Here is a quick overview of the decorating ideas and guidelines we have endeavored to bring to light after carefully reviewing loads of inspiring sources:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

---

1. Fitted Kitchens for Small Spaces
   
   1.1 Organised drawers
   1.2 Out of Sight Appliances
   1.3 Smart Use of Lights
   
   

2. Living Room Décor Ideas for Small Spaces
   
   2.1 Bright Colours
   2.2 Suspended Shelves
   2.3 Bookish Staircases
   2.4 Dining & Coffee Tables
   2.5 Multipurpose Home Accessories
   2.6 Purposeful Lights
   
   

3. Home Office Ideas for Small Spaces
   

   3.1 Practical Work Units
   3.2 Wall Mounted Desks
   3.3 Desk Lighting: Task Lamps
   
   

4. Bedroom Home Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces
   
   4.1 Master Bedroom Ideas for Studios
   4.2 Girls’ Small Bedroom Decorating Ideas
   4.3 Boys’ Small Bedroom Decorating Ideas
   
   

5. Bathroom Ideas for Small Spaces
   
   5.1 Utility Corner
   5.2 Wall Mirrors
   5.3 Big Tub + Space Saving Shelves
   5.4 Colours and Accessories
   
   

6. Storage Solutions for Small Spaces
   
   6.1 Bike Racks
   6.2 Multi-functional Beds
   6.3 Clever No Closet Solutions
   
   

7. Garden Designs for Small Spaces
   
   7.1 Space Savvy Landscape & Furniture Design Tricks
   7.2 Smart Outdoor Lighting Ideas
   
   

Any place, be it a small apartment or a tiny studio, has the potential to elevate to the classy and eye-popping standards of interior design magazines.

Keeping a tiny apartment uncluttered is no easy task, though. That is why we have selected the best designer secrets for small spaces for you to get inspired. There is a solution for every corner of your home.

Apartment kitchens are often small and crammed. While they can lack in size, they can surely compensate in functionality. As every square foot is valuable, the secret is to transform the pieces of furniture into more versatile units.

One of the most ingenious home décor ideas for small kitchens is to create drawers inside cupboards. Here you can store not only crockery, cutlery, utensils, and kitchen appliances, but also veggies, bread, and other goods.

Keep all essential cooking ingredients and tools right at your fingertips, instead of displaying them on your worktop.

Top Tips:

• Increase the pack-it-in potential of your drawers by creating as many storage crates as possible. This will help you maintain your kitchen counter top clean and create the illusion of a bigger space at the same time.
• You don’t have to hide everything. Add an industrial touch to your kitchen design by outfitting a pantry-like shelving system or displaying your favourite accessories and crockery items with the help of a trolley.

Make your kitchen less stuffy by incorporating the fridge and dishwasher machine into the kitchen furniture.

This is a minimalist home décor idea implemented by many home designers. You can simply hide everything behind cabinet doors.

Lights, just like mirrors, are purposeful interior design elements. They are part of the functional structure of your home, on one hand, and of the decorative ensemble, on the other.

Kitchen lights do not have to be exclusively utilitarian. You can add a more intimate feel to the room by placing a table lamp in one of your kitchen’s corners. If you are into a vintage home décor, a vintage style chic light will compliment both your home and style. Alternatively, if Boho home décor is your thing, give your home a bohemian feel with a Harbour side glass jar lamp or a bright coloured corner lamp.

Top Tips: Adopt the concept of layering your lighting:

• Ambient lights will fill the living room with a comfortable level of illumination, allowing for a warm golden light to set it regardless of how cold and minimalist the design of the room is.
• Task lights come to supplement the ambient lights where detailed activities take place like studying or applying make-up. Table lamps, in particular, are indispensable for a well-lit work space or relaxing corner, especially if you have designed it inside your main living area.
• Accent lights are used for certain objects or areas of the room you want to highlight. This way you can create visual interest to a painting or a sculpture.
• Decorative lights not only have an aesthetic appeal but also a practical purpose. As already discussed, it can enhance both the space and the allure the room.

Colours have an important impact on the way we perceive everything around us. When it comes to ingenious home décor solutions, the function of colours goes beyond their primary purpose of beautifying your walls.

Top Tip: Choose a light colour scheme to add a touch of warmth and create the feeling of more space.

Take a step back and look around. There are ingenious tricks to declutter your room suitable even for crammed studios. One of the simplest space maximizing solutions you can employ is using suspended shelves.

Top Tips:

• Do you have a radiator that seems to occupy too much room? Make use of the space above it with wall mounted shelves. As a tip, always choose bright colours and light materials.
• Spot other overlooked spaces you can fill like the area behind the sofa. Losing a little floor space there will compensate with a ton of storage.
  
  

No matter how big or small your home is, you would be surprised by how many unused spots you can put on the map of a redecorating project.

If you have interior stairs, why not create more space for your books and favourite home decorations by placing a neat-looking shelf under the staircase? This is not only a clever home décor idea but it also adds a special touch to the overall look of the room.

Top Tip: Transform the stair landing into a sideboard or bar.

If you have a small living room you cannot afford to squeeze in a massive dining table. That would eat up the entire room. However, you can still enjoy a cosy family dinner by making the right choices.

Whether you place the table flush against the wall, choose a collapsible table with a built-in extensible mechanism, or create a wall mounted dining table, go for a compact, functional, and minimalist design.

Top Tips:

• Think multipurpose and choose a multi-task piece of furniture you can expand only when needed. Complemented with a linen cloth, a buffet or sidebar can function as a perfectly formal dining table for small spaces.
• Add wheels to the legs of the table. This way, you can easily tuck it away when not using it and enjoy some extra space. This home décor idea can apply to any other room.

Nothing makes your apartment feel like home more than personalized home décor accessories. At the same time, you may have to think multipurpose even when it comes to decoration ideas.

As one of the pieces of furniture to attract your guests’ envy may be a well-designed bookshelf, consider adorning it with lovely accessories like bookends. Designed to be practical, they can make the display of your books more enticing. Our favourite pick is the eclectic African Rhino Bookends.

When it comes to light, the first thing to consider is working with the natural light sources you have available.

Whether you use window treatments or reflective surfaces like mirrors to enhance light’s throw, there are plenty solutions to make the room feel more spacious. Nothing compares with the power of good lighting, though.

Top Tips:

• Be bold and creative. Choose a unique, quirky home décor with a table lamp that oozes a vintage and industrial style at the same time. Our top pick is this glass table lamp with vintage style bulbs.
• If you are looking for a cosier look, opt for a rustic home decor or a shabby chic home décor table lamp. They will add a touch of warmth to the room. Alternatively, an antique style lamp would elevate your home décor to new heights of elegance.
  
  

Here are just a few useful ideas on how to employ décor, furnishing, colours, and lighting:

---

 

• Merge aesthetics with ergonomics.
• Create a cosy office space between large cabinets.
• Look for any underused corner: underneath the stairs, the attic, the staircase landing space. Even a nook, wardrobe, or closet can accommodate a small yet chic desk.
• Go for a minimalist design to save room and create the illusion of more space.
• Select refreshing hues of blue or green to keep you energized
• Place a simple, yet classy home office in one of the corners of the room
• Consider storage solutions that do not occupy too much leg space such as floating or wall mounted shelves, folding desks.
• If decorating a study space for your children, look for workstations.
• Transform the free space behind the sofa into a work space by placing a compact home office unit and a comfy chair.
• Don’t hesitate to add loads of colours and go for an eclectic vibe.
• Look for storage options around the desk such as corner storage units.

A Scandinavian style mounted desk like the one we spotted at a BoConcept furniture store, makes for both a unique home décor idea and practical piece of furniture. Here is a short presentation of the concept:

Top Tips:

• As it is unlikely to find a piece of furniture to perfectly fit in a tiny space, we recommend you to hire a carpenter and work out the design together.
• If you are into vintage fashion or fond of shabby chic decorating ideas, you may fall in love with the following mounted desk.

Once you get the desk you have always dreamed of, it’s time to find a perfect task lamp for your work space.

Although there are so many possibilities, it’s hard to deny the charm of the so-called Architect’s lamp. If you are looking for home office decorating inspiration, the industrial vibe is high on trends at the moment.

The ideal bedroom furniture for small spaces includes a bed frame custom-built with drawers. However, before you design the layout of your room, decide on what is important to you.

Do you dream of a king size bed? Do you think you can make room for such an extravagant wish by replacing large pieces of furniture with smaller alternatives?

Top Small Space Bedroom Decorating Ideas:

• A bookshelf can be used both to display books and add colour.
• Less is more. Don’t be afraid to say goodbye to possessions that serve no purpose. This way, you can at least make more space for items you really need or love.
• Add more interest with decorative painting techniques, a wooden or brick wall detailing, or eye-catching flooring.
• If these transformations involve too much effort or too many costs, you can go for vibrant colours or a striking piece of décor like a delicate chandelier. It does not need to be luxurious, however. Even a vase of fresh flowers would make a difference.
• Don’t add too many layers of colour and décor, though.
• Select neutral tones for both the wall painting and big pieces of furniture to make the bedroom feel roomier. White and grey make small bedroom appear more spacious
• Go for darker tones if you want to add elegance or more interest for certain areas of the room.
• If you choose a bold colour for the walls, try to complement it with light furnishings or bedding.
• Employ several layers of lighting to eliminate all dark corners.
• Opt for multi-purpose furniture for your studio.
• Employ innovative sliding doors to create and isolate the bedroom from the main living area.
• Trust in symmetry.

Top space saving ideas for small bedrooms:

• Storage is key. If you don’t have a large closet to keep clutter away from sight, use curtains.
• If you don’t have enough room for nightstands, some cute shelves would do the trick instead.
• Alternatively, you can use small dressers to keep your clothes inside instead of nightstands.
• As the storage space for small bedrooms consisting in a closet or nightstands is sometimes non-existent, consider storing only the essential.
• Another way of maximizing the appearance of your bedroom is to free up a lot of space by using under-bed storage containers or extra drawers on the frame of the bed.
• Murphy beds that you can tuck away are a great addition to small space bedrooms.
• Use chic baskets under the bed to hide things you don’t use too often or you don’t want to see every day (like tools).

From painting to mirrors and storage solutions, the right choices will make a girls’ small bedroom appear bigger as if by magic. The home accessories you choose and colours you select, will add character to the room.

• Choose a joyful colour palette to inspire a sense of openness and freshness. Large windows painted in bright or neutral colours also contribute to the freshness of a small bedroom.
• Don’t use too many colours, though, as it will create a visual fragmentation and make the bedroom look smaller than it actually is.
• White is a perfect choice to make a room look clean and uncluttered.
• Introduce a decorative accent by using pillows and nice fabrics.
• Pay attention to both the size and colour of furniture and the vibe the overall design exudes.
• Make use of the vertical space by replacing the bed stands with storage shelves.

Whether you are looking for space-saving ideas for your son’s cluttered bedroom or you are just interested in storage solutions for your own place, here are some inspiring decorating tricks:

• Transform one side of the bedroom into a study corner.
• Opt for glass suspended shelves to create a sense of more space.
• Park the bike on the wall.

Ideally, you should dedicate an entire room to washing & drying clothes, and ironing. What if you don’t afford the luxury of having a utility room?

A two-bedroom apartment should accommodate everything you need. The trick is to conceal your washing machine wherever you find some extra space, even in the kitchen.

Top Tips: 

• If you have generous cupboards in your kitchen, you should rather implement this idea and no one will notice there is a washing machine hidden in the cabinet, at least until you actually uses it.
• Store your household essentials in versatile, simple, yet chic and vintage Utility Buckets.
• Keep your laundry into a natural rustic rattan basket.

A small bathroom could benefit from the clever use of mirrors. Beyond helping you check your outfit before leaving the house and contributing to the overall aesthetics of your home, mirrors play the essential role of space enhancers.

Anyone who dreams of adjusting a cosy king bed even to a small studio, may consider the luxury of fitting in a large tub. As long as you can accommodate wall mounted shelves for your accessories and storage crates under the sink, you can accomplish such bold and challenging endeavour.

Top Tip: For a fancier look, install a hamper under the sink instead of a cupboard.

When it comes to the right colour palette for a small bathroom the same golden rule applies as in the case of living rooms and bedrooms – stick to a soft, neutral shade.

Small spaces don’t have to be boring, though. Add a splash of colour and more character to your washroom by choosing vivid hues for bathroom accessories, funky shower curtains, and cute towels. Have fun with details!

City-dwellers know how difficult it is to find a good place to store a bike inside the apartment. Living in a small apartment can be a real hustle for those dealing with more bikes than storage space.

We have already provided you with a display idea on how to store your bike in the bedroom. While researching for more such spectacular solutions, we have come across different types of indoor bicycle storage racks. Let’s take a look at a few more tricks you can implement in your main living area.

Top Tip: if you like this storage idea, make it a DIY home décor project for the weekend. Take a look at the following tutorial and create a bike rack that best suits your style and space needs.

Plus, you will have a personalised piece of funky home décor.

Keeping order in a small house is not that difficult as you think. One of the innovative storage solutions you can put into practice in your living room is turning a banquette into a bed for your guests.

Such banquette-guest bed for small spaces should double as a storage unit too. Place a set of boxes underneath and you will achieve a multi-purpose piece of furniture.

Top Tips:

• Create a “toolbox” to place under the bed. Forget about boring boxes where you throw everything you want to keep out of sight. Choose, instead, a set of shabby chic baskets.
• Woven boxes or natural hinged straw boxes can also double up as bedside tables. 

To make use of every square inch of a studio or small apartment, you have to be inventive. The results you can achieve are impressing, just like “The Living Cube” below:

Extra Tip: Transform the space behind your bed or sofa into a storage space by using cute, colourful curtains. This way, throwing your clothes or leaving your shoes on the floor will be out of sight.

Having a small outdoor living space does not mean you cannot achieve a lush, functional garden.

Whether you have only a patio you can barely use for dining or a small backyard where you wish to grow vegetables, there are many smart landscape and outdoor décor ideas you can implement.

One of the inspirational cheap home décor ideas we have hit upon is refurbishing old pieces of furniture. Instead of throwing out a dresser you no longer use, you can give it a new purpose outside by using it as a plant support.

Top Tips:

• Transform a shadowy dark space into a bright and uncluttered outdoor setting by adding eye-popping pillows and accessories, as well as plants in layers.
• Save space by employing vertical landscape. One way of placing your plants vertically with much ease is using tiered planters.
• Add a charming rustic touch to your garden with planters that remind of farm churns.

As we have already discussed, lighting has a fundamental role in interior design. However, few people consider the major impact lights can have on the outdoor space too.

Besides setting in a sense of warmth and cosiness, they act as space enhancers and make for a lovely addition to the overall scene.

Here are our top recommendations for a well-lit small garden:

• Choose lights that suit the overall style and colour schemes of your outdoor design.
• Opt for symmetrical path lights for the sides of your patio.
• Go green and use solar garden lights. Not only they are environmentally friendly but they also add a special decorative lighting effect.

Our favourite picks include the light bulb garland, perfect for a chic outdoor birthday party or a fairy-like outdoor wedding setting, and the versatile lights that are meant to be displayed over wooden walls. 

Keep in mind: the key to transforming a small space into a welcoming home without spending a fortune consists in: 

• Investing in both functional and appealing pieces of home décor. These will help you keep everything nice and clean at all times.
• Minimizing the amount of cleaning and maximizing the space you have with clever storage solutions and small space decorating ideas.
• Making your home cosier and more inviting with the help of ingenious home decorations.
• Adding more personality to your living room or home office by creating pieces of furniture that suit your needs and meet all your dreams and expectations.
• Paying attention to details. After all, what makes a small space well-designed and visually attractive is identifying overlooked opportunities. Make smart changes and have fun along the process!