There’s a fine line between cozy and cramped when choosing furniture and decor for a small bedroom. Comfort is key, but so is function, especially when you consider that you spend roughly a third of your day in the bedroom.

To help you overcome this design challenge, we asked design experts to share their tips on how to maximize your minimal bedroom and how to keep it from looking cramped.

Oversized furniture

Bedroom design should focus on comfort and relaxation. But bigger is not better when it comes to furniture.

“The one thing I can’t stress enough is that it’s all about using space,” says Joyce Huston, lead interior designer at Decorilla. “I always recommend choosing furniture that really fits the room and doesn’t make it feel cluttered.”

While Huston understands the appeal of a king-size bed, it’s not a good choice for a small bedroom.

“I know it would just eat up so much space and leave so little room (to maneuver),” she says.

Allisa Jacobs, in-house stylist, agrees.

“Most rooms can’t handle a huge boxy platform bed with a four-poster design and a bulky headboard,” she says.

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Not Enough Light

Dark walls and drawn curtains can make a large space feel cozy, but the same thing in a small bedroom can look and feel too confined. Choose a lighter color and keep those blinds or curtains open during the day to brighten up the space and make it look bigger to the eye.

Not Enough Storage

Even the most organized people will have difficulty organizing a small bedroom when there is not enough storage space. Reorganizing your closet can help, but so can furniture with built-in storage and attractive bins that can serve as decor.

“I’m always on the lookout for the most functional yet stylish storage space to discreetly store essentials in my bedroom, such as beds that have built-in compartments to store extra pillows and duvet sets or baskets that can sit nicely on top of a wardrobe,” he says. Houston.

Furniture and decor too below eye level

Low-profile platform beds can help make the most of cramped bedrooms by eliminating the need for box springs. But choosing everything low-profile furniture and decor can detract from the visual impact of the space.

To balance that out, Jacobs says to also look for furniture, decor, and accessories that will draw the eye upward.

“Tall plants, floor lamps and vertical artwork all work well,” she says.

Not enough free space

Vertical design is always ideal in small spaces, especially when large but necessary furniture can take up so much space. Remember, you’ll need some space to move around the room comfortably, but it’s also good for the eyes to see empty space.

“Resist the urge to include that unnecessary chair or bench if it’s not being used other than as a place to throw clothes,” says Jacobs.

Too much visual clutter

Maximalism is on trend, but you’ll want to make some—or a lot—decor changes in a small room. Even the most skillfully decorated gallery wall can overwhelm a room, and the same can apply to adding too many items to a shelf.

“If it’s smaller than a grapefruit, I wouldn’t necessarily display it unless it really had special sentimental value to me,” says Huston.

Mess isn’t always about being messy. Visual clutter is more about having too many things catching your eye, says Morgan Blinn, lead designer at Rumor Designs.

“The bedroom should be a peaceful haven, a place to escape at the end of the day,” she says. “Too often people try to put too many things in one place.”

It’s fine if you like to have books or other things that bring you joy, but try to limit them to avoid overwhelming a small space.

“Less is always more,” says Blinn.

Prioritizing aesthetics over purpose

Whether you love thrifting or antiques or just enjoy clicking “add to cart” on home furnishings and decor websites, too much is a good thing way too much for a small bedroom. Huston recommends refraining from impulse buying those beautiful pieces.

“I think it’s really important to step back and think about the bigger picture,” Huston says. “How will this wardrobe work with my bed? Does this carpet make too much noise? Does this retro lamp really fit the cottage core look I’m going for?”

Asking relevant questions and answering them honestly will be key to preventing your design choices from cramping the style of a small bedroom.

“The little details really add so much, and if I’m putting together a random mix of things that don’t coordinate, I know the space is going to feel overwhelming and not somewhere I feel comfortable going down,” says Huston.