5 Smart Design Ideas for Small Space Living Solutions

Living in a small space doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style, comfort, or functionality. With some creative small space living solutions, you can make wherever you live feel a little more spacious and inviting, no matter how many square feet you’re working with.

Note: We did this post a few years ago, but the 5 ideas for making a small space feel slightly more spacious still work today. While they may no longer live in this apartment, we continue to use these space-saving solutions for every apartment we’ve helped our kids settle into.

Madeline and her friend moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn a few years ago. While the apartment was still on the small side, it had plenty of natural light and was considerably larger than their previous two NYC apartments, which made it a lot more fun to make it a home for them to love.

I had the chance to see the apartment with Madeline while it was listed for rent. We visited one day while the prior tenants were home. All five of us in a small apartment meant we could barely move. They had huge furniture – the deepest, oversized sofa, a bench in the small entryway, a table with four oversized chairs, and a huge coffee table. One of the bedrooms had three dressers, a bed, and a desk. Trust me when I say that the amount and the style of furniture were all wrong for this apartment. I forgot to mention the bar cart in the kitchen. It made it almost impossible to even pass through the kitchen, much less enjoy cooking in the space. But, all this aside, we knew there were a few simple space-saving solutions to incorporate and make it adorable. We couldn’t wait to see it empty and begin reimagining the space!

The girls wanted a few things in this apartment that they didn’t have in their last apartments: desks since both would work from home and a dining table for future dinner parties.

Here’s how we stuck to five basic small space living solutions to make this Brooklyn apartment look and feel bigger

1. Small scale furniture

When you have limited space and square footage, the most important thing to think about is the scale of the furniture – everything from sofas, accent chairs, dining chairs, tables, and desks. Ideally, look for smart ways to make the room feel larger than it is. A piece of furniture can make all the difference and a small room doesn’t need oversized furniture.

We used a sofa from Ikea that Madeline had in her California suite and then her sunroom in our New Canaan house. And now it’s on its third NYC apartment. We also used a small Ikea drop leaf table and folding chairs that take up less space.

Wanting some open space with enough room to move around, we placed the table against the wall for everyday use. But it can be easily moved away from the wall for extra seating when having a small dinner party. The bench does double duty and can be used at the table but serves as the coffee table in front of the sofa for everyday use. This way, when they need it at the table, they can easily move the table to the center of the room, add the bench and chairs, and have a cozy dinner for 6. In a tiny home, multifunctional furniture is a must. The accent chair is another small piece that fits perfectly in the room without taking up much visual or actual floor space.

2. Large scale art & accent wall

While the girls had a lot of small framed art pieces, we resisted using them in the living room and instead used Clare Paint in Pink Sky to create an accent wall on one side. Then on another large wall, we used a canvas poster (Mid Century Circle II) from Photowall. It comes in a box with the canvas rolled and the wood frame which was easy to assemble. 

Too many small frames create busyness in a small-space living environment. We did use the same three pieces from their prior apartment above the sofa. The light colors we worked with all started from incorporating what they already had from their previous apartment. Velvet pillows from West Elm in gold and blush worked beautifully with the overdyed red rug from Ikea, making it feel like their own space. And we used the paint that we used in Madeline’s bedroom at our house. It’s amazing how versatile this paint is in two very different rooms. When you use colors from nature, airy colors like the pink sky, how could it not work? And it’s fun to find different uses for what you already have. 

3. Solid color bedding & linens

In a smaller space bedroom, using beautiful bedding in a solid color is a great way pull it together and make the space feel restful. She chose the heathered gray duvet and shams from Boll and Branch. Have you tried Boll and Branch Linens? They are handcrafted in Portugal using organic cotton to make a weave that’s velvety, soft, and breathable for a comfortable night’s sleep. We chose a white shower curtain from Hearth & Hand for Magnolia in the small bathroom. It keeps it fresh and clean.

They are fortunate to have a large closet in the bathroom—rare for a small New York City apartment—which means they can keep the sink area free of anything but a bottle of hand soap. For fun, they added a disco ball in the bathroom, taking advantage of its high ceilings. Who doesn’t love a surprise in a small space?

A white shower curtain in a tiny bathroom

4. Wall-mounted shelves for open shelving

In the kitchen, there is very little cabinet space. We used this shelf from Ikea which offers four shelves but is quite small in scale and narrow in depth. It does not obstruct the kitchen space or walkway but offers much-needed storage for dishes and glassware. The girls chose stackable dishes from Our Place. They also have the Always Pan which is designed to replace 8 traditional pieces of cookware. Perfect for a small kitchen with limited storage space!

5. Livette’s Removable Wallpaper

One thing we really wanted to pay attention to was Madeline’s workspace. We found a small desk that fit perfectly in her room under a window. For Zoom calls, it’s ideal to face a window for the best lighting. We were mindful of positioning the desk so that her bed was not in the background for Zoom calls. Opposite her desk is an exterior door that she does not use, but for safety, she needs to keep it clear.

We decided to use Livette’s Removable Wallpaper to cover the otherwise blank door. It makes the perfect background for Zoom calls. Removable wallpaper is a renter’s dream, but it’s so beautiful and the application is so much easier than traditional wallpaper. The only hard part was deciding on which pattern. Livette’s has so many to choose from, but they make it a little easier to narrow down the selection by being able to choose by design, room, collection, and color. Madeline chose the Pink Moroccan Tile Pattern.

You might also find these other small space living posts interesting

• Small Space Living in New York City
• Ways to Make the Most of a Small Space Studio Apartment
• Small Space Laundry Room Ideas

Make sure to see what my friends Mary Ann and Cindy are up to! 

Classic Casual Home

Cindy Hattersley