8 Smart Ways To Style A Small Space
Anyone can style a large room. However, smaller areas require more skill to make them look welcoming rather than claustrophobic.
As Australian housing prices continue to rise, more people are living in less-spacious properties, such as townhouses and apartments. The ability to style these places is more critical than ever -- especially if you’re planning on moving and need to make your small space look more inviting to potential buyers.
Do you need help decorating and styling your small home? If so, here are eight ideas to try today.
1. Use Lighter Colours
Dark colours absorb light and make small rooms seem even smaller. Light colours have the opposite effect.
Consider repainting with light shades to make a petite property feel more open and inviting.
Remember, you’re not limited to white or off-white paint. Other colours like beige, grey, and pastel shades can still brighten up your property and make it feel more expansive.
You can also add bright pops of colour throughout the home, so it doesn’t feel whitewashed or too monochromatic. Paint a darker accent wall or incorporate more colour with fun throw pillows and blankets.
2. Remove Doors
The fewer doors you have, the more open your home feels. Consider removing internal doors or replacing them with sliding doors to increase available floor space and avoid interrupting the flow of your house or apartment.
In addition to removing internal doors, you might also want to get rid of cabinet doors and closet doors. Removing these doors will expand your home -- it also gives you some extra motivation to keep your belongings organised since they’re on display for everyone to see.
3. Hang More Mirrors
Properly positioned mirrors can make your rooms feel much larger -- especially when you hang them to reflect a window.
You can hang mirrors in various places throughout your home. For example, hang a mirror over your mantel, on your bedroom wall, or in your kitchen.
Wherever your place your mirrors, make sure they’re mounted at eye level and sit flush against the wall instead of angled. This positioning helps you maximise the reflective power of mirrors.
You can also incorporate mirrors in other areas -- not just the walls. For example, you can invest in mirrored side tables or coffee tables. These mirrors add a unique touch and further open up your space.
4. Decorate with Restraint
Less is more, especially when you’re decorating a small room or small home. If every square inch of the house is covered by furniture, paintings, and other decorative items, it’s easy for it to feel cluttered.
Aim to make your small space feel as open as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to shop with purpose.
When choosing pieces of furniture or decorations, ask yourself what purpose it serves. If it doesn’t have a specific function or doesn’t serve as the focal point of a room, you probably don’t need it.
5. Invest in Multi-Use Furniture
Another way to avoid over-decorating or over-furnishing your small home is to purchase multi-use pieces of furniture.
For example, buy a coffee table with multiple shelves so you can store books there instead of setting up bookshelves throughout the room. You can also purchase bench seats with lids that lift and provide additional storage.
If you live in a tiny space, like a studio apartment, you should also consider a fold-out couch that serves as a bed.
This type of multi-use furniture saves you a lot of space. It allows you to entertain, too, without having a bunch of people sitting on your bed.
6. Raise Furniture Off the Ground
Large, heavy furniture easily shrinks an already-small room. Consider swapping out that massive couch or bulky bed frame and look for more minimalist pieces that sit above the ground.
Invest in slimmer beds, couches, coffee tables, dining tables, and chairs to avoid interrupting the flow of a room and make it feel more spacious. This kind of furniture also has a more modern vibe and makes your home feel fresh and new (no matter how old it actually is).
7. Declutter, Declutter, Declutter
Are your tables and countertops covered in books, papers, and old mail? Are clothes spilling out of your closet? Do you have more dishes than you have cupboard space?
The more items you try to cram in a small space, the smaller and more cluttered it will feel.
Regularly declutter your home to open it up -- and be ruthless when you do it. If you haven’t worn or used something in months, and it doesn’t have sentimental value (like a wedding dress), you can likely get rid of it.
Do you struggle to declutter? If so, invite a friend or family member who is an expert declutterer to do the heavy lifting (literally) for you.
It might be hard to part with your things at first, but you’ll be amazed at how much fresher and more inviting your home feels when the decluttering is done.
8. Partner with a Real Estate Professional
Let’s say you’re styling your small space to make it more appealing to potential buyers. Working with an experienced real estate agent can help if this is the case.
Partnering with a professional provides extra guidance as you prepare your home to sell. It also helps you see better results and get a better sale price for your property.
The most skilled real estate agents are expert home stagers. They know how to open up any property to highlight its best assets and attract the right buyer.
Start Styling Your Small Space Today
Decorating and styling a small space is much less daunting when you follow the suggestions listed above, from painting with lighter colours to doing some heavy-duty decluttering.
Don’t have time to style your small home before you move? If you're looking to sell and want help styling your small space to perfection, the Champions in Real Estate team is here to help.
Get in touch today to connect with an agent and start preparing your home to sell.
