How to Make the Most of Small Rooms

Small space living can be difficult in the best of situations. If you are struggling with how to decorate and use an itty bitty room, never fear! These small space tips are sure to help you feel as though you’re living like royalty.

Tip #1 Cleanse.

Small space living is a wonderful opportunity to reevaluate your possessions. It’s tough, but in order to make your space seem bigger you will need to pare down the non-essentials. Throwing away broken items and receipts from years ago will make your place seem tidier. A few places to start your cleanse are sorting through the clothes and sentimental clutter you haven’t used in ages and downsizing on the furniture that you own.

Tip #2 Be Organized.

When you’re in a small space, utilizing the most of your storage is crucial. Invest in drawer organizers, under the bed storage containers, bins, and baskets. If you need to buy furniture, make sure that it can double up as a space to hide books and games. Great examples of this are chests or ottomans with extra storage space. When your square footage is smaller, leaving out just a couple of items can quickly make your space seem messy—or worse—claustrophobic. Thankfully, if you’ve already minimized and set up storage, it should be easier to keep things tidy. This adage should be at the front of your mind: a place for everything and everything in its place.

Tip #3 Love Your Floor Space.

Cherish what little bits of floor you can see. This means dump your floor lamps and make the switch to sconces or pendants. Walls are amazing for storage as well. Utilize your vertical space with shelves. Whether as a valuable storage solution or as a decor piece, wall shelves play an important part in small rooms. Utilize low-profile furniture and pieces with exposed legs. Low-profile seating or beds create the look of higher ceilings and give you more room to utilize your vertical space. Exposed-leg furniture will also give the illusion of a larger room. If you spring for a couch or ottoman in this style, the visual space under the furniture will make you feel as if you have more of that precious, precious floor.

Tip #4 Maximize the Light.

While everyone loves the coziness of dark wall colors, a lighter palette will reflect light around the room and make the space seem larger. The natural light will create an airy look in your home which will maximize the space you have. To create a balance of roomy and cozy, paint the walls light colors, have lighter floors, and have a darker color of furniture. Take advantage of the natural light available; if windows are in short supply, hang a large mirror opposite a window to multiply its effect. Mirrors can also be used in other rooms of the house to create the illusion of more space.

Tip #5 Work Your Corners.

When you’re in a smaller space, the spare nooks and crannies cannot be taken for granted. Maximizing your corner space is possible to do in tons of ways! You can create a little breakfast nook, make a cozy reading corner, or arrange a workstation for work or crafts by placing furniture like desks or tables. You can even go further and maximize the space by using corner wall shelving that can double as both a storage and decorative hack. Condensing those pieces into the corners of the room allows the main space to feel more open and airy.

Tip #6 Don’t Worry. Be Happy!

Try not to stress too much! No home is ever perfect, and you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to keep your small space completely clean and clutter free all of the time. It’s okay for your space to get a little messy now and again. Keep experimenting, and be creative about what will work best for your space because you probably won’t get things exactly right the first time around. Finally, remember there is no right way to design or utilize your small room. Whatever sparks joy for you is what is perfect for your space. Good luck designing!