After last week’s post (400 Square Feet is the New Black), I received quite a number of emails and comments requesting more photos of our tiny apartment.

Today, I thought I’d give you a sneak peak into the bedroom. I feel a little shy inviting thousands of people into this space, but what the heck – here goes.

To be honest, there’s really not much to see. It measures only 9.75 x 9.25 feet, for a grand total of 91 square feet. Suffice it to say, photographing it was somewhat of a challenge!

Tiny minimalist bedroom

A few notes:

* I know a mattress on the floor is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for us. It also makes the high ceilings seem even higher.

* We have no built-in closets, so all our clothes are in these two wardrobes (mine on the left, DH’s on the right). Above each wardrobe, we’ve corralled out-of-season items (sweaters, scarves, gloves) and other extras in white nylon Ikea storage cubes. I like the way they blend into the wardrobes and the walls, and give us a little extra storage space.

* I’m not a huge fan of the carpeting, but when you’re in rented accommodations, you learn to live with less-than-ideal finishes. If it were our own place, I’d choose either dark, wide-plank, weathered wooden floors, or white painted wooden floors.

* Yes, there’s a distinct lack of color here; but as most long-term readers know, I *love* white (see my posts Minimalist Home: White Walls and Minimalist Design: White Floors). I particularly like white linens in the summer – so cool, crisp, and refreshing! I’m considering adding a pop of color with a throw pillow; perhaps something in aqua or lavender, with a botanical print. Of course, I welcome suggestions from more décor-savvy readers.

* This bedroom was made for a minimalist – there’s not enough room for a dresser, nightstand, or any other piece of furniture. I love the way it requires one to boil things down to the essentials: a place to sleep, and a place to store clothes.

As I say in my book, I think the bedroom should be the most uncluttered room in the house. It should be a place of peace and serenity, a haven from our hectic lives. But it doesn’t have to be BIG to serve these needs. By keeping things simple, a small space can provide just as wonderful an oasis for our weary souls!

{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}

Related posts:

1. Minimalist Home: White Walls
2. Empty, White, and Beautiful
3. Radical Downsizing

It may come as no surprise that I *love* white walls (and white floors…and white textiles…and white décor…).

So I was happy to see this Apartment Therapy feature on white bedrooms. How gorgeous! I think the monochromatic color scheme gives the spaces a serene, minimalist look, even when they have a little more “stuff” in them.

They’re also a great example of how “minimalist” doesn’t have to mean “modern.” Now I love streamlined furniture and glossy surfaces as much as the next minimalist, but my favorite bedroom of the lot (pictured below) is actually quite the opposite:

Photo via Apartment
Therapy

Seeing this space actually made me miss our old 1920s bungalow in the States. DH and I had painted every single wall, ceiling, door, window, and piece of trim a uniform white. Not a creamy white, or an eggshell white, or any other kind of decorator, hint-of-color white. We used the “bright white” that you pick up in giant cans straight from the home improvement center’s shelves—the kind that doesn’t have to be carefully mixed into some pretty shade at the counter.

The monochromatic paint job took significant time and effort (in one room, we were painting over a brilliant emerald green) but the results were amazing. It gave an ethereal, airy feeling to the space, making the rooms look larger, and the walls as if they were floating; the effect made me smile every morning when I opened my eyes to it.

It wasn’t the first time we’d covered every inch of a place in a beautiful, stark white. In fact, we’d done something similar to almost every apartment we’d lived in.

I’m writing this as I sit in our new UK flat, with warm, cream-colored (almost light yellow) walls. We won’t be trekking down to the paint store anytime soon, as our lease prohibits us from making cosmetic changes. It’s strange, though; my husband and I have moved around a lot, and always settled in quickly to any new living space. This place, though lovely, has never felt quite like “home” to us; it feels more like an extended-stay apartment than “our” space. Originally, I’d chalked it up to living in a foreign country. But you know what? I think it’s the walls.

Related posts:

1. My Tiny Apartment Tour: Minimalist Bedroom
2. Inspiration: Minimalist NYC Apartment
3. Minimalist Home: Naked Windows