12 Small Room Ideas To Make The Most Of Your Space

BY CRESCENCIA NGA CHE

Pack plenty of style into your tiny spaces with these small room ideas!

Living in a small space can sometimes feel a bit tricky when it comes down to finding clever decorating ideas in order to maximise its use. Small rooms especially, require careful planning to ensure all your furnishings and knick-knacks will all fit in seamlessly.

I don’t know about  you, but I don’t particularly fancy the idea of having to live in a crammed shoe box where things seem to have been thrown in haphazardly. And, no! Having a small square footage to contend with doesn’t mean that you have to settle for a dreadful looking abode. That is why I have rounded up 12 small room ideas you can draw inspiration from to make the most of your compact space.  

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1. Delineate Space

Take some time to decide how you want to enjoy your living space daily in order to decide how to create distinct zones to help maximise space use. 

Whilst flexibility is key to successful living in small homes, be clear about how you want to configure your rooms. Create a vision board to know where you believe each piece of furniture should be, and how items will work seamlessly together to create cohesive rooms.

For example, some people install atelier-style windows between small rooms to help light circulate more easily. Others simply use room dividers, bookcases or standing shelving units to delineate a workspace from the lounge or the bedroom area in an open-plan living space. 

2. Keep The Layout Simple

Whether it’s your small bathroom or any other tiny room in your home, keep the room layout simple to ease the way in which you intend to organise items in your space.  The most important trick is to take your measuring tape out to ensure you invest in pieces that will actually fit in their specifically assigned  areas. 

For a small bedroom for example, in some cases, making the bed the room centrepiece, instead of squeezing it into a corner, will help balance the room. However, in other cases, tucking the bed away in a room corner will give space to other pieces of furniture.

3. Cut Out The Clutter 

Another small room idea that won’t cost you any money is to keep your room clean and tidy. Yes, it does indeed pay off to keep the kitchen clean, mop your floor, put away your dirty clothes, and tidy up your desk area. Your small rooms will definitely feel much bigger.

Invest in clever and beautiful home storage solutions for small spaces to keep your jewellery and underwear out of public sight, thank you! A clutter free room allows light and air to flow in easily, and it helps to keep you calm and grounded.

4. Consider Built-In Furniture 

Although they do require a little bit of an investment, built-in furniture are great ways to maximise space use in small rooms. A built-in desk for example, is very practical and takes up less space in a lounge area or a bedroom. Additionally, it offers a separate workspace, which adds value even to the smallest room by creating a distinct zone. 

For very tiny rooms where a standard size bed cannot fit in, consider building a moveable single box bed or a daybed with underbed storage drawers into the length of the room, making great use of the space. 

If you are short of a dining room, building a banquette seating with pull-out drawers paired with a table and chairs is one of the most stylish ways to create a dining space regardless of your kitchen’s style or size. It’s a clever space-saver in smaller rooms.

5. Use Flexible Space Saving Furniture

When you live in small spaces, you often need to move things around. This is why opting for  mobile and flexible space saving furniture that you can easily push out of the way is important.

A folding table and chairs, stacking stools, pouffes, tilt top tables and steps that fold into stools are excellent options to have in small apartments and homes. Think beyond IKEA and mid-century modern furniture. Thrift stores and vintage furniture retailers have a lot of second-hand folding antique furniture for you to choose from.

6. Keep As Much Off The Floor As Possible

In tiny bathrooms, a wall-mounted basin and towel rail, mounted light fixtures and shelves are fantastic options to help organise your small room and make it feel spacious.

For compact bedrooms, consider wall mounted lights, mounted shelving, and headboards with built-in bedside tables to maximise the use of square footage.

To open up the space in the kitchen, consider replacing clunky wall cupboards above the sink and work surfaces with open shelves.

7. Use Paint Colours Cleverly

No, you are not limited to only using lots of bright white and neutrals to help your small room feel airy and inviting. Whilst monochromatic walls and ceilings remain one of the most popular options for smaller rooms, you can choose to be different.

Don’t be afraid to use deep, dark, and moody colours in your room. If used properly, darker hues add more depth to smaller rooms when paired with natural and light coloured furnishings and fabulous decorative accessories.

Also, explore a two-toned wall, which in itself offers a myriad of colour combinations and stylistic choices. This is a great way to add personality into your home.

For example, stencil an accent wall to add a wow factor in your room. Use horizontal bands and stripes to enhance your room proportions and maximise space.

8. Maximise Use Of Your Corner Spaces 

Finding clever and beautiful home storage solutions for a small rental apartment or a home can sometimes be quite daunting. However, by using the corner spaces in your rooms wisely, you’ll be surprised by how much storage and space you can gain.

For example, build a dining nook with a banquette seating (with drawers underneath) that fits with the width of a room to maximise space in your small kitchen area.  

The fireplace alcoves are great spaces to install built-in shelving for your books and decorative accessories.

Squeeze your washing machine into the corner cupboard of an L-shaped kitchen.

Use the space under the main stairs to carve out more storage space. 

9. Consider Underfloor Heating

If you have the budget for it, consider installing underfloor heating as a way to get rid of bulky radiators that can take up a bit of space in your small rooms. And, quite frankly,  underfloor heating lends itself to a pleasant home living experience in winter time.

10. Make Use Of Glass And Mirrors 

Glass windows, doors and furniture, full length decorative mirrors or a large bathroom wall mirror can help open up a small living room, a tight bedroom, or a tiny bathroom. 

These reflective surfaces are excellent at allowing just the right amount of natural light into your rooms, while at the same time reducing glare, and in some cases, the need for heavy window blinds and curtains.

11. Bring In Smart Lighting Solutions

Choosing lighting for your home, especially when decorating small rooms with low ceilings, is a balancing act. If you are faced with such a situation, consider installing dimmable slimline lights. These are made of an ultra-thin LED rail system where the rails can be connected regardless of their size.

To create impact in your living and dining areas, opt for semi flush ceiling lights, as they allow for a design statement in compact rooms and lower ceilings.

Table lamps and wall sconces are other alternatives to add beautiful space-saving lighting in your rooms, including in the kitchen, the dining area, the bathrooms, and the bedrooms.

12. Choose Accents That Add Colour

I know that beige, neutrals and greys in homes are all the rage now with Scandinavian mid-century modern minimalism. But, rooms in such colour palettes can sometimes feel sterile and devoid of character.

I suggest you pick up a few walls in your rooms to create either gallery walls that showcase your personality and exquisite taste, or opt for a large high impact wall art. 

Throw in patterned rugs on your living room or bedroom floors to bring life into your space.

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