A small bedroom isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s less square footage to clean, it’s cozy and snug and with less furniture, it’s easier to decorate. Still, many people with small rooms want to make the space look larger than it really is. If you fall into that group, there’s no need to call a contractor – with a few decorating tricks, you can make your room look bigger, no remodeling required.

　　房间小不见得是坏事一桩,可以少打扫几平方米，家具少温馨舒适，也好装潢。但大部分蜗居人士希望空间比实际大些。如果你恰巧是这一人群，没必要叫承包商，只要几个装潢布置的小窍门，就可以让你的房间看着更大，也无需重建改造。

　　Go Dark

　　色调暗一些

　　You’ve probably always heard that a small room needs white walls to open up the space. While it’s true that white DOES give an airy, open appearance, it’s also true that dark colors visually recede, making something that’s dark look further away than it really is. Take advantage of that color wizardry by painting your walls a medium-to-dark shade of a cool color like indigo blue, hunter green or charcoal gray. If you don’t want that much drama, paint just one wall in your favorite dark shade.

　　你应该听说过小房间需要白色墙壁来拓展空间。确实，白色可以营造通风、敞亮的效果，但深色调有隐退的即视感，使得深色事物比实际更为深邃。利用这一色彩魔法，把墙壁刷成中性色调向深色的过渡色彩，如靛蓝色、森林绿或是炭灰色。你要是不那么喜欢色彩上花头百出，就把一面墙刷成你最爱的深色调吧。

　　Careful with Pattern

　　慎选图案

　　A small room doesn’t mean you are limited to tiny prints or to no pattern at all. But if you want your small room to look more spacious, it’s best to limit large prints to small accents, such as throw pillows, sheets or lampshades. Use solids or small-scale patterns on your comforter, window coverings and upholstered furniture.

　　房间小不是说你就得运用小印花图案或者索性根本没有图案。但你要是希望你的房间看上去更宽敞，最好把大图案重点用在小物件上，比如抱枕、床单或者灯罩。三维图案或者小型花样运用在羽绒被、窗帘和装饰家居品上。

　　Bare the Floor

　　空出地板、慎选地毯

　　Breaking up your floor space with small area rugs is a sure way to make a small room look even smaller. Whatever your flooring choice, if you want your room to look larger, think wall to wall. That doesn’t only mean carpet -- Bare hardwood or laminate floors with a slightly glossy finish are also excellent for visually opening a space. If you want to use an area rug, choose one large enough to fill nearly the entire room.

　　铺上小地摊，地板被分割成小块，显然会让你的蜗居显得小之又小。不管你用什么材质的地板，如果你要房间看上去更大，那就铺满整个地板。不光地毯如此，光秃的硬木地板和压层板只要稍稍作光面处理，空间视觉就会开阔。如果你要用装饰地毯，那就选一块大到可以覆盖整个房间的地毯。

　　Drape It

　　窗帘垂下来

　　The right drapes work double-duty to open up a small space. First, choose drapes the same color as your walls. Second, hang them up high, with the rod just an inch or two below the ceiling line, and the fabric hanging to the floor. The lack of color contrast with the wall makes the room look wider, while the long curtains make the ceiling look higher. It’s a double win for a small room.

　　让蜗居敞亮选对挂帘可以事半功倍。首先，选和墙面颜色一致的落地窗帘。其次，把窗帘高高挂起，窗帘杆固定在距天花板一到二英寸处，窗帘垂到地板上。窗帘和墙面没有色彩对比会让房间看起来更宽敞，而窗帘越长，天花板看起来越高。对于斗室而言是双赢。

　　Let There Be Light

　　要有光

　　A dim room feels claustrophobic. Dispel the darkness with good lighting – even in a small bedroom, you need at least two sources of light. At a minimum, you’ll need a bedside lamp and a floor lamp across the room. If you have ceiling lighting as well, that’s even better.

　　昏暗的房间给人幽闭恐怖之感。采光好可以驱赶暗黑----哪怕在很小的卧室，你也至少需要两束光源。最起码，你得有盏床头灯和落地灯照彻整个房间。如果有吊灯，自然好上加好。

　　Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

　　“魔镜、魔镜告诉我”

　　You can’t beat the eye-fooling qualities of a mirror for visually enlarging a small room. And you need at least one large or full-length mirror in the bedroom anyway, or how will you know if those shoes complement that outfit? Hang a large mirror over your dresser, or install full-size mirrors on your closet doors.

　　你不得不承认镜子可以蒙蔽双眼，让小房间看起来更大。不管怎样，你卧室里至少需要一面落地镜，否则你怎么知道你的鞋子和你的外套搭不搭呢?梳妆台前也挂面镜子，要不就在衣橱门上安装一面全身镜。

　　Forget the Footboard

　　床踏板就算了吧

　　While every bed needs a headboard of some sort to balance the large horizontal surface of the mattress, footboards or benches at the bottom of the bed are optional. If your bedroom is very small, and especially if there is little space between the end of the mattress and the wall, skip the footboard. Instead, match your bed skirt to your comforter, or use a bedspread that drapes to the floor.

　　尽管每张床多多少少需要床头板来平衡床垫水平面，但床尾的踏板和床尾凳却是可有可无的。如果你的卧室很小，尤其如果床垫另一头和墙面间没多少空间，就不要选择踏板了。床单和被子的颜色要搭配好，或者就用落地床罩。

　　Color it Clear

　　颜色要通透

　　Just as a window expands a room by allowing the eye to travel beyond its confines, clear glass or Plexiglas furniture opens up a space by eliminating visual weight in front of the walls. You wouldn’t want a clear bed or dresser, but a see-through bedside table orvanity work perfectly in the small bedroom, and look very contemporary. If that isn’t your style, consider a metal-framed piece with a glass top instead.

　　正如窗户可以让房间空间延生，让双眼越过界限眺望远方，透明玻璃和树脂家具可以在墙面前减少视觉上的厚重突兀感，从而拓宽空间。你也不会要透明的床和梳妆台，但通透的床头柜和梳妆台----与斗室相得益彰，看起来也更符合当代潮流。如果那不符合你的品味，可以考虑金属外围的框架造型、顶部配有玻璃的床头柜和梳妆台。

　　更多精彩内容 >> 新东方网英语频道 

　　全国新东方英语课程搜索

（编辑：何莹莹）