Original farmhouses can be very cute and charming with funky architecture and design, but in all their charm they usually also come with oddly shaped rooms and small bedrooms.

I’ve played with quite a few tricks for maximizing space in these small-scale bedrooms, and I’m here today to share the best of the best. 

1.Audit. Pare down. The problem with small bedrooms is that they teeter on the edge of chaos if you let them. Don’t allow your bedroom to fall prey to messiness just because it’s small. Go Marie Kondo if you must. I highly recommend Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” for help getting a handle on your “stuff.” Kondo’s main message is to get rid of things that don’t “spark joy” when you touch them and look at them.

If you have a small bedroom, it’s also a good idea to change out your clothing seasonally. Use vacuum-sealed bags to put away winter clothes in the summer and vice versa as the seasons change. Even wool blankets and flannel sheets should be stored away in vacuum-sealed bags during the warmer months. 

2. A lot of farmhouses lack proper closet space. Back in the olden days, when many farmhouses were built, people didn’t have a lot of clothes, so their closets were either non-existent or constructed with a couple of hooks to hold a few dresses. If you’re short on closet space, find a cute, slim garment rack to hang your clothes. If you have an alcove, as many farmhouse bedrooms do, turn it into a place to put your clothing.

3. A slim nightstand or, better yet, a night shelf! We installed this wood shelf next to my son’s bunk bed in his tiny bedroom. He has trundle drawers beneath the bed that open, so a side table wasn’t practical. I think the storage drawers beneath the bed are key and essential in any small bedroom. The nightstand shelves are an easy, practical alternative.

4. A high ceiling is a godsend in a small bedroom. Whatever you lack in horizontal space is made up for in vertical. Paint the walls a light color to make the room feel more expansive, or better yet —  if you can do it —  build a loft in that upward space!

5. Pegboards — if your bedroom is multi-tasking as an office, a pegboard hung on a wall above your desk gives you space to hang just about anything you need, getting lots of stuff off your desk and floor. The Skadis system from Ikea is budget-friendly and stylish, and it offers lots of different receptacle options, including pen holders, slots for paperwork, even shelves! 

6. Over the door hooks. These are so easy and practical to hang a bathrobe, coat, or sweatshirt from. The only time you see the hooks is when you close your door, and even then, they can look cute if you keep the amount of clothing hanging from them to the minimum.

7. Closet doors can be a problem. A door causes extra congestion because you can’t place furniture in the spot it opens up to. That’s a lot of wasted space for just the opening of a door. Opt for a pocket door, or a nice curtain hung from a rod in place of the door.

8. Lighting can also be an issue. Installing wall-mounted sconces next to the bed frees up room on the nightstand where you can place a clock or books, or even a cute old-timey phone. If installing lamps isn’t an option, try finding a light that you can clip onto the bed.

9. Another trick interior designers use is placing a tall, narrow bookcase in the room. It uses up some of the vertical space and tricks the eye into seeing the room as larger than it is. Place some beautiful old books in it.

10. If you don’t have any extra floor space for a bookshelf, try floating shelves toward the top of the room’s perimeter. This is something I’ve seen in many smaller bedrooms and living rooms, and I’ve wanted to try it myself. My parents installed them around their entire dining and living rooms and placed lots of their old books and a few special trinkets on them. It makes for a cozy, completed look.

Do you have tricks that have worked well to help maximize space in your small bedroom, share them with us in the comments below!