Don’t let space constraints cramp your style. Setting up an Instagram-worthy home is easier than you think! Read on for our small space decorating ideas, stylish storage solutions, and smart finds to help you maximize square footage while creating the illusion of a bigger abode.
1. Go Vertical
Take advantage of your wall space to maximize storage and free up square footage. Consider wall hooks instead of a coat rack, a floating entertainment console or modular shelving as pictured above for a versatile and stylish alternative to a bookshelf.
2. Reflect
Mirrors are like a decorator’s secret weapon when it comes to decorating small spaces. Not only can they help create the illusion of depth, but they can also reflect natural light into dark corners when strategically placed nearby or across a window.
3. Shed Some Light
Speaking of light, you’ll want to make the most of it as it brightens and visually opens up any space. Unlike a table lamp, which would require an additional piece of furniture to hold it, a floor lamp offers focused lighting while taking up less square footage. Better yet, consider an option that takes up no floor space like sconces in the living room, a dazzling chandelier in the dining room or hanging pendants above your nightstands in the bedroom for a chic and minimal look.
4. Think Big
Using a few larger accessories versus a lot of smaller pieces–like one large statement piece of art instead of a gallery–adds scale, height, and reduces the feeling of clutter. Take a cue from Cantoni designer Benji Rodriguez, who paired a low-slung bench with two bold blue-hued prints in the small entryway pictured above for a dramatic play on scale, balance, and color.
5. Be Transparent
Glass, lucite, and acrylic furnishings and decor offer transparency and as a result take up less visual space, helping to make even the smallest rooms feel larger and more spacious.
6. Invest in Smart Furniture
Maximize your space with pieces that serve double duty like a storage ottoman that can also be used as a cocktail table, a sleeper sofa to turn your living room into a guest room, or an extendable dining table that can also serve as a narrow console or workspace like our Elvis extendible console table, pictured above.
7. Know Your (Color) Limits
Sticking to a predominantly neutral color palette can give a small space the feeling of openness. Light, muted colors like a classic white, cream or medium gray bounce light and as a result keep the room feeling spacious and bright. For those who may want to incorporate a pop of color, we recommend doing so through a few accessories like pillows, throws and decorative objects.
8. Scale Down
Scale–the visual size of objects in relation to one another–is important to consider when decorating small spaces. That said, a disproportionally-sized sofa can instantly overwhelm a small room. Instead, opt for small-scale, low-profile furniture like the low-back leather Biella sofa pictured above and pair it with an equally small-scale accent chair or two–depending on how much space you have–to create a comfortable area for relaxing and entertaining.
9. Create Zones
For those living in small apartments or studio lofts, creating zones can help to create the illusion of multiple rooms. An open bookshelf like our Division free-standing bookshelf pictured above is a clever way to define different areas for dining, relaxing, working, and so forth–plus offers stylish storage space. Rugs are another great way to help define different areas while adding warmth and texture at the same time.
10. Show Some Leg
Furniture that is lifted off the ground like a lofty or leggy sofa, chair or nightstand has less visual heft, therefore helping to make your room appear lighter.
Need help decorating your small space or small apartment? Connect with any of our talented design consultants who will work with you to come up with the best design layout for your small space along with the pieces you need to put it all together. Click here to make an appointment!
For more small space living inspiration, explore our curated selection of furniture for small spaces!