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We’ve all been there—staring at our small, seemingly shrinking rooms, wondering how to make them feel bigger and more inviting. In this blog post, we’re diving headfirst into the wonderful world of small room decor. Whether you’re living in a cosy apartment, or a tiny house, or just happen to have a few pint-sized rooms in your home, these tips and tricks are here to help you maximise your space and turn it into a stylish haven you’ll love.
Use of colour
One of the biggest mistakes people can make is to use dark colours in small spaces. This only makes the space seem smaller. Use light but bright colours in your rooms and they’ll feel bigger instantly. You don’t have to have plain walls though. Pick a light wallpaper with a small and simple pattern or paint the walls in a simple colour that’s not too dark.
Add some light
A really easy way to make your room seem bigger than it actually is to add some light. You can do this in a few different ways.
Artificial lights are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to add lights to a room because there are so many options and they don’t have to be permanent. You can choose new ceiling lights with multiple bulbs or maybe a standing lamp in a dark corner of the room.
Another option is to use your windows to let in more natural light. Curtains and nets can look heavy and dark but there’s something else to consider. Interior window shutters can be made to measure so they’ll fit your window space perfectly. You can open blinds to varying degrees, meaning you can let in as much or as little light as you need. White shutters will instantly add a lighter feel to your room too.
Choose furniture carefully
If you have a small room then you don’t want to cram it full of furniture that doesn’t fit or doesn’t maximise the space you have. Make a plan for the room and decide what you need and what you can do without. Choose furniture that works for the room such as corner desks, wall-mounted shelving or sleeper sofas for spare bedrooms.
Clever storage
Clever storage is your best friend when it comes it making the most of a small room. By choosing the right storage you can really maximise the space you have. Some ideas include under-the-bed storage to keep other areas clear, built-in shelves for places such as alcoves, or shelf dividers in kitchen cupboards. Storage such as this will make use of awkward and strange spaces, and fill gaps that might not have been used before.
Use vertical space well
Something many of us forget to do is to make use of our vertical spaces. We live in a Victorian house with high ceilings so we have more space than a lot of people. Be sure to use this space well, adding in shelves, taller bookcases or using storage on top of wardrobes. You could always have bespoke storage built into these spaces if you can’t find anything suitable to buy.
Declutter
A really good place to start, before you even think about decorating, is to declutter. ‘Things’ can look really messy in a small room and if you have a lot of stuff, this doesn’t help. Have a good clear out before you start to decorate and only keep the things you use a lot or love. Maybe make some extra money by selling the things you don’t want on Vinted or Facebook Marketplace.
Have multi-purpose rooms
Sometimes with small rooms, you have to learn to make the most of what you have. You might need an office and a spare bedroom at home but only have one room available. Try to combine the two instead of thinking you have to settle for one. Another idea could be to have a living room and dining room together, with a fold-up table instead of something large and permanent.
Invest in hidden storage furniture
Showcase furniture with hidden storage features, such as ottomans with interior compartments or coffee tables with concealed storage. If, like us, you love a throw on the couch, an ottoman is a great place to store these when they’re not being used! These pieces of furniture will not only look great in your room but they’ll also help to hide clutter or things you don’t use very often.