Make A Small Bedroom Look Bigger (VIDEO)

Homeowners: A Manhattan couple with two kids.

The Dilemma: Although this bedroom is narrow, it has good bones. The walls run up high and the gentle arches on the ceiling provide an interesting architectural detail for the room. However, the homeowners placed a low bed in the center of the room, which diminished--rather than highlighted--the overall height of the space despite the large-scale painted trompe l'oeil panels that span the walls. Another point of contention? The low bed shares space with a pair of big, beautiful antique dressers, which ultimately made the bed seem smaller and the room seem emptier than it actually was.

The Fix: Step one in makeover designer Ondine Karady whose challenge was clear: Draw the eye upward. Karady spotted the problem right off the bat and decided that the vertical space in the room and the high-ceilings needed to be utilized in a better way to create a balance in proportions.

First off, Karady opted for a canopy bed, which solved many of the problems that the low-lying bed had presented. The tall bed frame immediately created a strong focal point in the room that not only took advantage of the vertical space but also balanced out the furnishings with a more composed look.

Then to warm up the room, Karady outfitted the room with an eclectic mix of colors and modern patterns to offset the traditional trompe l'oeil detailing and antique furnishings, from a graphic textile for the canopy bed to vibrant pillows for the bench to a Rococo-style mirror set on top of a dresser.

The result? A bedroom where old meets new...and a lot of eclecticism.

Click on items in the image below and scroll through the product rail to find some of the pieces used in the makeover.

Looking for more Minute Makeovers? See how you can spruce up a bedroom by switching up your pillowscape or changing your bedding with the seasons. Or check out how you can turn an extra room into a guest bedroom.