth and dimension to a small bedroom without competing for space with the California king bed. Something as playful as the viral Primrose mirror from Anthropologie can be functional and serve as a statement piece at the same time.
Even when you want to keep things minimalist, floor-standing or wall-mounted mirrors placed perpendicular to the window can keep the room well-lit while also opening up the space. Additionally, interior designer Chi-Thien Nguyen notes that other reflective surfaces, such as lacquered furniture and metallic fixtures, can create the same effect of making the room feel more spacious and inviting.
Balance the Proportions,
Lastly, a tried-and-tested interior design tip for decorating a small bedroom around a California king bed is to balance the proportions with pieces of similar size. For instance, furniture pieces like an oversized chaise lounge or large light fixtures can keep your bed from becoming an overpowering presence in an otherwise small room.
