No Space? No Fear! How To Make The Most Of Your Limited Space

503 Homer Street, Listed By Sissy Blewster 

Interior design can be a challenge, especially if you have limited space. How do you decorate your home in a functional and stylish way with enough breathing room for everyday activities? From painting techniques and architectural-style mirrors to multipurpose furniture, here’s how to make the most of limited space.  

Play With Height

One of the easiest ways to create the illusion of space is to accentuate the room's height. This technique works if creating more floor space is a challenge. Create the look of extra height with large plants in smaller rooms. When your eye is drawn to the tree or plant, you have more to look at, which makes it feel larger. Placing a couch in front of a large wall or a feature wall can also make a room feel bigger.

You can also add sconces or lamps with long arms above furniture to add light and a striking design element. While it may seem intuitive to go small with decor, some larger pieces give the illusion of more space and add a focal point to the room. 

Incorporate Multipurpose Furniture

Take a page out of the tiny house movement and incorporate multipurpose furniture in your home. While your home may not be a 400-square-foot tiny home, multifunctional furniture is a great way to save space and reduce clutter. 

You could replace your coffee table with an ottoman with hidden storage inside, doubling up as seating for extra guests, or a lift-top coffee table that expands upward to create a dining table or workspace by your couch.

Ditch the Room Dividers for Curtains  

While a room divider can help you use one room for multiple purposes, it can actually make a room feel smaller by taking up floor space. Try replacing room dividers with wall-mounted floor-to-ceiling curtains attached to the ceiling.

This can effectively create visual divides if you have a bedroom office space or want to divide the living room and your kid’s play area. When you want to open up the space again, you only need to draw back the curtains. 

503 Homer Street, Listed By Sissy Blewster

Fit in Floating Shelves

Another great way to maximize space with height is to install floating shelves. They’re a multifunctional option you can use to store books and decor in a room. Floating shelves are also effective in places like your garage or attic, allowing you to maximize your space without clutter. 

Create a Zen Den in the Garage

Need some space to get away and relax after a long day? A zen den in an area away from your normal household environment could help. If you have a garage, maybe it’s time for some spring cleaning to make way for a quiet calm space where you can meditate, read a book or stretch to calm your mind

A garage might seem too hot to relax comfortably, but a well-insulated space keeps you cool, especially in hot weather. You’ll want to install insulation with a high R-value to increase thermal efficiency. You could also install a mini fridge with your favorite drinks or snacks to keep cool and make it the ultimate relaxation space.

Use Clever Storage for the Kitchen 

Boost the space in a cramped kitchen with clever storage ideas like vertical shelving in a pantry, wall hooks for cooking utensils and pots or a pullout cabinet with layers for a spice rack. You can also add an island on wheels for food prep that doubles up as a breakfast nook or workspace but can be pushed to the side to create an open kitchen.

If you have limited countertop space, create a kitchen garage for your daily appliances. This approach also reduces clutter, which creates the feeling of more space.

Open up the Space With Mirrors

Add a large mirror to your living room or bedroom to make it look bigger and brighter. If you have a view of nature or a garden outside, placing the mirror opposite the window can increase the depth of your space. An architectural-style mirror or floor-to-ceiling mirror works even better and can create the illusion of an extra window or door to make a room more open.

503 Homer Street, Listed By Sissy Blewster

Use Paint Tricks 

While your space will stay the same size, these paint tricks can make any room look larger by creating more depth. Paint your walls one color, then paint the ceiling a shade lighter to make the room feel more cohesive. You can also add a slightly darker shade for the trim, which elongates the space visually.

Another good trick is to paint a small room like the bathroom in a high gloss finish. When the light bounces off the walls, it creates a fun and dramatic effect that gives the illusion of a bigger room. Plus, high gloss finishes are moisture-resistant, so you know your bathroom is protected from mildew and mold. 

Garden Vertically 

Keep your green thumb thriving with creative solutions for gardening in a small space. Get multilevel plant stands that save space to organize your herbs and flowers. They also create a vibrant focal point in a room, making your space feel fresh and airy. For people with little floor space, hang plants from the ceiling or place planters on top of a bookshelf or dresser. 

Make the Most of Your Limited Space

While you cannot extend your home with a few inches of space, you can make it look and feel bigger by using these decorating tricks. Whether you add mirrors to your living room to give the illusion of space or replace some of your furniture with multipurpose pieces, these ideas will help you make the most of your limited space. 

*This post was written by Rose Morrison of renovated.com