Although it can oftentimes seem frustrating and challenging, planning a small bedroom can be fun (honestly). Decorating can be expensive. As much as we all wish it didn’t, decorating a magazine-worthy home costs a lot of money. Fabrics, rugs, furniture, mirrors – add it all up and it does some damage to the wallet. Throw in some coveted high-end items, and you can blow your budget pretty quickly. With the right design tips and techniques, you can turn your snug room into a dreamy retreat. From clever storage solutions to multitasking furniture, these great ideas will breathe new life into your compact scheme.

Let the light in. Keep window treatments to a minimum in a small space to make the most of the natural light and keep the look unfussy. For privacy add plain roller blinds or hang flat panels of lace or voile.

Maximize your storage space
A floor-to-ceiling fitted unit makes the most of every inch in this bedroom. It cleverly incorporates room to display treasures, shelves for books, drawers for more personal items, surfaces that act as bedside tables and reading lights. Talk about multitasking!

Clear counters and floor space by storing non-daily items
In small spaces (and really all spaces), the clutter you keep on your counters and in full view should be the things you access daily. If you keep the toaster oven you use once a month out on the counter, it’s just not helping anybody, and it’s not that big of a deal to move in and out when you do use. Is there room in a cabinet for it somewhere? But that’s just one example; the idea could apply to bathroom toiletries you don’t use every day or even to bigger items like extra seating.

Don’t be afraid to use windows
There’s no rule that says you can’t push furniture up to a window. This bed is tucked neatly at the end of this small loft, rather than blocking the center of the room. Vertical blinds have been made to measure for privacy and to block daylight, and the window offers great reading light in the mornings.

Trick the eye with mirrors
Creating the illusion of space with mirrors is a classic trick that works every time. Perfect for smaller bedrooms, a mirrored wall will visually double the space. This one does the job in style, its high position keeping the effect subtle and the antiqued surface looking elegant.

Take off dramatic, bulky window coverings
Not done properly, this trick could leave a space too bare. But, if you’ve got window coverings on a window that you don’t need for privacy, see if the space could benefit from a window covering decluttering. Depending on your type of window, if you take off window coverings altogether, it could give the space a more architectural feel, and it’ll certainly let more natural light in.

Use metallics
A metallic desk clock, pedestal table, or decorative accent can instantly add wattage to a room and up your fancy quotient.
Adding a little bit of glitz and glam can really add wow factor," Thornton adds. In her bag of tricks: high-gloss paint, metallic wallpaper, and light fixtures with metal finishes.