Whether you live in a tiny house, a small apartment, or a home with smaller-than-average rooms, the way you decorate and arrange your furniture makes a huge difference in the way your space looks. With these helpful tips, you’ll find it’s simple to make small rooms look larger than they really are while ensuring that your home is as functional as it can be.
Invest in Space-Saving and Multi-Functional Furniture
If it hugs the walls, offers interior storage, or provides added comfort without completely dominating your room, snap it up! For example, small recliners are a great alternative to larger couches, particularly in homes where seating an entire family isn’t a priority. Storage ottomans, benches, and coffee tables are fabulous, and so are bed-frames with built-in storage underneath. These options save precious space, particularly when every square inch is worth its weight in gold. There are even dining tables that come with chairs that double as storage ottomans. If you’re in a very small living space, you might even think about a murphy bed.
Take a Stand Against Clutter
As Marie Kondo famously mentions in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, anything that doesn’t bring you joy really doesn’t deserve a place in your home. Eliminating clutter is one of the fastest ways to make a small room appear larger since clear tabletops and countertops open up visual lines and open floor space helps keep a space from looking too terribly cramped. You don’t have to get rid of everything, but paring down your possessions is an amazing way to make your home a wonderful place to be while lightening up your lifestyle.
Organize, then Organize some More
Books, shoes, clothing, collectables, and even the food in your cupboards and fridge can be organized to open up as much space as possible. The options are endless: There are purpose-built shelves and containers that will fit almost anywhere, including slim portable cupboards that fit into awkward wasted spaces and allow you to stash small items of all kinds. Take advantage of the backsides of closet doors, the area under your bed, and other hidden spots. You’ll be amazed at how much you can fit into some of these little hidey-holes!
Go Vertical
Vertical space is almost always underutilized even though tall pieces typically have far smaller footprints than squattier options that house the same amount of “stuff.” When choosing an entertainment center or a desk, go for options that allow you to display essentials up high. A slim wardrobe might be an excellent alternative to a bulky dresser, and shelves can be mounted almost anywhere to create tasteful display space. Be choosy though: Too many vertical shelves and storage cubbies can make your space feel more like a warehouse than a home.
Play with Color
There are a few ways to use colour to make small rooms look bigger. Contrasting colors are fascinating, but unfortunately, they have a tendency to visually break up space and create a cramped feel, at least so far as walls and furnishings are concerned.
According to Houseace, the expert house painters, coordinating wall paint colors, draperies, and furniture colours is a simple way to create clean visual lines. Go for lighter, cooler colours to create an airy, open feel. Soft shades of green, blue, and pale yellow are a nice alternative to cream or white.
When choosing furnishings, go for solids over bold patterns such as stripes, checks, or large florals. You can add interest with textured throws and pillows in the same color family as your furnishings, or if you feel like your space appears too neutral, you can add small stripes or soft botanicals. When decorating a small space, remember that even little touches of contrasting color add interest – think about a nice piece of artwork or a sculpture to act as a focal point.
Add Light
According to Portico, light and mirrors naturally make small rooms look larger. If you’re installing your own fixtures, consider track lighting or recessed lighting as a space-saving method of adding illumination. Let in natural light from windows if you can, and be sure to add mirrors to reflect light and open up your space even more. The larger the mirrored space, the more impactful it will be, and the more mirrored surfaces you have, the lighter and larger your room will appear.
Adding mirrored trays to the tops of tables and chests is an excellent way to create a clean, open feel in any room. In the bathroom, replacing a shower curtain with a clear glass door will open up a few extra feet and improve the feel of your space significantly.
Last but not least, keep your space spotless. Little messes appear larger than life in small rooms, and they really do detract from the quality of your living experience. Having less to clean is one of the perks of living in a small space, and a few minutes spent on daily maintenance will help you enjoy your beautifully decorated rooms even more.
