How To Decorate A Small Room Like A Pro?

Looking to decorate a small room in your house or apartment? Then you’ve landed in the right place. I’ve got all the tips and ideas to help you make the most of your space!

After living in my small apartment for a few months now, I’ve realized that small spaces are a bit tricky to decorate. Your existing furnishings and decor somehow take on a new life and look when placed into a smaller room. Your standard-sized sofa suddenly seems ginormous in your new, small living room. Your same old bookshelf in the corner now looks so cluttered. Small spaces require a more strategic approach to decorating. Done right and you won’t even notice the lack of square footage.

If you want to learn how to decorate a small room or apartment I’ll walk you through the essentials for making your small space look and feel more like home. If you want some more ideas for serving and thriving in a small home, have a look at Your Ultimate Guide to Small-Space Living!

In this article We’ll walk you through:

Paint & wall treatment options for small rooms
Furniture options and features to look for when shopping
Practical storage rules to keep your small room organized
And lastly, some decorating tricks to make a small room look bigger. (Tips you can implement TODAY!)

With these quick and practical tips, you’ll be able to decorate a small room like a pro!

Easy Tips For Decorating Small Spaces!

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Paint Ideas For Small Rooms

Painting a small room can be one of the most effective ways to make it feel more open and spacious. Paint is affordable and comes in a myriad of shades and tones. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when painting a small room.

Use A Light Color Pallete…

Photo by Coddington Design – Look for living room pictures

Paint colors with lighter shades will reflect light and make the room appear brighter and larger than it actually is. It’s not just a matter of sight lines and perspective—the brightness of the color reflects into the eyes of whoever is in the room, making it seem more open and airy. That’s exactly what you want in a small space!

…But Don’t Be Afraid To Go Bold Or Even Dark!

small moody loft apartment with dark color paint

While lighter shades will make your space look airy and bright, that doesn’t mean you have to settle for plain colors such as white or cream. Don’t be afraid to try bolder and even darker shades! Try a dark statement wall in charcoal grey or navy blue, which will help anchor your furniture and give the illusion of distance. Check out these stunning dark accent wall ideas for small spaces. Then get some helpful tips on how to decorate with dark paint colors!

To balance out the intensity of that single dark wall, keep the remaining walls light with colors like crisp white or light grey. If these colors are not to your taste, try pairing your dark accent wall with the lighter hues on your furniture or accessories.

Try Color-Blocking or Color-Zoning To Delineate And Divide Spaces

When you’re looking for ways to make your small space feel larger, try color-blocking to create a sense of separation and distinction between different areas.

Images Via Pinterest. Source: Grillo Designs / Yellow Studio Block

Color blocking is used in both interior design and fashion, but for interior, it’s often used to make areas look like they have their own identities within the room. This is why it works well in small spaces—by defining space with different colors, you make each area appear distinct from the others. With this technique, you can visually carve out an office in your small living room, or bedroom, or a reading nook in a studio apartment. If you’re working with a small living room take a look at some of our Best Tips For Decorating A Small Living Room.

Stripes Create The Illusion Of Depth and Height

Photo by Motivo Home – Search home office pictures

Stripes have a way of creating the illusion of depth, giving more space to the visual field. When you’re looking at stripes on a wall your eye will be drawn to various points along the length of them, and when you move around in the room, you’ll notice that your perspective changes slightly with each shift in location.

This tricks your brain into thinking there is more distance between objects than there really is, making the room appear bigger than it really is. Use vertical or horizontal stripes to create depth/width and height in your small room.

If you want to create the illusion of more space these wallpaper patterns will make small room look bigger!

Create A Focal Point With A Large Mural

Small rooms can look smaller when they don’t have something to visually anchor the space. A large wall mural is an easy and cost-effective way to add dimension, color, and meaning to a room. Plus, it’s a great excuse for you to get your hands on some paint and craft supplies! Just pick a wall that will serve as your mural’s focal point and paint or install a large scenic mural.

Scenic wallpaper murals also create a beautiful focal point and are way more effective in visually expanding a small space. Try a peel & stick landscape wallpaper mural to easily create an accent wall. Check out these removable wall murals from Amazon.

Peel & Stick Tropical Door Wallpaper Mural. See the price Here on Amazon.

Romantic Beach Wallpaper Mural. See it here on Amazon.

Furniture Ideas For Small Spaces

When you decorate a small room, the last thing that you want is to make it feel even more cramped than it already is. That’s why choosing the right furniture is so important.

The key to choosing furniture for small spaces is to think of it as a puzzle. You need to find pieces that fit together well and don’t take up too much space, but at the same time, each piece needs to do its own part to make the room feel comfortable and inviting, and functional.

First, Measure your room!

Measuring your space is the first and most important step when furnishing a small room. You have to know what space restrictions you’re working with beforehand. If you go out and buy new furniture without measuring first, you might end up with the wrong size or shape for your room. That means dealing with the hassle of returns and return trips to the store. The best way to avoid this is to measure your room first before you do anything else!

Once that’s done, there are a few features to look for when choosing furniture for a small room:

Visually lightweight Furniture – Think clean lines, trim frame, taught fabric, and slightly elevated. ‘Leggy’ pieces are perfect for small spaces as they appear lighter. Avoid bloated and chunky, overstuffed pieces that look heavy and cumbersome.

Multifunctional Furniture Pieces– Multifunctional furniture use space efficiently and is a must-have for small spaces. They also help avoid overcrowding and make your space more functional. A sleeper sofa, a desk with storage, and a kitchen island cart, all offer dual-functionality benefits for small-space living.

Convertible And Space-Saving Furniture – These pieces will help you save space AND make space! An expandable dining table, a murphy bed cabinet, or a sleeper sofa, will help you maximize space in your small room. They’re also the perfect option for small-space dwellers who love to entertain and host guests.

Modular furniture are space-efficient pieces that will help you customize your furniture layouts to maximize space. These pieces will work harder for you in the long run.

Other space-saving pieces include corner furniture that offers extra storage without taking up too much space. Try a corner tv stand, or mount some floating shelves in that awkward corner of your living room to display plants and decor. Similarly, a corner desk for a cozy study nook or workspace.

Small Space Furniture Ideas:

Storage And Organization Ideas For Small Rooms

Storage and organization is often the part that people struggle with no matter what size of home. When living in a small space this part is crucial to your comfort and functionality. When everything has a place, the room just seems bigger. The lack of proper storage is what makes a room feel small and cramped.

Remember these tips when organizing a small room:

Go vertical – To maximize storage in a small room, you have to take advantage of vertical space. Make good use of your walls by hanging shelves or hooks and baskets for items such as scarves, kitchen utensils, spices, and bathroom essentials, etc. Your walls are prime real estate when you don’t have sufficient floor space. Utilize corners and all those awkward nooks and crannies in your home. Don’t let those walls go to waste.

Use decorative storage – Decorative storage is an excellent way to stay organized while adding interest and style to a room. That double-duty functionality right there! Use pretty storage boxes, colored bins, trays, and baskets to tackle clutter and enhance your decor simultaneously.

Opt for concealed storage – Use hidden or concealed storage options if you need a place to stash miscellaneous items or if you just hate the thought of constantly tidying up open shelves and cabinets. Boxes with lids, slim cabinets with doors, storage ottomans, etc. will hide all of your random nick-nacks that don’t have a place of their own. Plus hidden storage helps to reduce visual clutter, creating a more cohesive and harmonious space.

Get creative! – Small spaces demand a certain level of creativity and ingenuity to stay organized. Explore storage options on the inside of your closet doors, the side of your fridge, above your kitchen cabinets, and in all those awkward corners and nooks in your home. You’ll be surprised by what you come up with.

Get More Small Space Storage Ideas Here:

Design Tricks That Make A Small Room Look Bigger

At first glance, small rooms may seem difficult to decorate due to the lack of square footage. However, there are a few tricks you can implement today to make your small room look bigger and feel more spacious. If you want to decorate a small room like a pro, use most, if not all of these tricks.

Hang Curtains High – Make your small room look taller by hanging curtains as close to darthe ceiling as possible. This will draw the eyes up and create the illusion of higher ceilings and taller walls. Opt for floor-length curtains that just graze your floors.

Paint The Ceiling White – A popular hack among interior decorators is to paint the ceiling a bright white. This not only makes the ceiling seem taller, but it also helps bounce light around the room making it feel bright and spacious. The ceiling is a key piece of real estate in smaller rooms. Use it to your advantage.

Try A Scenic Wallpaper Mural – Smaller rooms look bigger when you add a large landscape, cityscape, or seascape wallpaper mural. This optical illusion creates depth by pulling the eye outward, making the space look larger than it really is. As mentioned earlier large wall mural will create a stunning focal point in the room and instantly distract from the smallness of the space. Remember, Your other walls should be neutral in tone so that they won’t compete with your focal wall for attention.

Use Mirrors – Mirrors reflect light and make a room look bigger by creating the illusion of additional space. Place them opposite your windows to maximize light in the room, at the end of the hallway, or go all out with a full mirror accent wall. Mirrors are a nice addition to any room but it is an absolute must-have for small spaces.

More Small Space Decor Ideas:

There you have it! The best tips on how to decorate a small room. By implementing just a few, if not all of these tips you’ll be well on your way to creating a beautiful, functional, and inviting space. At that point, the size of the room will be insignificant. You’ll realize that small rooms and small homes aren’t so bad after all.

Happy Decorating!!

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