When you’re working with a small space, furniture with legs is a great idea. A raised sofa or cabinet can really open things up and make the room feel less cluttered. Tall bookshelves or wall mounted desks can also give you the storage and workspace you need without taking up too much floor space. This one might be on the pricey side, but custom pieces can be real lifesavers in tight spaces. A Murphy bed that tucks away or a built in banquette can completely change how you use the room and make it feel more spacious. And if you can, try to find furniture that serves multiple purposes. So like a storage ottoman that can also be used as seating or a dining table that folds down into a console. I’d also recommend measuring your space carefully before buying furniture. There’s nothing more frustrating than bringing home a new piece only to find it doesn’t fit.

My top tip for furniture shopping when decorating a small space is to focus on proportion and functionality. Here are some specific strategies: 1. Choose furniture proportionate to the space. Opt for a smaller sofa with an accent chair rather than an oversized couch. The same goes for TV size - less is often more in compact areas. 2. Prioritize multifunctional pieces. Look for coffee tables that can be raised to dining height, couches with built-in shelves, or foldout benches that double as study nooks. 3. Use area rugs to delineate zones. Counterintuitively, this can make the space appear larger by creating distinct areas within the room. 4. Invest in smart storage solutions. Select low-height units that don’t overwhelm the space and can serve as display surfaces. 5. Hang artwork strategically. Place pieces close to the edges of walls to create an illusion of width. 6. Play with color and contrast. Varying these elements slows down visual perception, tricking the brain into seeing a larger space. By implementing these tips, you can maximize both the functionality and perceived size of your small space.

I'm not an interior designer but I once helped my friend who moved into a tiny studio, and we used a murphy bed that doubled as a desk. This saved about 30 square feet of floor space, which is huge in a small apartment. We also got a coffee table with hidden storage, which increased the room's storage capacity by 20%. My favorite trick is using ottomans with removable tops for extra seating and storage. This helped us increase usable space by 15% without making the room feel cramped.

I have always had a passion for real estate design but am not a certified interior designer. My sister in law works as an interior designer and told me to invest in foldable furniture. Additionally, I once used a fold-down dining table in a studio apartment. When not in use, it took up almost no space at all. I've found that using foldable furniture can increase usable floor space by up to 40%. Plus, it's super cool to show off to friends how your room can transform. Just make sure to pick quality pieces that won't break easily with frequent use so you can host your sister in law with no issues ;)

I'm the CEO of a home buying company and always tell my project manager to look for dual-purpose items when shopping for small spaces. In my experience, a ottoman that doubles as storage can save up to 5 square feet. When we used this approach in a tiny house, we saw a 20% increase in usable floor space. I remember one project where a Murphy bed freed up 30 square feet during the day. It's amazing how much room you can save with smart, multi-functional pieces.

I am not an interior designer but my wife has a passion for furniture shopping so I got her to help with this question. We learned to go for a clutter-free look when decorating small spaces. In one home remodel project my wife and I did together, we removed excess decor items and increased the perceived room size. I recommend choosing furniture with clean lines and avoiding bulky pieces. We once swapped out a large sectional for a sleek loveseat, gaining 20 square feet of floor space. Remember, in small rooms, less is often more.

While designing a small space, my first advice for furniture shopping will always be to look for multi-functional pieces. This way, there is maximum usage without cluttering up the space. A couch that turns into a bed might fulfill two needs, and a coffee table with storage would act to keep the space clean. It's also important to keep the scale in mind; pieces should be proportionate to a room so as not to overwhelm it. And finally, clean-lined pieces in light color tones will create an optical illusion of more space and lend an airy, open feel to the room.

When it comes to decorating a small space, the challenge often lies in making the area feel larger and more inviting without overwhelming it with too much furniture. One of the top tips from interior designers is to use color strategically to create depth and the illusion of more space, while adhering to the mantra "less is more." Color plays a crucial role in setting the tone and perception of any room, but it's especially significant in smaller spaces. Light colors, particularly shades of white, cream, and pastel hues, can make a room feel airy and open. These colors reflect light, giving the impression of a larger, brighter space. On the other hand, darker colors can add depth and coziness when used correctly. For instance, an accent wall in a deep blue or charcoal can draw the eye and create a focal point, making the space appear more expansive than it actually is. Incorporating color doesn't stop at the walls. Furniture and decor items can also be selected to enhance the feeling of openness. For example, choosing furniture in lighter shades can prevent the space from feeling cluttered. Transparent or mirrored furniture pieces are another clever trick; they blend into the surroundings, reflecting light and other colors in the room, thus amplifying the sense of space. The principle of "less is more" is a guiding light in small space design. This doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style or comfort; it means being selective and intentional with your choices. Instead of filling the room with multiple small pieces, opt for fewer, larger items that can serve multiple purposes. A well-chosen sofa, for instance, can be the anchor of your living space. Add a couple of versatile, stylish chairs and a compact coffee table, and you have a complete, functional seating area without overcrowding the room. When it comes to storage, multifunctional furniture is a game-changer. Consider ottomans that double as storage bins, or beds with built-in drawers underneath. These pieces provide the necessary storage without adding extra bulk to the room. Floating shelves are another excellent option, offering storage and display space while keeping the floor area clear.

The key to furniture shopping for a small space is prioritizing pieces that serve a dual purpose and/or feature space-saving storage enhancements. Incorporating pieces that have a surprising element to them, such as a collapsible table, a secret drawer, or even a decorative accent that can also store small treasures, will not only improve the functionality of a living space, but also elevate the area through simplicity, canceling the clutter for good!

Shop for height, not width. An arch lamp instead of a tripod lamp, tall wall mounted storage instead of a credenza, a loveseat with legs for storage underneath instead of a sofa, an elevated platform bed instead of a fabric one that blends in with the floor, a tall rectangular mirror also gives the illusion of space, compared to a small round wall mirror. There are lot's of fun little ways that won't go unnoticed when furnishing a small space. If you keep the notion of shopping for height in mind when buying furniture, you'll be surprised how big a small space can actually be.

My #1 furniture buying tip for small spaces is to primarily buy multipurpose furniture. This means furniture that have multiple use cases such as loft beds with desks underneath, ottomans with built-in storage, or extendable dining tables that can adapt to large gatherings. Multipurpose furniture is a life saver because it allows you to buy only a small handful of furniture, keeping every room spacious no matter the size. Also, furniture with built-in storage like ottomans and sofas will help reduce clutter. Clutter will make any sized home feel cramped and unwelcoming, and it's much easier to build up clutter in a small space. By keeping your belonging out-of-sight yet accessible, you can easily make your home feel like luxury.

For a real standout highly-customized look when decorating for a small space is to measure the space (at least twice) and shop for the largest piece of furniture that fits snugly into the space. This way, the space has loads of impact, and you're really defining its function and saying that even though it's small, it's still well-considered and cohesive. Likewise, built in vertical solutions like shelving and cabinetry help small spaces look larger by evening out the visual weight of the room, drawing the eye upward and creating storage solutions that keep clutter under wraps. Built-ins, too, are other custom elements that make a space look well-considered and luxe. Decorative items should be fewer, and larger in scale for maximium impact. So the easy rule for small space decorating is to select less pieces of furniture and decor in larger sizes than you perhaps you normally would. Any further Qs? Happy to help!! Thank you

Opt for Multi-functional Furniture. When decorating a small space, choosing furniture that serves multiple purposes can maximize functionality and make the most of limited space. Here’s why this approach is effective and some examples to consider: Why Multi-functional Furniture Works 1. Space Efficiency: Multi-functional furniture helps reduce clutter and the need for multiple pieces, freeing up floor space and making the room feel larger. 2. Versatility: Pieces that serve more than one purpose can adapt to changing needs and activities, making your space more flexible and practical. 3. Aesthetic Cohesion: Combining functions into fewer pieces can create a more streamlined and cohesive look, avoiding the visual clutter that can make small spaces feel cramped.

Selecting furniture in neutral color tones allows the space to harmonize with the overall room theme, enhancing visual cohesiveness. These colors blend seamlessly, creating a balanced and unified look. This approach aligns with the principles of gestalt design, where the whole room's aesthetic feels greater and more integrated than the sum of its parts.

When decorating a small space, my top tip is to look for multifunctional furniture. Last year, I transformed my own small office area by choosing a desk that doubles as storage. It not only saves space but keeps things organized. Lighter colors and mirrors can also create an illusion of more space. These simple choices can make a big difference in how your area feels.