At Home With POPSUGAR: How I Turned My Room Into an Oasis Away From My Roommates

Light and bright walls are naturally more reflective, and as a result, they easily make a space feel open and airy. This helps maximize the effect that's created by natural light (if you're lucky enough to have a window in NYC!) and allows the light to flow through the room.

I'm slightly biased because I'm allergic to too much color (no, that is not a real medical condition), but coordination is important! Especially when it comes to decorating a space. Not to mention there's a power to be found in the cool, soothing simplicity in making the room look bigger using monochromatic paint colors and decor. These create a natural fluidity, which allows the space to feel cohesive.

Rugs are an easy way to create a transition from one part of a room to another. This also helps create an illusion of two smaller rooms within one. In my case, one or more rugs help trick the eye into seeing a bigger space and help divide areas in the room.

I wanted a dresser/makeup area, but I didn't want it to consume the rest of my room or become a focal point. So, I stuck to smaller pieces that are versatile, because in a smaller space, you have to consider the size of everything. Instead of a traditional dresser and chair, I chose an ottoman that can also double as storage with a shorter table in front of a long mirror. I also chose a long mirror vs. a round one because it makes the walls look taller instead of shorter.

When figuring out the direction of your decor, stick to one. I chose to place pieces vertically to help elongate the walls in my room, which makes the space appear larger and ceilings seem higher. Using vertical space and sticking to a minimalist look for shelving helped me fill up my room without it looking cluttered.

In smaller rooms, having a stark contrast with curtains can close in the room and make it feel much smaller than it actually is. Keep the window curtains short and make sure they match the theme of your room.

I chose my bed! To help emphasize this, I added long sheer curtains above my bed instead of art or other decoration. I read somewhere once that "hanging long curtains just below the ceiling that sweep all the way down to the floor is like putting stiletto heels on a room," and while I hate stilettos, it works! While you want to keep your window curtains short, this trick behind your bed can help the ceiling look higher.

Another important note if you choose to make your bed the focal point: keep your sheets clean (hopefully you're already doing this in the traditional sense!). But what I mean by "clean" is sticking to a clean or plain pattern. Try to stay away from loud, busy patterns and instead try to coordinate the colors (remember monochrome?) and shapes with your drapes to match the flow of the room.

You can easily tie together an area in your room with small plants. I'm a huge fan of
The Sill, a website that sells all sorts of adorable indoor potted plants, even ones suitable for the worst of the worst plant parents. Speaking from experience, as I have neglected many plants in my day, I found my perfect plant baby — a small snake plant — on The Sill! Plants allow you to decorate without really trying, and they fill an otherwise empty space that might not have room for traditional decor.

Shelving just leaves more room for me to add junk, which means more clutter. One day they're clean and the next there's 300 Starburst wrappers everywhere, right? No? Just me? Anyway, shelves also accumulate more dust and that's an extra responsibility I don't need or want to deal with. So, I chose to display a gallery wall of The New Yorker covers that goes all the way down to the floor, again making the walls seem higher than they are. This is an easy way to keep my decor fresh since I switch out the covers every few months!