Top Ten Tiny Tips
1. Declutter! You don’t need more space, you need less stuff.
Once you’ve pared down your things, pare down some more to what you absolutely need. Make sure everything has a home, or you’ll constantly be fighting a clutter problem. If you can’t find a home for everything, that’s a telltale sign that you need to pare down even more — And if you’ve reached the point where you can’t get rid of more things, consider how you can maximize your current space. Do you really need more space, or can you create storage for things within the space that you already have?
But why?
Let’s be honest here - if you had more space, you’d suddenly also have more stuff. It happens to all of us.
I challenge you to be extremely honest with yourself in your decluttering process. If you’re someone who needs to be held accountable and needs more assistance with this challenging process, I highly recommend hiring a professional organizer.
2. Take a look at your curtains. Are they mounted high enough?
My standard placement for mounting curtains is the midpoint between the ceiling and the top of your window trim or higher and touching the floor.
But why?
One of the keys to maximizing a tiny space is to create the illusion that the space is larger than it is.
By mounting your curtains high, you draw the eye up to the ceiling, which enables the eye to see more of the space and creates the illusion that there is more of it than there actually is. It also makes the windows look massive.
Another practice that you may have heard of is mounting the curtains wider than the actual window. However, I’ve found that in small spaces you’re usually met by a wall on one side of the window that prohibits you from mounting as wide as is ideal. That’s fine, small spaces sometimes follow a different set of rules. Just mount as wide as you can while still maintaining balance on either side of the window.
3. Refine your color palette.
If you’re a person that loves a lot of color, that’s awesome! However, sometimes if you have too much variance in tone or color spectrum, something in your space can feel off — OR if you’re a neutral lover like I am, you can find that your space can fall flat if there isn’t enough visual interest.
My suggestion is to stick with a color palette. A palette of 3-5 colors can really help you narrow things down and give you a direction to start with. Paintings are a great way to see what colors work well together. Seek inspiration from art pieces that have your favorite colors and create a palette from that. One of my favorite ways to create a palette is to go on Pinterest. If you love green and yellow, simply search “green and yellow color palette” and scan through all of the options until you find something that looks like what you’re envisioning.
But why?
The eye needs to see consistency in order to flow through the space.
By creating a consistent palette, you are telling your eye where to look.
Anything that doesn’t fit within this consistent color palette will feel interruptive and catch the eye unintentionally. If you incorporate the same color palette throughout your home, the eye will see the entire space as being unified, as opposed to several segmented spaces. This is especially true for small spaces where you can see multiple rooms at the same time.
4. Mirrors. That’s it. That’s the tip.
Haha no, but seriously. All the mirrors, especially located opposite of windows to help light travel through the space. In a dark hallway, mirrors can catch any bit of light to make the hallway not feel so dark. A big mirror can make a small room feel large. In a gallery wall, a mirror can be a piece of art, while also acting as a means of spreading light through a space. All the mirrors on all of the walls. Not literally (haha), but there’s no such thing as the magic number of mirrors. The right style and scale of mirror in the right context is what matters.
But why?
Mirrors will open up your space. See above.
5. Go Vertical.
Mount anything that can be mounted and some things that “can’t”. Before you get anything that takes up precious floor space, consider if there is an alternative that can be mounted.
Always seek out floor to ceiling storage options to optimize the space. In bedrooms, this means wardrobes instead of dressers, in living rooms, this means floor to ceiling bookshelves with decorative boxes for item storage. It means wall mounted shelves, wall-mounted bikes, wall mounted everything to make room for things that truly can’t be wall-mounted like sofas and beds and running children (teehee).
But why?
Going vertical optimizes floor space to eliminate visual clutter, but it also maximizes your square footage by giving you more space than just what’s available on the floor.
With more square footage visible, you trick the eye into seeing more space.
Afraid of clutter on the walls? Be intentional about how you organize things that are mounted. I like to choose storage that closely matches the wall so it doesn’t stand out unless I want it to stand out. While I love contrast, it has to be done intentionally. Design is about tricking the eye into seeing only what you want it to see.
6. Multipurpose furniture.
In my home, my living room is also a playroom, family room, office, dining room, et cetera. Hold the same expectation for your furniture.
My suggestion is to make sure that every piece of furniture, with maybe very few exceptions, pulls double duty. Think outside of the box. Your nightstand can also be clothing storage, your desk can also be a nightstand. Your tv stand can be a sideboard. Don’t be limited by what the furniture claims to be. Use it for what you need it for.
But why?
There’s no space for lazy furniture. It’s simple - you want to take up space, you gotta have at least two jobs. It’s a must! So, before you buy ANYTHING, think about its purpose and placement in your home.
7. No nook left behind.
Small spaces often have the audacity to not only be small, but to also be oddly shaped. You can still make it work, I promise. It just takes a little creative energy.
Remember how we talked about everything having two jobs? Let’s apply that to awkward nooks. My suggestion: in order for a small space to feel cohesive and more spacious than it is, every space must have a job. Give it a purpose. Can you use that awkward nook for storage, or maybe create an office, or homeschool desk, or dog room, SOMETHING.
But why?
You have needs, your home should serve them and can! You are the boss of your home.
You pay to stay there, your home can and should work for you. Tell your home what you need and think outside the box. Your home will serve the purpose you need it to.
8. Strike a visual balance.
This one particularly applies to my lovers of bold design, but can really be applied to everyone. If you are someone who likes bold pieces but wants to maintain a visual balance and avoid the overstimulation of visual clutter, pay close attention to the accessories you use in your space. Strike a balance between bold and neutral pieces to trick the eye into seeing what you want it to see. For example, if you have a bold pink sofa, consider styling it with a glass coffee table (if coffee tables are your jam), or more neutral accessories to keep the focus on the bold piece. Let the star of the show be the star of the show and supporting actors support quietly.
But why?
It goes back to your color palette, the way you use your color palette is important and I’m absolutely not saying that there is anything wrong with going bold everywhere; however (comma), there is a possibility that too many bold pieces will make your space feel visually cluttered.
9. Hidden Storage
I think this one sounds more complicated than it is, but it’s pretty simple and anyone can do it. The only caveat is that if you hide things too well, you might forget what’s where lol. This is great for those items that you don’t need often i.e., holiday decor.
My suggestion is to find opportunities for storage in places that aren’t obvious -- above, behind, and beneath furniture to name a few. If you can afford to shift your furniture forward 8 inches, that’s enough to sneak IKEA TRONES behind it and place a shelf on top. If you have any sneaky nooks in odd places, those are perfect for storage. If you know what you’re looking for, it’s easier to find it, which brings me to my next tip.
10. MEASURE your space AND check the dimensions BEFORE you order.
I read a lot of reviews, it’s part of my job, and I can’t tell you how many times I see reviews like “It was smaller than I thought it would be”, or “I love it, but it didn’t fit my space.” And I’m just like *facepalm* Did you check the dimensions? What did you think 27 inches was when you read it in the description? Many things are uncertain, but math is always the same. Admittedly, I’m not the best at math, but I can read the numbers on a tape measure and compare them to the dimensions of a product and you can too! I believe in you.
But why?
When mapping out your space, every inch counts.
The worst feeling is bringing in a piece of furniture you’re excited about and having it not fit in the space. Part of my job when I’m sourcing items for a client is to check the dimensions and make sure the item will fit in its intended location. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to let a beautiful piece of furniture go because it was an INCH off. It’s heartbreaking every time, but less heartbreaking than getting a furniture piece delivered and it not fit the plan. It’s absolutely CRUCIAL.
If this tip list just exposed to you that you need design help, submit an inquiry and let’s see how I can best help you! Send these tips to a friend who you might find them helpful. Stay tuned for more, because I’ll be sending these out approximately once a month.
