How to decorate a small space

Not everyone can afford a large, spacious home, but that doesn’t mean you must make do with inferior interior design. If you are looking for inspiration to create a small, yet perfectly formed living space, read on for some top tips and stunning ideas to make your diminutive house your perfect home.

Make an impact

Just because your space is small, that doesn’t mean you need to shy away from statement pieces, or bold wallpaper or paints. Choose one wall and make that a focal point with exotic wallpaper or a striking wall-hanging. Alternatively, in the bedroom, make the bed the focus and dress it in stunning linens and drape in assorted complementing throws. When choosing to make a statement, leave most of the room the one colour to avoid clashing colours and themes.

Use storage

Too many ornaments, books, or clothes can make a small spacy appear messy, so embrace storage ideas that will eliminate this problem. An ottoman bed is perfect for a small room as it hides ample storage space in its base. Use this space for bed linens, books, shoes, or anything else that you need to keep in your bedroom, but want to hide from view. In the living areas choose footstools, and a coffee table with hidden storage.

Declutter

Unfortunately, unless you want to live under a constant landslide of keepsakes and ornaments, you are going to have to get brutal with your belongings. At-home storage solutions will only work for a certain number of things, so bite the bullet and organise your belongings into four piles – keep, throw, sell, and give away. Anything you haven’t worn or used in the past year should be resigned to the give away pile, unless they are of sentimental value, then they should be stored carefully. Broken items need to be thrown away, and anything that is still of use, but no longer of any use to you should be sold via online sales sites. Decluttering can be very cathartic, and the extra space will give your home a lighter ambience.

Utilise the space

If you think your house is small, then take a look at the 18 Square Meters Room Design of American architect Chris Haining who utilised every inch of space in this tiny, but beautiful home. Assuming your home isn’t quite that small, you can still be inspired by this design by using spaces such as underneath the stairs for an office, or storage, and by minimising the number of objects in the home while maximising style.

Mirror mirror

It’s the oldest trick in the book, but by installing mirrors in your home can make the space appear bigger and can add light to darker areas. Select mirror frames that tie-in with your chosen designs, and use them as statement pieces to attract attention. Floor length mirrors can elongate a space, and placing a mirror on the wall opposite a window can create the illusion of another window.