8 Tips for Decorating Small Spaces ...

One of the most essential tips for decorating small spaces naturally has to do with storage. If you have a small room, you're likely in need of places to put things. Get creative with shelving so you have spots for knick knacks, books, linens, and all sorts of other things. Build free standing shelves on the wall, install shelving units or built-ins if possible, and make use of bookshelves – which I'll discuss a little more in a moment.

Multipurpose furniture is so important in smaller rooms! For example, in your kitchen, an island with storage space underneath creates room for pots and pans while doubling as a small table – all you need are some stools. In the living room, think about purchasing a storage ottoman. You instantly have a footstool or a makeshift table and a place to store books, magazines, movies, and remotes. If you can slide baskets or plastic bins beneath your couch, chairs, or bed, get to it!

Lighter colors and fabrics work best in small spaces. You don't have to get crazy with pastels or anything, but try to keep things bright. An accent wall filled with coral, hot pink, or turquoise is just fine (and gorgeous), but for the most part, try to keep upholstery, paint, and wallpaper on the lighter end of the spectrum. If you choose patterned wallpaper or paint stencils, just try not to choose anything too dark or busy. That will make the walls seem like they're closing in even more.

Adding mirrors to small places may sound like a tired piece of advice, but it really works! If you have a tiny room, strategically placed mirrors create the illusion that it's much bigger. You might hang a large statement mirror on one wall, or you could hang up lots of mirrors in different shapes and sizes, paint the frames in different colors, and create a lovely, lengthening mosaic.

Back to your color scheme, try to keep things cohesive. While playing with pops of color is great, keep it to the details. In terms of walls, curtains, rugs, and things like that, choosing a continuous hue looks wonderful. It doesn't have to be boring either – just remember those exciting details! Besides, a neutral backdrop makes it much easier to redecorate.

Whenever possible, choose furniture with legs. A kitchen table, a lifted couch, a pedestal side table: they don't take up nearly as much space as furniture that sits flush on the floor. As a result, it opens up your space and makes it look roomier. Besides that, you can really create a vintage vibe with this kind of furniture, so there's no worry about sacrificing style.

When you're putting in those bookshelves or building storage shelves, build up. By keeping things vertical, you're maximizing free space on the walls rather than taking up much needed space along the floor. If you take up one wall with a huge, horizontal entertainment system, you've just used up a huge chunk of your room!

This might sound counterproductive, but break down your rooms with all kinds of pieces. For instance, if you have an open floor plan in the living room, create several different areas: the main living room, a dining nook, and perhaps a reading nook in the corner. This maximizes your space and rather than making things look cluttered, it actually makes your room look cozier and well-designed.

It's tempting to feel defeated by small rooms. You might be dreaming of large, open spaces. Remember, however, that as long as you decorate thoughtfully, with an eye toward detail, you can make your space look much larger than it actually is. When you're decorating a smaller room, do you prefer to make it look larger or do you enjoy cozy looking spaces?