My Tiny NYC Bedroom With a Floral Mural
When I found this apartment last April, I was in love immediately. The front room had beautiful sunlight, the kitchen was more spacious than my previous space, and so much storage- perfect for someone like me who has TOO much stuff to live in NYC. The one quirky space, which I knew I would have to problem solve, was the bedroom.
With a strange shaped alcove in the front, a tight squeeze between the back wall and the radiator pipe, and generally quite narrow all around, I was struggling with the layout and design. I ultimately had to get rid of my bed frame as the footboard and headboard would not fit in the space. I instead bought a basic platform frame from Amazon for $140 which was the perfect fit. But then I had to decide how to make the bedroom look more elevated without a classic headboard.
I decided to dream up a mural that could incorporate a headboard design as well as some florals which I had always dreamed of painting on my walls. You’ll see below a couple of the design sketches I made while still in the planning process. I also wanted to add “sconces” to the design without installing them in the traditional way since this is just a rental. I found these sconces on Amazon, which gives the option of installing them into sockets or leaving the wiring outside the wall to be plugged into a regular outlet.
Once I landed on some bedding, pillows, and a rug, I chose a deep red, 2 different blue tones, and metallic gold for the mural accents. I painted a large red circle behind the area that would be the mirror over my dresser. I used that same red for the arches over the head of the bed. Later, I added blue floral designs with gold accented leaves to tie in all the gold throughout the room between the mirror, sconces and hardware. I also had some extra space over my bed to the left side, where I didn’t think a piece of art would work because the wall was already busy with the floral design. I chose to add floating shelves with simple decor- a vase with dried palms and a candle made by my sister-in-law.
The final bedroom decision I wanted to share was the hardware on my dresser. I’ve had this dresser for 6 years now, and the previous hardware was simple nickel. With all the brass throughout the room, I felt I needed to upgrade. Changing out hardware is so easy and a great way to change the look of your furniture! I bought these semi-circle handles for the middle cabinet doors and these simple pulls for the drawers. I love how this small change pulled together the space instantly!
Despite the challenge of this tight space, I really love my new bedroom. It might be small but it’s cozy and perfect for me!