How to decorate a small living space

If you are living in a city or in an apartment then you probably only have a small living space to work with and that can make decorating a little challenging. You start to accessorise and the place quickly becomes overcrowded. You pick out some deep colours and you find that it makes the place look dingy and dark. Bold colours can be overwhelming and you are severely limited in terms of furniture and placement. Here are some tips for how to can make the most of a small living space.

Photo by Spacejoy on Unsplash


1.    Use the walls – hang photos or prints to give the place a personal touch. If you keep the rest of the room relatively clear then you can cover the walls as much as you like. (check out hellocanvas framed prints and get your favourite pictures printed) You should also make use of the walls for storage so you can space what little floor space you have. Go for floating shelves instead of bookcases and hang your TV on the wall rather than using a TV stand. This can also look much more stylish and modern. Decorating or hanging things up draws the eye upwards thus appearing to open up the space.


2.    Mirrors – mirrors are a miracle for interior design. They help create the illusion of more space and help to open up the room and reflect light – transforming a dingy little space into something much brighter and more welcoming. They also have a practical purpose and can fit in in any room of the house.

mirror on wall:Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash


3.    Dual-purpose furniture – by dual-purpose furniture we are talking about sofa beds and storage ottomans. Not only does this save you buying and fitting in multiple pieces of furniture but can help provide some much needed extra storage. A great item is an expanding dining room table, this way you can accommodate guests and host dinner parties without compromising too much space the rest of the time.

4.    Storage and organisation – clutter can be easy to accumulate in a smaller house and it can quickly build up so make sure that everything has a place. When you are finished with something it should go back in its place and not be left out to attract dust. You will probably have to get a little creative with your storage and look into some alternative storage solutions such as the aforementioned ottoman or shoe storage that hangs up on the back of a door. Plenty of storage is the key to reducing clutter and keeping things tidy.

5.    Use light – if you can, get as much natural light coming in as possible and use artificial lighting where it is not possible. Nothing shrinks a room more than dark corners and dingy spaces. You should also go for a lighter colour palette as paler colours also help to expand the space in the same way. The general colour scheme should be light with any brighter or bolder colours being used solely for accent pieces.