I consider our house to be a small space. We have around 1100 square feet of living area and it’s, by far, the smallest house we’ve ever lived in. I know that a lot of people live in much smaller spaces, but to us, this is small and it’s been quite a challenge for me to get used to. Even after living here for two years, I sometimes find it difficult to maximize storage and to find a balance between decorating using too much and not enough. Here are some tips I’ve found helpful for the challenges of small space decorating.
Mirrors. I know I’ve mentioned this before but mirrors really are a great way to open up a small space with added light. I have them all over my house and I feel like they do make a difference in making a small room seem more spacious.
Multi-purpose furniture. Almost every piece of furniture that I have in my house is multi purpose. I really had to choose my pieces wisely and consider its storage capacity, its size in the space and surface area. I have very few surfaces to place decor and lamps, so I had to be very thoughtful with my choices. One example is my ottoman, which has storage for blankets and, with a tray on top, serves as a spot to place your drink or an area to place a few decorative pieces.
Knick knacks. When you have a small space and limited area to place treasured decor, you don’t want to have tiny knick knacks taking up valuable real estate. I try to choose larger items and place them in groups of 3 or 5 and I often use a tray. It really adds a little extra to a grouping of items.
Exposed legs on furniture. Most of my furniture has exposed legs and I think it makes a huge difference in our small space. Even in the bedroom, the legs on our bed are exposed and I don’t use bedskirts.
Small is ok. This is by far the most difficult one for me. I read a lot of blogs every day and looking at big homes with lots of beautifully decorated rooms, when mine is small, is sometimes tough. I just have to remind myself that small is ok and that I need to make the best with what I have (then I remember how much work it is to clean a big house with 3 bathrooms and I feel better).
Have you ever been challenged decorating a small space? Any tips you care to share?