Easy Design Hacks To Make The Most Of Small Spaces

Just because your living room, bathroom, kitchen or bedroom might be on the smaller side doesn’t mean you have to lose out on beautiful design. We want to turn every room in your home into a place where you can spend time and relax. Even if you’re one of the many small space inhabitants. These easy design hacks will help you turn a pokey room into a virtual oasis – with just the smallest tweaks to accessories and design. With so many of us embracing the downscale and declutter trend, we might as well make the most of the small spaces we have. Because no one need miss out on a stylish, spacious home…

Design hacks to help you make the most of small spaces

Go for a bigger rug

In a smaller living room or bedroom, you want to convince the eye there’s more floor space than there actually is. Rather than visually breaking up the space with a narrow carpet or rug, choose one that gets as close to wall-to-wall as possible. It creates the illusion of a bigger space, while also making the room feel more cohesive. And, there are two added bonuses – a plush carpet will feel wonderful beneath your feet and, in the cooler months, it’ll help ramp up the cosy factor. We love the design of this small living room, decorated in neutral shades and with an inviting shaggy rug to tie it all together.

Image by: @dorisleslieblau on Instagram

ALSO SEE: Back To Nature: The Affordable Natural Materials Your Home Needs

Ramp up the lighting

A small space will feel even smaller if it’s deprived of light. If you can, try to introduce as much natural light as possible. So if there are windows in the room make sure the curtains are open and the blinds are up. Otherwise, you could install a few downlights – they take up no space at all and are a better option than wall sconces or pendant lights. If you’ve got the budget, why not inject extra sunlight with a strategically-placed sky light. This beautiful tiny bedroom is bathed in natural light thanks to the sky light over the bed. Who wouldn’t want to watch the rain falling over them as they drift to sleep in this haven?

Image by: @thenordroom on Instagram

Make space for mirrors

One of the most effective ways to create the illusion of space in a smaller room is by incorporating modern mirrors. Mirrors are incredibly effective at making a tiny space feel more airy and roomy. Mainly because they help to bring in more natural light. This design hack can be used in any room of the house, from the living room or bedroom to the kitchen. And, it’s especially useful in a tiny bathroom like the one pictured here. This small space is made to feel bigger thanks to the large mirror over the basin, as well as the cleverly positioned second mirror on the wall next to the door. The great thing is that simple mirrors such as these don’t cost the earth, so you get loads of bang for your buck. In a small space, don’t be afraid to go mirror mad.

Image by: @domestic_blonde on Instagram

ALSO SEE: 7 Budget-Friendly Ways To Luxe Up Your Bathroom

Decorate the walls, not the floors

If you like being able to express yourself and be creative in your own home, don’t let a small space hold you back. In a tiny living room, you might not have the floor space to go mad with ottomans, side tables and planters, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on creative decor. There will at least be two walls where you can let your personality shine through in the form of paintings or hanging wall art. Go big with one striking large piece, or break it up into smaller accents and combinations of drawings, mirrors and macrame. We love the decor in this bright living room. The design shows that even in a small space, you don’t need to compromise on colourful accents and personality.

Image by: Amazon.com on Pinterest

Float a shelf

This is another design hack that works in almost any tiny room. Storage space is always a concern in a small space, and there might not be room for additional cupboards or cabinets. In this case, look to wall space to cleverly create a place for your bits and bobs. Floating shelves can be installed almost anywhere, and they’re fairly cheap to buy from any good hardware store. They usually come in a range of shades, so you’re bound to find shelves that suit the mood of your small space. In this tiny bathroom, the two floating shelves provide a place to keep important bathroom accessories like soaps and creams, as well as that extra roll of loo paper. And, we love the quirky wallpaper that livens up this small area.

Image by: @thewholeheartedhomeblog on Pinterest

ALSO SEE: How To Turn Your Home Into A Sanctuary: 6 Simple Tricks

Climb a ladder

Sticking to the theme of increasing shelving and surface space in a tiny room, chic ladders should not be ignored. Something like this could be used in a bedroom, home office, or even tucked against the wall in a bathroom. They’re more interesting than traditional shelving and can be used as a multi-purpose storage option. Ladders are great for stacking books, storing baskets filled with knick knacks, and the top rung can even be used as a towel rail in a bathroom where space is a premium. Spruce it up with a few pretty ceramics and lively indoor plants so that it becomes a visually-appealing storage solution, too.

Image by @coricraft_sa on Instagram

Try a dark colour palette

When we think of small spaces, we immediately think light, pale colours and neutral shades. But, that doesn’t always have to be the case. As long as a room gets plenty of light, there’s no reason you shouldn’t experiment with darker hues and a more dramatic colour palette. In fact, it can help to add impact and make a small space more united. This ‘shades of grey’ bedroom is packed with dramatic punch and the darker hues create a calm atmosphere. It goes to show that monochrome decor can be used in all sorts of spaces – to great effect.