Designing for Smaller Spaces
Thoughtful decisions can make even the smallest space functional + beautiful.
No matter the size of your home, you can create a tranquil and beautiful space for your family and guests. Keep reading for a few of our top tips for making the most of smaller spaces.
Let there be light
Lighting - both natural and artificial - is essential for any space large or small. However, in smaller spaces, prioritizing multiple light sources can make a dramatic transformation to the overall look and feel of a room. Light visually opens up an area, providing an airy and fresh ambience.
To optimize natural light, opt for sheer window treatments that let the sun shine through. Playing off natural light, you can explore different materials and fabrics that reflect light throughout your space and increase the brightness of your room overall.
For spaces low in natural light sources such as windows, skylights and glass doors, consider upping the amount of artificial light in your space. Overhead fixtures, wall sconces, pendants, floor lamps and table lamps are all great ways to increase brightness in a small space. We recommend a combination of a few types of artificial light sources to pack the largest punch. Even if your home is flooded with natural light, artificial light is still important for evenings - especially during the fall and winter, when the sun sets much earlier in the day. Pro tip: bypass seasonal depression with a properly lit space!
Time to reflect
Get the maximum impact from your lighting by adding mirrors throughout any small space. When designing for smaller spaces, mirrors are a crucial component that reflect light and give the illusion of a much larger room. A full length mirror adds a sophisticated, streamlined look while wall mounted mirrors in various shapes, sizes and colors allow for a bit of self expression at the same time.
Tipping the scale
The quickest way to make a space feel small is furniture and decor that is not proportionate. A simple way to ground your space and ensure proper scale throughout is by selecting an area rug with the correct dimensions for your room. While this varies depending on overall dimensions, a good rule of thumb for selecting the right size area rug is to make sure there is 6” - 8” of the rug visible on either side of your furniture. Rugs are meant to be layered upon with furniture, not to sit in the center of a living room with the couch and other large pieces surrounding.
Looking up
Perhaps the most valuable and overlooked area in any room are the walls. Take advantage of this vertical space by playing with color, texture and height in a variety of mediums. Displaying unique art or photos draws the eye upwards and distracts from the small scale of the room. Curtains are also a great way to make any room feel larger while taking up minimal space. Curate an aesthetically pleasing space by considering draping, shape and color for your window treatments. Pro tip: your curtain height does not need to match the height of your window! In fact, to give the illusion of higher ceilings and more space overall, we recommend mounting curtain rods just below the ceiling and running drapes all the way to the floor.