Living in a city or in an apartment complex, you will probably find you have to make do with a little less space. Decorating can be a challenge when you do not have much room to work with. You can easily make the most the of wall space, personalizing your living area with prints, photos, and collages (see Hello Canvas for inspiration) but your décor is not limited to wall hangings! Check out our top tips for decorating a small space.
- Mirror, mirror on the wall – mirrors are the number one best way to make a smaller space feel larger and brighter.
- Go big or go home – large features like a big central area rug can make a room feel bigger than it is because unlike smaller rugs they do not visually break up the floor. But be careful not to purchase furniture that is too big for the room, as there is a fine line between an accent piece and a domineering piece.
- Aim high – make the most of high ceilings and save precious floor space by installing shelves and full-length mirrors. Accentuate tall windows by hanging high curtains and adding extra fabric for fullness (also, curtains hung well above a window add airiness and height to a small room)
- Floating on air – floating shelves or other furnishings are a great way to increase your storage without compromising on floor space. As well as saving room this trick can also help bring the eye up, thus opening the space up a little.
- Invest in dual-purpose furniture – the classic sofa bed is a perfect example, but you can also make use of a hollow ottoman in order to add extra storage or an expanding dining table to accommodate more guests without taking up too much room the rest of the time.
- The lighter the better – go for lighter color palettes when decorating. Rich, dark colors tend to make a room appear much smaller whereas paler colors expand the space and open it up. You can add a splash of color here and there with your accent pieces but keep the general palette light.
- Open concept living may not be right for you – when living in a smaller space you can easily be tempted to adopt an open plan living concept, but this could actually make your apartment seem even smaller and sometimes messy. Do what you can to define the separate areas by using your furniture or by color blocking.
- Get creative with storage – investigate some alternative storage solutions such as back-of-the-door shoe storage or hanging baskets to give yourself more space to store things and reduce the chance of clutter.
- Get organized – the most important thing to do when trying to keep a small space looking stylish is to get organized and stay organized. There are no nooks and crannies to sweep away that clutter and once you start to slip it can quickly snowball into a disorganized mess. Everything should have its place and should be put away after every time it is used.