If you’re selling your house and are concerned buyers will be put off by a small master bedroom - don’t be. There’s no reason why a small bedroom can’t be as relaxing and luxurious as a much larger space.

Plus, as housing affordability and environmental concerns become increasing issues for many potential homeowners, the Tiny House Movement is starting to take hold in Australia. Smaller houses are not only the best way to get a foot on the property ladder, they’re cheaper to run and can save homeowners money in the long run. What’s not to like about that?

So take heart and try out some (or all) of our small master bedroom ideas - and remember, living with less doesn’t mean living without luxury!

1. When in doubt take it out

Even big rooms can feel smaller when they’re filled with clutter. You can dramatically increase the square footage of a small master bedroom by taking out excess furniture, books, clothes, electrical & exercise equipment.

Depersonalise the tops of dressers and nightstands by removing makeup, ornaments, books and photos.

2. The bed

In a small master bedroom the bed is usually the focal point. But if a king size bed is taking up most of the space then downsize it to a queen or double. This will instantly make a small bedroom look larger!

Think about positioning - does the bed have to go against the wall? Does placing it on a diagonal make it feel more spacious?

Dress the bed to impart a feeling of luxury with quality new bed linen in crisp whites and soft creams with a throw blanket and accent pillows in solid neutral colours like browns, grays, greens and blues.

Layering your pillows will make your bed look hotel room plush; for a queen size/double bed you’ll need: 2 euro pillows which go by the headboard, 2 standard pillows which go in front and a coloured accent pillow in front.

3. Use a neutral colour scheme

Your goal with a small master bedroom is to try and appeal to as many buyers as possible. If you want to repaint, stick to light, neutral colour palette for the main bedroom décor and use accent textiles with soft colours, subtle patterns and textures to liven up the space without overwhelming it.

4. Less is more

The general rule of thumb for accessorising a small space is to keep room decorations to a minimum. For extremely small bedrooms we recommend removing all the furniture except the bed and nightstand, and limiting objects to one or two pieces.

This might seem drastic but remember you want to give the impression the room is larger than it is and lots of small objects will make the room look cluttered and distract the eye.

5. Make the most of reflections

Make use of mirrors, shiny fabrics, metallics; anything that has a reflective surface will bounce light around, open up the space visually and make it feel bigger.

Think shiny, satiny fabrics on a duvet cover, window treatments or accent pillows to help illuminate a small space. Try leaning a large mirror against a wall to add visual size and swap out light fixtures with polished chrome or stainless steel. Ikea has some great metallic lighting options.

At the very least pull back the curtains to allow natural light to open up the space.

6. Flooring options

Consider replacing a dark carpet or hardwood flooring with a lighter-coloured version to make your small master bedroom look brighter and feel more open.

If you don’t have the budget for this, then placing a light-coloured area rug under the bed can do the job just as well. Make sure the rug extends past the edge of the bed by at least 30 to 50 centimetres.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading Bricks+Agents’ styling suggestions for small bedrooms. Our expert team can give you further advice on where focus your renovation budget to add value to your home!