How to Make the Most of Small Spaces

Fundamentals. If you're building a small home, or get a say in its design, there's a few tricks that can help you get the most out of your space. Diagonal flooring makes rooms appear wider, while compact spiral staircases save floor space. Bay windows provide for additional light and square footage.

Function. Furniture should have storagge. Getting (and keeping) things off the floor is key to keeping a room from looking cluttered. Make sure that you use all the space you have. If you have a kitchen table but always eat at the island, remove the table. If you need one room to serve multiple purposes, separate the room by using rugs, bookcases, and so forth to define a specific space. "Hidden" features are also nice. Instead of having a DVD player and cable box sit on top of a piece of furniture, try to build it in so that it is not constantly on display. Try to buy multipurpose furniture. For example, a coffee table with tops that hinge upward can create an informal dining area in your family room while allowing you to store things in the table's hallow core. The staircase on the right contains dresser drawers.

Light. Extend curtain rods beyond window frames, collecting as much natural light as possible. Alternatively, you could forgo draperies in favor of shades. In a family or living room, consider buying tall floor lamps to make the ceilings look higher and to maximize floor space by eliminating the need for end tables.

Furniture. Round tables are most practical for small spaces because the hard corners of square and rectangular tables take up much needed space. Furniture should be tall so as to draw the eye upward. For example, cabinets and built-ins should extend all the way to the ceiling.  Finally, buy furniture that fits your space. a narrow family room may look great with an L-shaped sectional that backs up against two walls and thus makes the most of your corner space.

Paint. Generally, lighter colors make rooms feel bigger. Acentuate light, bright rooms by contrasting them with darker entryways and door and window trim. This will make rooms "pop." Paint crown molding the same color as the ceiling to make it appear more expansive.


Decor. Use mirrors, especially when opposite one another. Mirrors help gather light and make a space appear larger. Use big art, as scaled to your furniture. The length of a painting ought to reflect the length of your sofa. Small clusters of art can make a room look crowded and cluttered. Art placed higher on the walls can help make a ceiling look higher.


To watch one family's process of maximizing the space in their New York City apparent, click here.