How to Arrange a 10 X 11 Bedroom

Use small furniture. Oversized furniture will make the room look cramped, so downsize the bed if you need to or find a smaller dresser. You don't have to spend a lot of money to introduce furniture to scale. Restain or prime and paint a dresser from an estate or garage sale for a brand new look.

Place the bed in the room first to figure out how to set it so you can easily get around it. A room with a good foot path will instantly appear larger. One nightstand will use up less floor space than two. For even more space, hang a small shelf on the wall next to the bed to hold an alarm clock, a book and favorite framed photo.

Minimize what you place in the room. Put the chest-of-drawers in the closet and inexpensive cardboard boxes under the bed as storage for out-of-season clothing. The more you store in the closet or under the bed, the more room you'll have in the room.

Don't worry if the only pieces you have are a bed and a comfortable chair in the corner. Play up those pieces. Layer softly textured linens onto the bed, and coordinate them with the window treatments and throw pillow on the chair. A simple room, with coordinated materials is more tranquil than a room stuffed with too many items.

If you don't have room for a dresser in the closet, place it against a wall. Paint the dresser the same color as the walls to create an optical illusion of more space. For a more decorative touch, stencil or paint accents onto the dresser.

Let the light in. A 10-by-11 room needs a sense of spaciousness, and light helps provide that. Place one or two lamps in shadowed areas of the room, and open the windows whenever possible to take advantage of natural light.