Tips and Tricks for Small Space Design

Small spaces are tricky, but elements like color palettes and furniture placement are really important in creating a cohesive livable space. Designer Reiko Caron presents her tips and tricks for small space design in this House & Home video:

Scale the rooms based on how much you use them. For someone who cooks and entertains but has a limited dining area, a large island with seating is a good choice. Spaces that are barely used such as bedrooms and bathrooms can be smaller.

For a living room that’s awkwardly shaped and a high traffic area, pull the large furniture away from the walls and create cozy seating areas. A curved sofa allows easy flow through the room. Use lightweight, easily movable tables so you can get them out of the way when you need the space. Sconce lighting frees up floor space for walking.

In spaces with great architectural features like raw brick and old windows, keep the palette simple and neutral to let the architecture shine and prevent visual clutter.

A kitchen island may not always be a good feature, especially if the kitchen is small and with just one wall of cabinetry. In this situation, removing the island and creating a galley kitchen allowed for additional storage and better flow.

Usually small spaces benefit from a bright white palette that makes the room seem bigger, but there is no room too small for a pop of color. You just have to bring it into the space in an unexpected way.

Well-planned storage is essential in a small space, especially kitchens. Creative storage solutions include customized cutouts for coffee pods, storage bins, shallow storage on the inside of cabinet doors, and a pullout for kitchen utensils.