Big Ideas in Small Spaces
People always come to me asking how they can do a lot with a little. If you’ve got more kids than square feet, or your kitchen is your living room…and your dining room…and your office, you may need a little help from a little guy.
Well, you’ve come to the right place cause I know a thing or two about all things small! Let’s make your small space fun, functional, and full of possibility.
SMALL SPACE BASICS
Before we even go near what furniture to buy, let’s talk about the bones of your space. Take a look around—do you get a lot of natural light? Are there windows? What materials are used on the floors—are they all the same or do they vary from room to room?
Using neutral even-toned colors throughout your small space is a guaranteed way to make your home seem larger than it is. When you use a neutral palate the eye feels like it goes on and on and on, so your space feels the same!
If you’re more of the bold type and favor lots of color on the walls, be conscientious of which rooms get the most natural light and use your color there—the last thing you want to do is close your space in. If you’re not quite sure, go for a neutral palate on the walls and add pops of color with your furniture and decor.
Speaking of walls…use them! Your walls are your friends. Placing mirrors opposite windows casts more natural light around the room. Hanging large art or turning a wall into a gallery feature filled with family photos and art prints makes a big impact in a little space. Install wall sconces instead of using floor lamps. Using the wall for your lighting frees up high-demand floor space!
Take advantage of your ceiling height…even if it’s lower than you wish. Taking drapes to the ceiling draws the eye up and makes every room feel bigger.
GO MULTIFUNCTIONAL
Living in a small space means we don’t always get a designated office, spare bedroom, exercise studio, or collectible bird figurine display room (just me?) — but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate those needs into existing spaces!
Create zones with rugs, curated decor, and complementary color schemes. That way if you steal a corner of your living room for a makeshift office it feels both cohesive with your overall design and like its own defined area. Tuck small exercise equipment like free weights, bands, and yoga mats into decorative baskets so they’re at hand when your living room turns into a sweat zone, but stay hidden when unused.
Choose furniture that does double duty. A deep sofa can double as a cozy guest bed. Plush cubes work as a coffee table and when you have guests over, they can function as spare seating. Your dining table can easily transform into a workspace, just make sure you get cushy dining chairs if you plan on sitting for a long time! If you don’t have room for a dining table, pick an island that works as a dining table when guests are over.
DON’T SLACK ON STORAGE
In a small space, spare storage is key—and I’ve got tons of options to help you hide away linens, seasonal decor, clothing, and more! Bedrooms and living rooms are the easiest places to sneak in storage in unexpected places.
Opt for a storage bed instead of a traditional frame. You can use the drawers to tuck away clothing or go for a bookcase headboard and feature your favorite reads!
Go for a storage sofa in your living room. My Playday Collection has both storage and doubles as a spare bed for overnight guests.
Even my dining sets feature spare space. My Montana Dining Set has drawers for napkins, table cloths, and cutlery and the bench has storage too!
HOT TAKES ON SMALL SPACES
You can do little things in every room to regain space, extend the eye, and maximize functionality. Check out these hot takes on small space solutions…
Nesting tables are a great solution for providing flexible table space that you can tuck away when you don’t need!
They don’t just have to be chairs! If you are seriously lacking in seating, use a chair as an end table, and then when you have guests over you can use it for spare seating!
Kids bedrooms are the perfect place to stash a spare bed for when you host overnight guests and need to do a slumber shuffle! Bunk beds are a huge crowd-pleaser, and trundles are great when you need to tuck a bed away.
In bedrooms, try using fewer pieces, but go for style. A statement piece of furniture makes a space seem bigger, so long as there aren’t tons of other pieces cluttered around it.
An editing eye is paramount in a small space. Decluttering is a fast and free way to regain much-needed territory in your home. If you don’t love it, lose it!
Go for reflective finishes in your decor—mirrors, metallics, glass, and acrylic touches all will reflect light tricking the eye into thinking your space is larger than it is.
And finally, have fun! Try things out. Experiment with non-traditional setups. Find what feels like home and make your space work for you! Don’t sweat the small stuff…embrace it! Your home can do more than you think.