Small space inspiration: navy bedroom & a statement ceiling for our alcove bed

cc left to right: my own | amara.com | Piccolomini Library floors by jehane on flikr | Scrovegni Chapel ceiling by Viaggio nel blu| scenicwallpaper.com | hm home

I’ve been wanting to experiment with a navy bedroom for nearly 5 years now. Why so long? Well, a move was always on the horizon—3 moves actually, including the big one abroad—so I painstakingly did the adult thing and waited. But it’s finally time to indulge that daydream. We’ll be making over our RV bedroom, which is really just an over cab bed, into a fairytale nook fit for a castle. (A Moorish-style castle that is…keep reading!) I know painting your bedroom a dark color can be quite intimidating for some, especially in small spaces. So I wanted to walk you through my decor inspiration and reasons for going bold.

Painting our small space a dark color is a functional decision

You can see the “BEFORE” of the alcove bed in our Youtube RV reno tour

True, I’m a total romantic and it shows in the way I design. But when advocating for tiny living, I always emphasize function above all else. So here’s the hidden logic behind going dark for our alcove bed: I’m a crap sleeper and I need all the help I can get. After doing some research, I’ve discovered the importance of minimizing light exposure to help you fall—and stay—asleep. I don’t just mean screens in your face before bed, but UV rays on your skin too. Painting our bedroom a dark color will help absorb light and create a space that feels safe to rest and encourages deep sleep.

In general, dark paint is such a versatile design tool. Inky walls can make an expansive space feel cozier and, when used in small space design, can help walls visually recede in a way that makes the room feel bigger. The latter is especially handy when two adults are sharing a teeny over cab bed and one of them is prone to claustrophobic panic attacks. (Yup, it’s me.) We’ll also be color-matching the bedspread and the curtain that divides the cab from the living space. Going monochromatic will help it feel like a dedicated room and reduce visual noise within the tight space.

Playing with pattern will also help make the space feel bigger

It’s not just going to be a solid navy color. You may think I’m nuts for suggesting a statement ceiling in a <4 foot crawl space, but stick with me here... Using depth of color, large shapes, or long lines can play tricks on the eye, helping to distort the perception of space and in our case help make it feel bigger. We can’t take ourselves too seriously—I mean we live in a van—so we’re going to lean into it. Adding pattern is so whimsical and layering patterns will add to the country home vibe we’ve gone for in our RV. The challenge is finding a motif that will add interest and depth without feeling oppressive.

The obvious place to start was to seek out wallpaper options but, given the low ceiling, the walls get banged up. You dirty minds! I mean from climbing in and out or making the bed. Wallpaper wouldn’t stand up to the wear and tear or exposure to the elements you get in an RV, so I couldn’t justify spending hundreds of dollars. I felt stuck for what to do next, so instead, we took a breather from renovating and hit the road over the holidays.

We’re looking to history and nature for specific inspiration

We weren’t sure what style to choose until we saw this Moorish-inspired palace. It snuck up on us while we were traveling! We’d stopped to see the Casa de Pilatos in Seville, a 15th-century palace built for the Dukes of Medinaceli. Parts of it were inspired by Arabic design and lavish in detail. But what I loved most was the indoor-outdoor feel—very relatable for van lifers like us. The inclusion of nature also helped make the overload of ornate decoration feel less pretentious. But there was one room in particular that stopped us in our tracks. We both looked up at this statement ceiling and then at each other, thinking, “that’s it!”

My photo of the Pilate’s Cabinet room in Casa de Pilatos in Seville, Spain

A navy ceiling with a variety of deep, medium, and light blue hues was dotted with shimmering-gold, star-like shapes. It’s historical relevance to the country we call home is meaningful to me and its likeness to the night sky feels hyper-relevant to the lifestyle we’ve just adopted. We loved the idea of reinterpreting the striking pattern for our own space. Simplifying the intricacy a bit will help it fit nicely with the other patterns we already have in the space and will add depth to the ceiling without it feeling “in your face”.

In the end, infusing our personal story is what makes our home singular and special

Fast forward to the post-holiday blues and I’m itching to get back into our RV renovation. I’ve started to pull together more examples of the style we’re hoping to capture in our so-called celestial ceiling. I’ve even seen some people refer to this look as “modern day mystic”. How cool? You choose whichever label you prefer, but I’m calling it my Velvet Sky.

cc @nomadbeautiful

You know that time of day—just after dusk—when the night sky turns a shade of navy that feels like if you reached out and touched it, it’d be made of velvet? That’s why I call it my Velvet Sky. It’s one of my favorite everyday, magical moments. Maybe because it’s usually when I’d be heading out to meet friends for a drink or strolling with my Love to dinner, but it’s an utterly romantic time of day for me. At least at this stage in my life. It reminds me so much of falling in love with Chris and I love the idea of capturing that essence, especially in our bedroom. It’s just kinda sexy too, no?

In the end, part of the fun of working with small spaces is how they force us to be super intentional and subsequently end up packed with thought and meaning. Like many folks, home wasn’t always a comfortable place growing up or as a young adult, so now that I’m homemaking for my own little family, I love to spend the extra time making it utterly ours.

So what do you think, would you be crazy enough to try this in your caravan or tiny home?

Update: check out the final over cab bed remodel on YouTube