Moving to the beautifully overcrowded city of Jerusalem, I knew that I would need to adapt to living in a smaller space than I was used to and well, make the most of it! I’ve had a lot of fun in the past helping an ex-boyfriend design the interior of his studio apartment, and use his space productively and creatively to give it the feel of a little home.

Pinterest is full of ideas on this topic and it is so fun to browse through them all. You needn’t have a small space to work with — the ideas are just that stunning.

I mean, look at this:

Photo: Livabl_

Using the fact that your space is small as a creative opportunity rather than an interior disaster, is what I’m here to help you with! The way of living happily and beautifully in a small space is by combining space-saving and multifunctional ideas while still showing off your style.

Smart decision-making is the best way to give you the space you need while making your chosen room seemingly spacious, productively designed and, of course, welcoming.

Use Light Tones And Fabrics

Because our goal is to make your space look bigger, the first step is to stay away from any dark or heavy fabrics. While these work wonderfully in spacious rooms, thick curtains absorb natural light and weigh the room down, making it seem much smaller.

Choose a light-weight material and theme color for your living room, such as light linen curtains to help in making the room feel lighter and more spacious.

Photo by Deborah Cortelazzi on Unsplash

Go Wild With Stripes

This may sound super risky and perhaps over the top, but having a striped floor makes a room look instantly larger because of the linear design. It gives the illusion that the room is longer and therefore has more space. Come on, live dangerously. I dare you!

Photo: CZM Cam Home Remodeling

Have A Party On the Ceiling

“I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, singing aaa-yooo…”

Sorry, I got a little distracted there.

Anything that draws the eye upwards makes a room feel more spacious than it is, so having a fun color of paint of a crazy wallpaper on your ceiling (yes, you read right), will make your living room seem bigger! Check it out:

Photo: House Beautiful

Don’t Push ’Em Up Against The Wall

This is a pretty new and cool fact to me too: pushing your furniture up against the wall can make your room feel much smaller and more cramped. Even just a drop of space between the couch and the wall can make the area seem more open! What a win.

Use Secret Storage

IKEA is my favorite store for this type of thing. Ottomans or couches that have secret storage underneath are both excellent investments for a small living room. When living small, it’s vital that you ask yourself when purchasing furniture: Can this serve more than one purpose? By having your main pieces pulling double duty, you can comfortably accommodate all your living room needs.

Great examples are a console table or wall unit as a desk and the instrumental sofa bed, of course.

Photo: So That’s Cool

Avoid Oversized Pieces

Large and heavy furniture will make your already small space seem even more cramped. Instead, choose low-profile, streamlined furniture, specifically couches.

Low-profile furniture means ‘low to the ground’. A low-profile sofa, for example, means there’s a tiny space between the floor and the couch seat. “From an interior design point of view, this usually means smaller sofa legs, streamlined cushions or a narrow base.” — Forbes

Photo: Home Designing

Now you’ll have some extra wall space to use! This will allow you to balance the space with wall decor that starts lower down and goes higher up. Some good examples are hanging a large-scale art piece or putting up a vertical row of shelves that draws the eye up.

Mirror Madness

I think that most of us already know this trick quite well — that mirrors will make space look larger. There are a few ways to use this wonderful trick to your advantage.

large mirror is the best option for most spaces, but they can also be pricey. If you’re on a tight budget, try grouping smaller mirrors together on a wall and paint the frames the same color to create some colorful unity.

There are also some unique mirror pieces that can be used for both enlarging your space and adding some sophistication to your interior design. Look at these stunning pieces:

Photo 1: Amazon Photo 2: Pinterest

Lastly, Lovely Lighting

Our eyes are automatically drawn towards light. While ceiling lighting will draw one’s eyes to the ceiling, a corner standing lamp will emphasize the size of the room instead.

Photo: RJB Home Furniture Design

Having various lighting options round the room, such as wall lamps, candles and tiny table lamps will assist in making your room look larger and brighter.

More light also gives the room a lot more depth, so leaving your windows uncovered will allow the natural light to flood in and create a larger effect.

Nowadays, large and affordable place are very hard to come by, so most of us need to rely on these tips to make our homes as spacious and constructive as possible. I can’t wait to try some of these out!

Happy Designing!