When you hear the words “small spaces,” what part of your house immediately comes to mind? Your laundry room? mudroom? Do you have a small nook somewhere that has proven difficult to reign in?
Small spaces are among the trickiest places to use and decorate. When the furniture doesn’t fit quite right or natural lighting is scarce, small spaces can be downright frustrating.
And while it would be easy to throw in the towel on these rooms, I have a rule about no ugly rooms in my house so I typically play with a space until I’m happy with it. I have learned that home decor is much more about the way things feel than the way they actually are.
I like to think of the rooms in our homes as 3D canvases with endless potential regardless of size. They tell our story. And these rooms – even the small ones – are a means for expressing who we are. In fact, sometimes the smallest spaces in our homes pack the biggest punches.
Before we start…
Honestly, before we can jump into the design aspect of maximizing small spaces, you have to identify your end goalĀ for your space.
It’s important to know what you’re trying to create in every room – is your small space utilitarian or will you use if for leisure? Are you creating a small home office with your space or a reading nook? Or maybe you’re just trying to squeeze a little more storage out of a tight room.
When you identify your end goal the rest is just details, and that’s what I’m here to help with today.
5 Ways to Maximize Small Spaces
1. Leave as much floor space as possible
Or at least give the illusion of floor space. Crowding a room is a surefire way to make it feel smaller. Balance is key.
If you are arranging furniture in a small space, be sure to use pieces that are proportionate to the room. Avoid anything bulky or oversized as this will make a small space feel even smaller.
The best way to pull this off is to use furniture that isn’t heavy on the bottom. Mid-century tables and chairs are often light on the bottom (aka the legs are small and often somewhat hidden to give the illusion of more floor space).
2. Determine the focal point
Simplicity is key when it comes to decorating small spaces. The best course of action is to use one item to define the space and work outward from there.
I get that landing on a focal point can be tricky where traffic zones impede on possible layout options, so it’s important to stay flexible when you start out.
Start with a single piece of furniture or artwork and work the rest of your decor around it. Let that piece tell you what the rest of the space should look like – is it casual or more refined? Is it bold and exciting or more classic and soothing?
Choosing a focal point can instantly simplify the rest of the project in a heartbeat so don’t neglect it.
3. Mirrors
Natural light is invaluable. The most beautiful homes I have ever seen nailed the trick of bringing outside in. The problem for small spaces is that they are often limited, if not completely void of any natural light.
Enter mirrors. Mirrors are a classy way to make any small space feel larger than it really is. Large mirrors can make grand statements and fill an entire wall while smaller mirrors can work subtly in the background.
Mirrors are super easy to find in a myriad of styles, but if you already have a mirror consider repainting the frame for a fresh look. Vintage mirrors tend to have amazingly detailed frames so look for those if you want something especially unique for your space.
4. Think tall
One way to maximize small spaces is to visually lengthen the walls. There are a few ways to do this:
- Use the wall color to your advantageĀ – During our remodel I realized I needed to keep wall colors light in order to avoid a cave-ish feel in our breakfast nook and mudroom, because natural light is limited in those areas.
I need to note here that where natural light is abundant, more liberties can be taken with color, even in small spaces. Take for instance, my Pine Cottage Airbnb. At 450 square feet, it could easily feel like it’s closing in on you, but the abundance of natural light in the bedroom gave me more leeway on color so I went dark. But for areas with little or no natural light, keep color choices on the light/cool side.
- Be intentional with window treatments –Ā Hang drapes as close as possible to the bottom of the crown moulding or ceiling. This instantly elongates the walls, making them feel taller. With 8-9 foot ceilings, choose 96 inch long drapes. They will pool beautifully at the floor which gives a rich touch to any room.
- Include statement piecesĀ –Ā Large statement pieces can actually make a wall look larger, especially when they go all the way up the wall. Who woulda thought??
5. Declutter regularly
A lot of people think of decluttering as an annual task or at least something to do occasionally. But in reality the most efficient way to declutter is to do it on the regular.
Every Tuesday evening everyone in our family goes through the house and locates all their “stuff” that has been left out, abandoned, or forgotten about over the last week. We all work together to declutter and start fresh.
This works so well for our family, and helps to curb my inner impulse to throw everything in the trash. For some great ideas on how to eliminate clutter from your home, check out my post onĀ 12 Clever Ways to Kill Clutter.
In thirteen years of decorating, these tips have never failed me. Use them in your next small space project, and you won’t be disappointed!
