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It’s easy to associate small living with a plain space. Don’t fall for it! Minimal space can still be customized (with the right design strategies) and transformed into beautiful, fully functional spaces. Properly utilized designed principals can turn tiny rooms into uniquely attractive sights. Learn clever design tricks with us to make the most of the compact rooms in your home without compromising on style or utility. See how we’ve transformed small spaces with custom-built solutions in our portfolio.
1. Prioritize Space Saving or Multifunctional Furniture
Who isn’t excited by a sofa bed? Always a highlight of childhood hotel visits, this transforming couch isn’t the only dual-purpose furniture on the market. Multiple uses for one item free up additional space where a second item would have lived.
Here are a few multipurpose furniture and display options to consider:
Sofa/Daybeds: Already highlighted above, the gold standard for multifunctional furniture. A sofa bed offers the option to easily transform the purpose of a room, from a living room to a bedroom in seconds. A word of caution, sofa beds do tend to be quite heavy. Take this into account when planning.
Hidden Storage: Out of sight, out of mind. Ottomans, side tables, even the inside of some coffee tables—opportunities for storage are everywhere. If you’re lucky you might find an ottoman that functions as a proper seat or coffee table, allowing triple use. Exciting! Check out these creative storage solutions from IKEA.
Folding Furniture: If you see your need for space changing in the long term, shelving, tables, and chairs that can be folded and stored when not in use are wise choices. Wall-mounted tables can flip up and away, making them a perfect partner to collapsible shelving, which can adjust to your display and storage needs.
2. Use Vertical Wall Space
Think outside the box. Or more accurately, turn the box 90 degrees. Hanging storage, wall-mounted shelves, and floor-to-ceiling cabinets all work to give you more floor space for the items that must remain grounded.
Try this:
Wall-Mounted Shelves: Free floating shelves secured into walls are a great option for homeowners looking to make a room appear more spacious. Take books, plants, and other decor off the ground. Create an interesting talking piece. By drawing the eye upward, these shelves make rooms feel taller.
Tall Cabinets: Another storage solution that offers more opportunities to organize, High cabinets are useful in bathrooms and kitchens. They provide a needed place to hold spare items without a large sacrifice of floor space.
Hooks and Pegboards: Decor-focused, hooks and pegboards are useful for displaying small items. Hooks can be used for bags or coats, while pegboards add a personal touch to any space. Renters can take advantage of this tip by utilizing adhesive command strips. A wall display is a simple way to add a more personal touch to a small space.
Vertical Gardens: Fresh, green plant life adds life to any space. Unfortunately, potted plants require the sacrifice of already scarce floor space. However, there are solutions. Wall-mounted and hanging planters are two ways to add floral flair to the room.
Light objects can be secured to the walls with small nails. For anything larger, locate studs in the walls to properly secure the item. Do not skip this step for heavy items.
3. Reflect Light Within The Room
Darkness is suffocating. Avoiding shadow as much as possible is key to bringing a polished feel to reduced square footage. Reflecting light around the room will create an illusion of openness.
There are a few ways to do this:
Use Soft Neutral Paint Colors: Light colors can make any room feel larger and airier. You’ve seen glare off of snow in the winter, the same principle allows us to expand the bounds of a space. We suggest choosing paint in whites, light grays, soft beiges, or pale pastels to reflect more natural light. These colors also combat the potential suffocating feeling from large amounts of darker tones. See Sherwin-Williams' best paint colors for small spaces.
Light Wood Finishes: Opt for light-colored wood furniture or flooring to further open up the space. Darker woods can make small rooms feel heavy and closed in.
Mirrors: The simplest solution to reflection you can find. Mirrors easily bounce light around a room. Incorporate mirrors through mirrored furniture, full-length mirrors near the light source, and decorative mirrors placed to break up wall space. HGTV shares more light-reflecting tricks.
Sheer Curtains: If you need privacy, don’t cut off the sun. When a window is available, find curtains that allow light to travel through them if you need it covered. A sightline to the outside world does wonders to make a room feel larger.
4. Invest in Built-in Furniture and Storage
Leave no corner untouched. Built-in, custom furniture is a great option for maximizing space. Careful measurements and craftsmanship tailor awkward spaces into useful structures.
Built-In Shelves: An alternative to freestanding shelves, custom-built shelves have a variety of possibilities. Run shelving along walls, around doorways, or into corners. These shelves clear floor space while continuing to offer plenty of storage.
Under-Bed Space: Another dual use for square footage, another placement for storage. Elevating your sleep leaves room for more. Simple storage can be found in under-bed drawers. Looking to customize your space? Explore our renovation services.
Nooks and Alcoves: Don’t let perfectly good space go to waste! Change difficult spaces into customized alcoves. Add a base, pillows, and blankets for a cozy reading nook. A desk and a chair make a workspace. And of course, our old reliable friend, storage.
5. Declutter
It’s easy to collect things, and even easier for those things to overwhelm. In small spaces, clutter adds chaos where it isn’t welcome. Put the many opportunities for storage to use, and stay on top of organizing. Keep things that bring purpose or happiness. Consider getting rid of the rest.
Declutter Regularly: Take note of what you use. When an item has gone untouched for some time, consider relocating it. Donation, sale, or outside storage are all great options.
Minimalism: To avoid overwhelm and clutter, stick to a minimalist decor style. Determine your style, choose a few statement pieces to convey it, and leave it there. Too much furniture will overcrowd the room. Marie Kondo’s decluttering tips can help.
6. Go for Light and Compact Furniture
Small space, small furniture. When you’re working in a small room, heavy, bulky furniture can make the space feel even smaller. Change your perspective to lightweight, smaller-impact furniture. This is a good place to utilize tip number three with lighter colors and wood finishes.
Compact Sofas and Chairs: Choose sleek, low-profile sofas and armchairs that don’t take up too much space. Modular seating options can also be rearranged as needed.
Narrow Tables and Desks: Look for narrow or compact desks and tables that provide functionality without hogging all the space. Wall-mounted desks or fold-down options are great for tight areas.
Transparent Furniture: Acrylic or glass furniture can make a room feel more open since it allows the eye to travel through the pieces, rather than visually blocking space.
7. Add Vertical or Foldable Dividers
A lesson learned in the pandemic, separation between work and life is essential. This tip can be especially helpful for small apartment living. Different options for lightweight dividers ensure you can find one that works for you.
Curtains or Drapes: Another use of vertical space. Mount a curtain rod to your ceiling and hang the curtains off of it. If curtains aren’t your style, fabric panels are also available to be purchased as dividers. These methods will make dividers that can be effortlessly removed.
Folding Screens: A slightly more permanent option, a folding screen or room divider can be moved to change the function of your space. More must be considered here, as a screen takes up space whether it is in use or not, but lightweight and stylish folding screens are not hard to come by.
8. Keep the Flow Open
Our final tip, maintain a flowing walkway in the home. Avoid blocking walkways with furniture or decorations. Easy movement will make a space feel larger. Well-considered arrangement of all of the elements listed above goes a long way.
Maximizing a small space is all about making smart design choices that enhance functionality while maintaining style and comfort. By incorporating multifunctional furniture, utilizing vertical space, and maintaining a minimalist approach, you can transform even the tiniest of spaces into a practical and beautiful environment. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way to making the most of every square inch of your home.
Looking for expert help? Contact us today to bring your small-space vision to life!
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