Anyone else been watching the new Dream Home Makeover with their jaw on the floor at the sheer size of some of these houses? It makes me feel like I’m living in a house for ants. No, but seriously, I think most of us cannot fathom a living space that large. Honestly, that’s okay. I have a hard enough time keeping our modestly sized home clean.
While the show does raise a good point of how difficult it can be to even decorate a space that big, I think a more relatable question may be, how do you decorate and style a small space or home?
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We’re lucky to have a nice sized master bedroom in our home (not all older houses have anything close to a typically master bedroom) but our two other bedrooms are fairly small and couldn’t fit a bed bigger than a twin comfortably, so I had to be very thoughtful at how I fill them.
Create the Illusion of Space
It’s not a trick, it’s an illusion! (of space). If you have a small room, you need to maximize the visual space to make it feel as big as possible.
Avoid heavy, bulky, or over-stuffed furniture in small spaces. Furniture that sits higher off the ground, with thin legs will help create the illusion of more space. Pieces with slats, caning, or other open patterns can really lighten up a tight corner, while still providing value. Opt for slatted rattan chairs, open woven baskets, hairpin leg furniture, and open bookshelves to keep your space from feeling crowded.
Attractive Storage
In addition to the smaller bedrooms, we have very limited built in storage. No hallway or linen closets, no pantry, and none of those fun built in drawers that some older houses are blessed with (color me jealous!). So storage can be tricky, creating more of a need for thoughtful decor that can also sometimes double as storage. If you have limited storage space, add in additional space by investing in storage options that can sit out and hide what you need them to!
My favorite storage sticks lately has been finding baskets with lids. I think we all love basket storage – it’s pretty and usually affordable. But open baskets can often still leave you limited on what you’re leaving in there all the time. I’ve recently been hunting down baskets with lids because I love how I can stick all of that not-so-pretty stuff I would normally leave lying around and instead just throw it in a basket and put the lid on it. Pretty storage bins or boxes, as well as canisters for countertops with lids are also amazing. Anytime you can easily hide things it’s a win!
Functional Furniture
It’s easy to get caught up picking out furniture just for its looks. I am 100% guilty of that. But when you’re limited on space you also need to consider it’s function carefully. Choosing furniture that’s pretty, but also can hide a lot of storage capacity and be super functional will help you in the long run.
One of my favorite pieces is a metal card catalogue that my dad used as a tool organizer when I was growing up. It has 20 or so little drawers up and down it and it’s perfect for nicely organizing all those weird bits and pieces that end up in a junk drawer usually.
Organize Organize Organize
When you have limited space organization becomes key, there’s no real way around it. Invest in organizing – both with your time and money. Getting organizers for larger
drawers can help take full advantage of that space and will mean less clutter hanging around on a normal basis. Remember that organization is a process and you probably will have to revisit you organization systems a few times before you find the right fit that works for you, so don’t give up if your new organization doesn’t quite work out on the first go.
Edit
My number one tip for decorating small spaces – edit down. Make it a habit to regularly go through you home and let go of things that are no longer needed. In big spaces you may be able to get away with hanging onto knick knacks someone gave you but you never really loved, but when your space is limited it becomes important to chose what’s in that space wisely. My general rule of thumb is that if I am bringing something new into a space, I should let go of something in that space that’s no longer needed. Constantly edit, keep what you love in your space, and let go of what no longer may be needed.
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