Maximizing Your Small Space: Tips & Tricks

All the people living in 800 sq. ft. or less and don't know how to make it pretty and functional say "heeeeeey"! Today is all about you. It's no secret that rent is skyrocketing and the housing market is bananas. For those of you that had to compromise sq. footage to buy a home or is renting their first studio alone, congratulations! But you may also be feeling like there isn't enough space for your clothes, shoes and furniture. I get it; been there done that so I wrote this little piece to help and inspire you.

Storage Everywhere

I don't know why or when this happens but at some point in adulthood you will look around and realize you have so much stuff! And most of it, you use now or will use later (all of my seasonal "swapping out clothes" peeps get it). So you have to train your eyes to find storage in every nook and cranny, how to look for furniture that can double as storage and get really creative with wall space!

Some really great ways of doing so is buying a bed with drawers, wall mounting as much as possible to free up floor space and utilizing your livingroom wall as storage. You can do this by having professional carpenters build a wall to wall built-in unit or you can buy pieces and put it together. The possibilities are endless and it doubles as décor.

The Right Size Furniture

I think this is a common mistake because most people don't understand scaling when ordering furniture online or shopping at the store. It's not just about measurements but also being able to live and walk around the space comfortably. I don't want to shatter your livingroom dreams but an eight seat sectional couch is most likely not going to work for your small space. However, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice aesthetic or comfort.

A three to four seat couch and a couple of chairs is a great way to provide seating, comfort and functionality. There's still plenty of space to walk around the room without tripping on furniture and the space can breathe. *Chefs Kiss*

Go For Texture

I talk about neutrals a lot (check previous blog posts) and although I stand by it, I know that it can fall flat easily if not done properly. *Texture enters the room*. This is it. Your best friend for neutral, bright and airy décor. Texture adds movement, dimension and interest.

Pillows, throws, wallpaper, curtains and rugs are a great way to focus on texture. It's also easy (and cheaper) to swap out if you want to do a refresh at any point.

Natural Light

This is one of the aspects I'd recommend focusing on first when choosing a small space to live in from an aesthetic point of view. Natural light will trick you eyes to think a space is bigger than what it actually is and will give you that spa like calm feeling. If you're currently looking for a small space, make sure sun light can get in thru windows, a sliding door or a sky light. It will make all the difference.

Draw the Eyes Up

This décor trick is an oldie but a goodie. It's the simple concept of taking your eyes on a journey thru the space with highs and lows. You can achieve this look several ways like treating the ceiling as fifth wall and painting it for example. Adding and painting trim, hanging artwork high and low and giving the illusion of tall with the right placement of curtain rods.

See? You can do so much in little space.

- Raph