Tips from interior designers on how to furnish and decorate your small space
When it comes to decorating a space, excitement could cause you to purchase far more than you need.
Decorating a small space, such as a petite living room, means narrowing down things you need and maximizing every square inch of space you have.
Having a smaller space by no means translates to thinking small. There are plenty of ways you can still add your own personal touches and accessories.
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Below are some interior design tips you can use in your own home to help elevate your small space.
- Leverage practical and aesthetic space savers
- Don’t sacrifice your furniture
- Use mirrors to open up the space
- Display art on the walls
- Accessorize with tall houseplants, tall drapery and a large rug
- Experiment with different sources of light
Designing a small space can be challenging, but these interior design tips are sure to help. (Christian Harder & Matthew Williams)
1. Leverage practical and aesthetic space savers
One of the things you’ll want to avoid with a small space is clutter.
One necessity is a place to store important items.
There are a few different options for pieces of decor that can both add to your space from an aesthetic standpoint, while also serving as a practical place to store your belongings.
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“I would do a coffee table … that can lift and store things,” Jenna Chused, founder and principal of Chused & Co., an interior design firm based in Brooklyn, New York, told Fox News Digital in a phone call.
A custom sofa that has built-in, upholstered drawers is another way to go for storage, Chused said.
Avoiding clutter as much as possible is vital for small spaces. A sofa with storage can be one place to store items like blankets that would otherwise be thrown about. (iStock)
“I love something like a glass cabinet … maybe not fully glass, but it’s got glass, definitely glass front panels and maybe side panels as well,” Alexandra Peck, owner and principal of Alexandra Peck Design, based in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.
“That’s a great place to tuck things away.”
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Peck also highlighted a storage ottoman as a favorable option for a small space.
“I would add on top a lacquered tray, or a wood tray, something that you can put your drinks down [on] and things like that,” Peck said.
2. Don’t sacrifice your furniture
Picking out furniture can be a difficult task for any room, small or large.
In a small space, it can be particularly troublesome. This is especially true if you are someone who often welcomes guests and wants to ensure everyone can enjoy time together comfortably.
A U-shaped couch is one way to furnish a small space with plenty of seating.
Small spaces can have plenty of character. Everything from small touches, like a pot of flowers, to a comfortable couch and decorative lighting can make a house feel like home. (William Jess Laird )
“We did a U-shaped sofa, and suddenly, this small room became the favorite room, because we can seat 10 people around the fireplace,” Chused said of a recent project she worked on.
Choosing a sofa that is built around the room is a technique Chused uses to ensure there is plenty of seating, even in a small space.
You could also opt for a more shallow sofa accompanied by an armchair in a small living space, Peck said.
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“It’s super important to make sure that you have spacious walking paths around the furniture,” Peck explained.
“My suggestion is going for a shallower sofa and then something that’s a little bit more of a petite armchair.”
When shopping for furniture, comfort is a top priority, of course, but so is practicality. You want to make sure it won’t look out of place in your space but also provides enough seating options for you and your guests. (iStock)
A nice compliment to your furniture could be a small, round side table. On top, you could display a candle, a vase of fresh flowers or even a small coffee table book.
“I really like adding round side tables in my living rooms. They just take up less space on the floor, and, visually, you’re able to see more space around it as well,” Peck said.
3. Use mirrors to open up the space
Reflection, reflection, reflection.
Adding reflective elements to a small space can help let the light in and create an illusion that it’s larger than it is.
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A large mirror can help achieve this effect.
“They reflect light around the room, and they often act as another window for the space,” Peck said.
Large mirrors aren’t just for display. They’re practical, as they allow you to see how your outfit for the day comes together before walking out the door.
4. Display art on the walls
A small space doesn’t have to mean plain walls. Artwork is a nice touch for any space.
Choosing larger artwork to display can be beneficial in a small space.
“A lot of people think smaller artworks for a smaller space, but actually the larger artwork expands your visual plane, and so it’ll feel bigger,” Peck said.
Don’t shy away from adding artwork to a small space, even pieces that are on the larger side. (Evan Joseph)
A more artistically driven wallpaper can also be a way to decorate your small space.
“A wallpaper that’s maybe a scene that starts at the bottom … if it’s a forest, or some sort of scene where it starts off at the bottom, but then there’s a lot of relief at the top with solids or even just a small scale pattern would be great,” Chused told Fox News Digital.
5. Accessorize with tall houseplants, tall drapery and a large rug
Accessorizing your living room is what can really make it feel like home, but overdoing it can cause clutter and chaos.
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If you want to add some greenery to your space, tall houseplants are a good way to go.
“I like to add tall houseplants. Now, you don’t want to go crazy with houseplants everywhere, but it’s just another easy way to draw your eye up. So, that way, your eye isn’t just sitting at one horizontal plane around the room,” Peck said.
Tall drapery or a tall houseplant can add more dimension to a space. (Christian Harder & Matthew Williams)
Tall drapery is another addition you could make to your space that gives vertical appeal.
“Mounting it up really high, just so that it draws your eye up, and it’s going to make the space feel taller. For me personally, adding that extra layer of texture and fabric just warms the space up,” Peck said.
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Rugs are another commonly added feature to rooms. It may be tempting to reach for a smaller rug to match your small space, something Peck says she often sees, but she believes there’s a better option to choose.
One design professional told Fox News Digital she likes to place a large rug, like the one pictured above, in small spaces. (Catherine Wilborne)
“I like to do an oversized rug in every space,” she said.
6. Experiment with different sources of light
In addition to the natural light seeping into your living room, you’ll want some other light sources too.
Reading sconces are one great light source to place conveniently around the sofa and in-between windows, Chused said. Having the light source on the walls can be a huge space saver in a smaller room.
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Overhead lighting could come from a chandelier or a semi-flush mount, Peck said.
Tall floor lamps as well as table lamps are other light sources that Peck suggested.
