The Best Ways to Furnish a Small Living Space
The bottom line is that Americans like everything big – our cheeseburgers, our SUVs and, of course, our houses. But the fact is that apartments are getting smaller, falling from an average of 941 square feet in 2012 to an average of just 887 square feet today. That’s 54 square feet less or losing an entire small room from our lives. And it’s not just apartments: new homes have dropped by 13% since 2015.
Whether you’re house hunting or struggling to afford an apartment, chances are you’re finding smaller spaces to squeeze your entire life into , an experience made more difficult by the rise in popularity of working from home. One of the biggest challenges in a small space is furnishings: if you only have a few hundred square feet to work with, how do you create a comfortable bedroom, living room, home office, and dining area without resorting to the kids’ room? – all in size? The key to success is simple: keep your floors clean and double the purpose of every item you can.
Clear the decks
Small spaces should be versatile. Each room should carry double or triple load; your bedroom should also be your office, your living room should also be where you throw dinner parties, and maybe your home gym too. Clutter negatively impacts our mental health , and it’s even worse when we live in clutter. The key to creating a small space is to keep as many things on the floor as possible:
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Wall storage. Instead of a pile of stuff on the floor, elevate it with wall shelves, hooks and other vertical storage items. Add built-ins if you can; Shelving and storage built into walls keeps your space tidy and deepens it so you’re less intruding on your living space.
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Folding furniture. Furniture that attaches to the wall and folds down is critical because it allows you to transform your space in seconds and keeps your floor space clear. Dining tables , desks , folding or wall-mounted chairs disappear when not needed, but can be deployed in seconds.
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Wall lighting. Having floor lamps everywhere clutters up the space. Moving lighting to the walls eliminates cluttered power cords and gives you more space to work with.
Finally, instead of trying to divide your small space into even smaller spaces for office, dining, and other activities, try removing as many partitions as possible to free up space. Once everything is arranged and stacked, the space will feel larger and brighter without sacrificing utility.
Double load
The second key to decorating a small space is finding furniture that can do double duty:
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Storage. Look for beds , sofas , ottomans and other items that can be used as storage. After all, you need something to sit on, so why not fill it with your stuff?
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Multipurpose. Furniture that can be used more than once allows you to reduce the number of items you are trying to fit into a small space. For example, a retractable C-shaped table can be a sofa side table, a dining area, and an office desk all in one. You can also use an ottoman as a coffee table by simply placing a tray with a topper on it to get three uses of one piece, as long as it also has storage space.