How Can You Make a Small Home More Functional? 20+ Clever Tactics

The topic of our article today is small home decoration, a challenge many people face. Contrary to those who worry about having a tight area, some people are quite happy with their small homes. Why? Because they use their space efficiently and live very comfortably.

Our main goal with this article is to ensure that everyone with a small home is happy with their environment. That's why we'll offer you alternative solutions through plenty of examples and show you that your problem isn't as big as you think.

Part 1: Creating the Illusion of Space (Color, Light & Mirrors)

The first step to making a small area more functional is to give it a spacious appearance. This is all about tricking the eye with light and reflection.

1. Paint It White! Let's start with the first thing you should do. The best way to create a spacious look is to use light colors on the walls and ceiling. We say light colors, but really, the best color is white! It reflects the maximum amount of light and makes any room feel instantly bigger and cleaner.

2. Opt for Light-Colored Floors! Light-colored walls aren't enough! Your choice of flooring should also be light. This is because dark floors make a space look smaller than it is. If you're using wood flooring, longer planks are better because they can create a sense of perspective and length in your space.

3. Make the Most of Natural Light! Just as important as using the window area efficiently is letting in as much natural light as possible. If privacy isn't an issue, you can achieve this by not using curtains at all. But if you must use curtains, opt for light-colored ones that extend to the floor (or even puddle slightly on the floor) to create an illusion of height.

4. Use Mirrors! If you want to make small spaces feel airy, one of the things you must do is use mirrors. It has been seen time and again that mirrors provide brightness and spaciousness to the areas where they are used. So, you can use them with confidence. A large mirror can visually double the size of a room.

5. Utilize Reflective Surfaces! You can add brightness and spaciousness to your area by using reflective surfaces like glass and metal. Therefore, you can feature these surfaces on many pieces, from the coffee tables to the dining tables you use.

Part 2: Smart Furniture Choices

The furniture you choose is critical. Bulky, heavy pieces will overwhelm a small room.

6. Use Functional, Multi-Purpose Furniture! Another very important feature for small homes is furniture that won't crowd the space. You will definitely need a bed. You also need a closet to place your books, clothes, and other belongings. Since placing all these pieces separately will narrow the space, you should turn to designs that offer you all of them in one.

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7. Prefer Fold-Up & Extendable Furniture! One of the best ways to use a small area efficiently is to eliminate items that are not needed at all times. This is why fold-up and extendable furniture is so important. Imagine folding your bed, which you only need when you're sleeping, up against the wall when you wake up, expanding your living space. It couldn't get better!

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8. Choose Furniture with Legs! Using furniture with legs provides you with alternative visual space. When you can see the floor underneath a sofa or cabinet, the room feels more open and less cluttered.

9. Lean into Curves and Round Forms! The pieces you choose for your small home decoration should be useful. We've said this a lot. But another thing we need to say is that the pieces used in these areas should have more curved lines and round forms. This is because curved and round forms will visually create a more spacious appearance in the area.

Part 3: Mastering Your Layout & Flow

How you arrange your space is just as important as what you put in it.

10. Divide Your Space into Zones! If you have a small, open-plan apartment, what you need to do is divide this apartment into sections with pieces that will act as separators. This way, your area becomes more functional and looks more spacious as it is freed from clutter.

11. Use Furniture as Room Dividers! We mentioned that a separator is logical in a small space. Now let's detail this further and give you a bookshelf as one of the alternative separator options. With a bookshelf acting as a separator, you both create a new "wall" look in your space and create extra storage for yourself.

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12. Evaluate Your Window Fronts! If you live in a small house, you should either dedicate the window front to a desk or place a functional piece of furniture there. Wicker-style benches used in front of windows are among the things you can consider, as they both provide a seating area and create an alternative storage section.

13. Create Loft Floors if Ceilings are High! If you have a 1+1 house with high ceilings, you should definitely make use of these ceilings. A method that could be very good for you is creating a loft floor. After some renovation stages, your 1+1 house will start to feel more valuable when you see the extra space you've gained.

Part 4: Maximizing Every Inch with Storage

Storage is everything in a small home. The more you can tuck away neatly, the bigger your space will feel.

14. Use Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets! One of the basic rules in small space decoration is to decorate vertically. It is very important for efficient use of space that every chosen piece extends from floor to ceiling.

15. Create Alternative Storage Areas! When you think of storage space, most of you might think of cabinets. But if you need a lot of space, you should think a little more broadly. For example, drawers you have installed in your bed or storage areas located under your flooring.

 

16. Take Advantage of Wall Niches! Since we're talking about storage areas, let's not skip over wall niches. Wall niches are one of the important decorative applications that will save you space! You can create an efficient area by having wall niches made in areas you see fit in your small house—especially in areas that will fill vertical voids.

17. Use Wall Shelves! In small houses, walls are valuable. Therefore, evaluate those areas as much as possible. One of the things you can do is install wall shelves. You gain an advantage in both appearance and use with wall shelves whose frequency you can determine according to the shape of your house.

Part 5: Finishing Touches (Decor, Patterns & Plants)

Once the main elements are in place, the right decor can complete the look.

18. Go for Geometric Patterns! Geometric patterns will create visually pleasing looks in your small space as they add depth and length to an area. You can use them on a rug or a single accent wall.

19. Don't Skip Accessories! Just because your house is small doesn't mean you won't use accessories. Accessories are important pieces that add texture to a decoration. So, of course, you can use them. Just be careful not to create a cluttered look with too many small pieces. Instead, you can prefer a stylish painting on the wall or vertical objects.

20. Bring Your Space to Life! The most important objects to bring life to a small decoration are houseplants. Houseplants both add naturalness to the area where they are used and provide a fresh ambiance in terms of appearance.