12 small bedroom storage ideas to make your space feel spacious

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary — even if it’s a small sanctuary. A tiny bedroom can create a cozy feel, but if your stuff is bursting out of every corner, it’ll feel more like the walls are closing in around you. Reclaim your space (and your sanity) with these small bedroom storage ideas. 

12 small bedroom storage ideas 

From your bed to your dresser to that very small closet, these storage solutions will help you rethink every bit of your bedroom.

1. Add a bed frame with built-in drawers 

Even tiny bedrooms have room for a bed. While you may sometimes wish you could make your bed disappear (or fold up into the wall à la a Murphy bed), that would only give you floor space, not storage space. 

Since you need to sleep, you can’t exactly swap out your mattress for a storage unit. But you can use all of the space above, under, and around your bed. 

For under-bed storage, choose a bed frame with built-in drawers. If your bedroom is so teeny tiny that you barely have room for anything other than a bed, look for a frame with a lot of drawers. For example, the Barstow Storage Bed with six drawers offers enough room to replace your dresser. 

2. Slide storage bins under your bed

If you already own a bed frame and it didn’t come with built-in drawers, you can still use the space below your bed for storage. One of our favorite organization ideas is to slide storage boxes under your bed (or under any piece of furniture for that matter!). 

If you have a bed skirt, save your money and buy the cheapest plastic storage bins you find. No one will see them behind the skirt, so think of it as your little storage secret. If you have a platform bed, look for decorative baskets or rustic wooden crates so that your storage solution doesn’t clash with your interior design.

3. Choose a storage headboard

If under-bed storage won’t be enough to hold your stuff, create extra space at the head of your bed. Look for a headboard with shelves and drawers, like the Phoenix 10-Drawer Bed. It’s a stylish option and the shelves give you added flexibility — you can display books and knick knacks, or add baskets for even more hidden storage.

4. Swap out your headboard for a bookcase 

One of the most effective small bedroom storage ideas is this: Put bookcases everywhere. That includes at the head of your bed. 

While your bed will block the bottom shelves of a bookcase, you’ll still end up with more storage space than you can get from any other piece of furniture. 

Depending on the size of your bed, you may need two or more matching bookcases to create a headboard. For example, you would need two of the 10-Shelf Bookcase in Antique Nutmeg to match the width of a queen bed.

5. Add wall-to-wall bookshelves

When we say put bookcases everywhere, we mean it. Wall-to-wall bookcases make it look like your bedroom has built-ins. Find a bookcase you love, buy as many of them as you can, and line them up along one wall. Or create an eclectic look by using mismatched bookcases — it won’t look like built-ins, but it will look uniquely beautiful. 

6. Replace a small bedside table with a tall bookcase

In case you haven’t found the right bookcase inspiration for your tiny bedroom, try this idea on for size (it’s an extra small size!). Bedside tables usually give you a place to set a glass of water at night, but they don’t give you much more than that. Instead, put bookcases on either side of your bed instead. 

If you can barely squeeze a bedside table between your mattress and your wall, look for a corner bookcase like the 5-Tier Corner Bookcase in Cappuccino. Corner bookcases open out into the room, so the side of the bookcase won’t stand between you and your glass of water when you reach out in the middle of the night.

7. Install floating shelves above your dresser

In a very small space, even wall space needs to go to good use. Add extra storage above your dresser — or any other piece of furniture — with floating shelves. Floating shelves are a flexible storage option that allows you to display books or hide things away in baskets. 

8. Add shelving around the top of your room 

Every room has some seldom-used space right by the ceiling. Install a shelf about one foot down from your ceiling that wraps all the way around your room. It’ll look as classy as crown molding and give you lots of extra space in the process. Just keep in mind there’s a catch. 

Because this shelf is so high up there, it won’t be easy to access. So use it to store items like seasonal clothing (hidden in decorative baskets, of course!) that you only need to bring out on occasion.

9. Replace your closet doors 

Your closet doors have a big impact on your ability to organize your bedroom. If you have enough floor space for your closet doors to open out — but you’re still living with sliding or accordion-style doors — it’s time to make the switch. 

Doors that open out let you save space by using the back of the door for additional storage. Add hooks and use that area to hang purses, belts, shoes, or a laundry bag. 

10. Replace your armoire with an entertainment center

An armoire might be the big daddy of bedroom storage, but an entertainment center is the biggest and baddest shelving unit out there. While this piece of furniture traditionally makes its appearance in the living room, we think it’s time for it to make a bedroom debut. 

An entertainment center is a natural fit for anyone who likes to keep a TV in the bedroom, but if you don’t like screens in your sleep space, you can use this piece to create even more storage. 

Make a DIY clothes rack by installing a closet rod where the TV would normally go. Add hangers, display your cutest clothes, and kiss your small closet problems goodbye. 

11. Choose a storage bench 

Entertainment centers aren’t just for the living room, and storage benches aren’t just for the entryway. Look for benches with hidden storage, like this Lift Top Storage Bench, or benches with cubbies (perfect for storing shoes), like the 2-Drawer Storage Bench pictured above. Place your bench at the foot of your bed or under your bedroom window, and you’ll be lounging in perfectly organized luxury.

12. Use a low TV stand as a footboard 

If your small room has a little extra space at the foot of your bed, place a TV stand there. Many TV stands are wide without being tall, so they’ll fit neatly at the foot of your bed. And while they don’t have a lot of height, they do have a lot of storage. 

For example, this 2-Door TV Console in Sheesham Grey has two cabinets and two exposed shelves. Since you won’t be using the shelves to store your cable box, you can use them to organize your shoes. At only 18 inches high, this console will be a little shorter than your bed so you won’t have to worry about kicking it at night. And the width (59 inches) is almost identical to that of a queen-size bed. 

Many TV consoles come in the same or a similar shape and size, so this piece of living room furniture is a perfect small bedroom storage idea.

Small bedroom, big ideas

You might have limited space, but you have unlimited options. Every bit of bedroom furniture you own can provide extra storage. If you’re struggling to find enough space in a small bedroom, look around. When you spot a piece that isn’t pulling its weight, swap it out for an option with more storage space. 

Trade small bedside tables for tall bookcases. Choose a bed frame with built-in storage. And consider trading traditional bedroom furniture for a storage system like an entertainment center. With a few smart upgrades, your small bedroom will feel roomy in no time.

Browse All Furniture