Our Top 3: Interior Design Ideas for Small Spaces

Let's start by saying: we love small spaces! They can be so cozy and intimate and are often a perfect opportunity to make a huge design statement that you may not quite be ready for in the larger spaces of your home.

Sometimes the best thing you can do in a small space is embrace it and not try to make it something that it's not. Paint the walls floors and ceiling all the same colour and tuck in a daybed and there you have it, reading room perfection!

A bedroom in the London townhouse of Nina Flohr, designed by Veere Grenney

That being said, small spaces can present some challenges, and sometimes, you just need to fit more in than the room will allow. Don't worry! That's where we come in with some creative problem solving and space-maximizing secrets.

1 - Opt for multipurpose pieces

We don't mean that every small space needs a sofa bed or a coffee table that raises up to become a dining table. Those things have their uses, but if they don't fit your purposes or more importantly, your design style, then there is no place for them in your room!

Be creative when choosing or arranging furniture pieces so that they can serve more than one purpose at a time.

Use a chest of drawers as a bedside table - this is a perfect way to combine surface space and storage space in one fell swoop.

Use a chest of drawers as a bedside table

Choose seating that also provides storage space, and get the added benefit of having a spot to hide clutter. (bonus tip: reducing clutter is another great way of making a space feel bigger, Marie Kondo style.) We love this ottoman from Leanne Ford's collection for Crate and Kids

3 - Remember that floor space isn't your only real estate

Rooms (square & rectangular ones at least) have 6 sides, so don't focus all of your attention on the floor!

Choose floor-to-ceiling shelving to gain precious square footage up the walls that would otherwise be left bare.

Living room designed by Amy Storm & Company

Use wall sconces or ceiling pendants as bedside lights instead of table lamps, freeing up surface space and adding some personality and interest into the room. Studio Ashby does this so very, very beautifully.

2 - Choose furniture with a lighter visual weight

Visual weight is a design principle that describes the amount of impact that an object appears to have. For example, two queen sized beds can have a hugely different visual impact depending on their design even though they are both the same size!

Choose pieces that have transparent or reflective surfaces, thin legs, or open weaves. By reducing the amount of visual weight in the room, the space will automatically feel bigger.

A clear glass coffee table has light visual weight in this living room via Better Homes & Gardens

Hopefully these tips will inspire you to make the most of your small spaces! Leave us a comment and let us know how you embrace your small space!