Decorating Ideas For Small Homes

Furniture, Drawer, Room, Chest of drawers, Interior design, Home, Desk, Table, Cabinetry, Material property,

Decorating small spaces comes with some very unique challenges. Scratch that: Decorating small space can feel nearly impossible—particularly when you're dealing with a lack of any meaningful storage space. Sure, organizing a linen closet can give you a sense of order, but what in the world are you going to do with all your toiletries when you're trying to figure out small space half-bathroom ideas? As with any decorating ideas, things can get expensive—even in a tiny space. But armed with our small space decorating ideas, you're going to make it work on-budget. Whether you're decorating a small one-bedroom apartment, or a quaint little house, our tips are easy to implement, and they'll have your home looking clutter-free and so much bigger in just a matter of hours.

What's more, because we know pragmatism isn't everything, the ideas we're sharing with you today are fun and pretty! We're of the mind that small spaces shouldn't get short shrift when it comes to style. After all, with so many cool tools and gadgets available—whether for kitchen cabinet organization or other sneaky home storage ideas, there's always a way to maximize the possibilities of every room. Get started here with plenty of inspiration for oh-so-clever small-space tools, tips, and ideas.

Small bathroom with map wallpaper and mirror

Laurey W. Glenn

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Downsize Your Accessories

If you're working with a small bathroom, your accessories should stay relatively small too. Try hanging a mirror and sconces like the ones you see here.

Room, Furniture, White, Living room, Interior design, Property, Home, Table, Wall, Coffee table,

Max Kim-Bee

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Swap Your Sofa for a Settee

Yes, a large sofa will work in a space-challenged house, but some rooms call for something less intrusive. This loveseat does the trick—and its small stature doesn't even look out of place.

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Get the Look: Huntingdon Chesterfield Loveseat

Here's a Chesterfield-style beauty that's not only smaller than your typical couch; it costs less than $500! And if you don't love the neutral shade, there's also three blues and four earthy tones to pick from.

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Food Container Lid Organizer

With open shelving trending these days, you'll need a place to stash your unsightly kitchen objects. This lid organizer is best to keep in a cabinet, out of the spotlight, and it really will make your life easier and more organized.

Skirted sink with blue and white striped fabric

David Tsay

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Hide Your Toilet Paper

If you're working with small spaces with minimal storage like this bathroom, consider skirting your sink so you can stash your toiletries out of sight.

small space decorating ideas

Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Tessa Neustadt

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Invest in Smart Furniture

You shouldn't have to go to great lengths to add organizational elements to your room. Instead, pick furniture that has storage space built right in. That way, you won't have to add extra clutter as you continue to troubleshoot space problems.

get organized, keep everything

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Get organized while keeping what you love!

Organize your entire home without getting rid of anything with a fun and easy 3-step solution from the Country Living experts who know the joy of holding on to cherished items, how to artfully display them, and organize like a pro.

SHOP NOW

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Bestseller

Get the Look: Zinus SmartBase Mattress Foundation

If you've already got your furniture picked out, and it's not storage-friendly, the least you can do is stretch its organizational capabilities. This SmartBase Mattress Foundation adds 13 inches of storage beneath your bedframe, allowing for ample box and crate storage. (It also happens to boast upwards of 26,000 glowing customer reviews.)

Refrigerator, Major appliance, Red, Room, Furniture, Pink, Kitchen appliance, Home appliance, Material property, Kitchen,

West Elm

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Consider Retro Appliances

Generally speaking, vintage (and vintage-inspired) appliances, like the refrigerator pictured here, take up fewer square feet than modern-day behemoths. They can also add decorative charm—and a welcome pop of color!—to a small space.

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Get The Look: 24" Wide Smeg Fridge

Smeg

This '50s-style Smeg refrigerator is just under 24" wide (compared to the 36" width of many standard modern models). It's a serious showstopper.

laundry room with expandable clothes rack

Keith Scott Morton

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Hang an Expandable Rack

To maximize space in a small laundry room, put a front-loading washer and dryer beneath a counter so you have work space. Space-saving drying racks are also an excellent idea.

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Wall Mounted Drying Rack

Bartnelli

This is the perfect item for your bathroom that can expand and collapse as needed. It can even be installed in a laundry room to dry wet clothes!

Shelf, White, Room, Furniture, Interior design, Shelving, Wall, Floor, Tile, Home,

Lucas Allen

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Make Your Walls Work Overtime

This space-saving, schoolhouse-red desk folds up when not in use and can be repurposed in multiple ways: as a cocktail bar, craft station, or, if you equip it with a mirror, a vanity.

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Get the Look: Wall Mount Folding Laptop Desk

We can't get over how handsome this option is. A corkboard, fold-down desktop, four storage compartments, and an angled paper organizer keep us coming back for more.

Shelving, Shelf, Bookcase, Furniture, Room, Cabinetry, Building, Book, Cupboard, Hutch,

Helen Norman

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Think Up, Not Out

For a book-loving client bound by tight quarters, Washington, D.C.-based designer Lauren Liess doubled her storage space by adding a bank of extra-tall shelves that slides open to reveal a bathroom door.

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Get the Look: Rustic Wall Mounted Shelves

For extra-cramped spaces, forgo the bookshelves and go with wall-mounted shelves, which take up no floor space at all. (These happen to be easy on the eyes, too.)

Shelf, White, Room, Furniture, Shelving, Interior design, Kitchen, Cabinetry, Mason jar, Glass,

Keith Scott Morton

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Put Your Pantry on Display

No space for a pantry? No problem! Just outfit a utilitarian shelving system with breathable baskets that can corral everything from various types of produce to bulky bags of dry goods like flour and sugar. For even more versatility, try a wire basket storage cart equipped with casters, which make it possible to roll it out of sight when not in use.

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Get the Look: Wire Basket Storage Cart

A rolling wire basket cart is an easy way to create a makeshift pantry. And since it rolls out of sight when you're not using it, you don't have to worry about things looking untidy all the time.

Stairs, Drawer, Chest of drawers, Furniture, Room, Wall, Chiffonier, Home, Material property, Chest,

Werner Straube

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Utilize the Area Under the Stairway

This overlooked part of the house has tons of pack-it-in potential. Here, Chicago architect Tom Stringer cleverly incorporated drawers for a family of four that wanted to maximize the space.

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Get the Look: Seagrass Wicker Stair Step Basket

If you don't have room beneath your stairs, make some room above them with stair "step baskets." These genius catch-alls are a fun way to make the most of every last inch of your home.

small space decorating ideas

Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Tessa Neustadt

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Hang Your Draperies as High as You Can

Here's a little designer secret: The hands-down easiest way to make ceilings look higher is to place a drapery rod really close to the ceiling—roughly 2 inches below the crown molding will do the trick. While you're at it, make sure to extend the rod at least 4 inches on either side of the window so that the window appears wider—and allows in more light.

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Get the Look: Floor-Length Sheer Curtains

These curtains are easy to place above your windows, since they're extra-long and will easily reach the floor. But we also love that they're sheer. That translucence provides the illusion that they're taking up even less space.

Room, Ceiling, Property, Interior design, Building, Bathroom, Daylighting, House, Home, Architecture,

David Allee

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Double Your Space With Mirrors

While it sounds like a vanity project, surrounding yourself with mirrors creates the illusion of more room. Tip: A mirrored backsplash in a small kitchen will also work visual wonders.

bedroom decorating ideas

Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Tessa Neustadt

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Find a Foolproof Neutral

You can do a bold color in a small space (a dark brown library can be so cozy!), but a predominantly neutral palette generally makes the flow of a house feel less choppy. We're partial to the clean, peaceful look of this master bedroom.

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Get the Look: White Dove Paint by Benjamin Moore

This creamy hue adds warmth without going too yellow. Still, it's a little more interesting than a stark white wall.

Bedroom, Furniture, Room, Bed, White, Nightstand, Blue, Wall, Interior design, Bed frame,

Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photography by Tessa Neustadt

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Let There Be (Wall-Mounted) Light

Table lamps call for—you guessed it—a table. And in a small space, that's not always guaranteed. Why not try a sconce instead?

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Get the Look: Vintage Wall Sconces

This pick provides a happy pop of yellow, while the brass keeps things sophisticated. And the general vibe here is equal parts city and country, which we love.

kitchen cabinet with garbage can

Nick Pope

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Use Every Inch of Storage Space

Maximize efficiency in a small kitchen by installing a wall-mounted shelf to keep baking supplies off the counter but within easy reach. Double the shelf's utility by adding hooks to hang towels, pot holders, and tools.

Inside cabinet doors, pin up items like rubber gloves, sponges, and plastic bags. Using hot glue, affix magnets to the back of plain clothespins, then glue the opposing magnets directly to the door.

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Get the Look: Stackable Kitchen Cabinet Organizer

If installing a new shelf sounds like far too much work, just use one of these expandable, stackable organizers instead. They'll allow you to double your storage space without needing to make any permanent renovations.

breakfast nook with bench