If your bedroom is small, you may think white is your only option. However, if you love color, there are ways to incorporate it into your bedroom without it overwhelming your space.

It's a misconception that a small place must be painted white to appear larger. Any color you find relaxing can work in any size bedroom. While homeowners with small bedrooms have traditionally been steered away from dark colors, today's design experts encourage the use of colors you love—even dark ones—in the bedroom, because it is a personal space.

Done properly, deep colors in a small room can camouflage the size of the space. Stick with colors that soothe you or make you feel like you're in a cozy space. Even red can work to create a bedroom that will feel like cozying up to a warm fire. Choose furniture, drapes and accessories that will complement the wall color.

For blues, greens and deep neutral shades, layer varying shades of the same color in your trim, floors and/or rugs and window treatments. This will keep the room from looking chopped-up and help give it a more unified feeling. Some very deep colors, such as charcoal and taupe, will allow the corners to fade away from view, visually expanding the space. You can choose high-gloss colors to reflect light in the space. You can also paint one wall a deeper shade that will recede visually, making the space appear larger. Paint a stripe or stencil pattern on one wall to create a focal point and draw attention away from the room's small size.

Earth tones and neutrals are a frequent choice for small bedrooms. If you prefer softer shades, grey, green or yellow can lighten a small room. Neutral shades can make the wall visually recede into the background, making the room appear larger and bringing more attention to the accessories in the room.

White can work well in a small bedroom, but be careful with stark white, since it can make any size bedroom feel cold. Soft tones of cream, butter or ivory are good choices, as are whites with a touch of grey, green, blue or even pink. Layer complementary shades of white, or choose accessories in a favorite color. White is usually the best choice for a small room's ceiling; however, if you have chosen a shade for your bedroom walls that will look good with very pale blue, that is also a good choice to make a ceiling look higher.