From Guest Blogger Emma Joyce: How To Make A Small Space More Livable

Living in a small space doesn’t have to feel limiting and suffocating in any way. The key to comfy and functional small homes, and especially living rooms and bedroom, is in proper layout and décor placement. You may think that small homes come with a lot of trouble, but they are also the perfect excuse to get creative as much as you want.

There’s something really rewarding in getting things right when you have to work with relatively small space. Therefore, don’t give up on your perfect interior before you even try. Sometimes, just a few changes can help you in creating a space that can be used in different ways. The following tips can help you a lot.

Start with decluttering

The biggest enemy of small spaces is undoubtedly clutter. This goes for your clothes, décor and even furniture pieces. Take as much time as you need because hoarding habit cannot disappear overnight. People often do not notice when they start piling up things and just go with it. You will also have a better perspective of what you really need and use, and what simply makes a mess if you have several days to think about everything. Basically, before you start changing your layout and organization system, get rid of everything that you haven’t touched for more than six months. Declutter décor pieces that don’t fit well with your overall theme, too. What’s more, if you find extra chairs, coffee tables and even nightstands completely useless, it’s time to say goodbye to those as well. You can always give it as a present to someone who will appreciate it and find it useful, instead of just hoarding it in your garage.

Living room layout

When it comes to smaller spaces, the usual living room layout that involves sofas against the walls and coffee tables at the center of the room may not work the best. Instead, you should play with different furniture arrangement. Of course, always keep in mind the functionality of your layout since you still need the complete freedom of movement and comfort. If your walls are mostly bare, you can check out some interesting DIY shelving projects that would provide you with extra storage space. If you opt for some really creative shelving solutions, you’ll be able to add an interesting twist and personal touch to your living room without excess accessories. This projects will not take too much of your time and in the end you will end up with more space which can be decorative as well.

Bedroom’s focal point

When it comes to your functional bedroom layout, the first thing you have to take care of is the position of your bed. Regardless of whether you have a single, double or sofa bed, the way you position it will influence the décor and design of this room. Therefore, make sure that you’re comfortable with bed placement before you proceed to other bits. If your bedroom is really small, you may want to ditch nightstands and go for improvised wall shelves right above the bed. If your wardrobe cannot fit all of your clothes, change up the clothes seasonally. You can rent a storage unit for your stuff or box up the clothes you don’t need at the moment and put them in the basement/attic/storage room if you have one. Of course, don’t forget about various options for added wardrobe space such as over the door organizers. If you would rather have all of your clothes in the bedroom, hanging wall cabinets might be a good idea.

Separate the space

Small rooms can be properly designed for their specific purpose, but what happens when your entire home is tiny and you actually need to use living room or bedroom as your study/work area as well? Of course, the obvious solution is to designate a corner for this specific purpose. But, the best way to separate this area from the rest of your space is by using curtains. Make sure that the curtains are not too long or too short. If you choose an interesting color or pattern for your curtain, you can also add extra warmth and personality to your place. Add different types of beadings to add more texture and create a luxury room with adding just few details.

When small space is concerned it’s essential that you adopt minimalist yet creative mindset. This will help you deal with unnecessary stuff as well as come up with the unique and efficient storage solutions for the things you need and want to display.