Small Spaces Decorating Tips

Here’re some small spaces decorating tips for the teeniest homes.

Small Spaces – Living and Dining

• Light and airy - Choose furniture that create and airy look. An armless soft on legs won’t occupy as much visual space as a regular, flat base version; same for armchair.

• Large vs small - Select one to two pieces of large furniture to complement the small ones. Having itty-bitty pieces alone make a room look “wimpy”.

• Double duty - Furniture that does double duty works well for small spaces.

Photo credit: Bonbon

So we’re looking at sofa bed, daybeds, ottomans with storage, coffee tables that doubles as ottomans etc.

Photo credit: Clei

The fold-away table doubles as a kitchen worktop and dining table.

• Look up - Drawing the eye upwards is a classic technique used by designers to create the illusion of space. This can be achieved with high-backed dining chairs, striped wallpapers, fabulous ceiling lights or ceiling moldings.

• Look down - Using the same flooring throughout the house offers a sense of continuity and flow. Diagonally placed timber strips widen a room visually.

Small Spaces - Kitchen

• Bright and light - choose light color and reflective surfaces to open up your kitchen. Think high-gloss laminates, glass and stainless steel appliances or worktops.

• Work every inch - Use clever designs to turn dead space into storage space. The illustration below shows a drawer built directly below a kitchen sink so spaces around and under the sink can be used to hold cleaning equipment and waste bins.

Photocredit: www.blum.com

• Side-by-side - Placing large items like trays and muffin pans vertically is a more efficient use of space compared to stacking them. Insert vertical dividers into cabinets so you can see and access them easily.

Small Spaces - Bedroom

• Corner it - corners in walk-in wardrobes offer lots of storage space. This can be maximized with a series of crisscrossing shelves instead of standard shelves.

• Bed head - add drama to a small bedroom with a four-poster bed or high headboard. The strong focal point draws attention away from the room’s proportions. The four-poster bed should ideally have a slim profile, in light color or one without the top frame.

• Over hang - if your small bedroom comes with a bay window, consider a custom bed built over the bay window. You can also add storage underneath, since it’s bespoke.

• Double decker - in a bedroom for 2, consider fold-down bunk beds.

The beds fold up to occupy 12 inches in depth and can be fitted with a folding desk.

Small Spaces - Bathroom

• Only one - choose one tile and one color throughout for the floor and walls to visually enlarge tiny bathrooms. If contrast is preferred, keep this to form horizontal lines across all 4 walls to create the illusion of a wider room.

• Shelved - build shelves below pedestal sinks and behind mirrors to store toiletries, toilet rolls and towels.

For more ideas on working with limited space, explore the following:

Space organization

Space saving measurements

Home storage ideas

Home organization tips

Door | Flooring | Walls |

Space Organization | Home Lighting | Home Decor Fabric |

Unique Home Decor Ideas