Do you live in a small house or apartment and space is limited? Perhaps it has downsized or is your first home. For whatever reason, here are some decorating tips to save space in smaller living spaces.

Furniture: Use multipurpose pieces that have a double function.

Use concealed storage, such as accent boxes, coffee tables, and ottomans that double as storage units, tables with drawers, or shelves. Store extra blankets in the ottoman.

Buy a sofa bed or futon

Maximize vertical space

Use taller bookshelves, shelves, and furniture

Closet storage units are a wonderful way to use space efficiency.

Raise the bed and use storage units underneath.

furniture scale

The proportion is important. Not too small, not too big, not too much furniture.
Choose the main pieces of furniture first and build around them.

Use skinny rocking chairs, open-back chairs, and a simple sofa or loveseat instead of overstuffed furniture that dominates the space.

Choose pieces with exposed legs.

keep it simple

Reduce clutter.

Less is more; keep accessories to a minimum.

keep it light

Add lighting at different levels around the room: floor lamps, table lamps, and ceiling lights.

Use light color on the walls (soft, monochromatic colors).

Light, bright colored walls are more reflective, helping to maximize the effect created by natural light. Cooler colors (greens/blues) recede; warmer colors (yellow, red) close in one room.

Paint a wall a focal color

Keep the ceiling a lighter color than the walls.

Add mirrors to the walls (dining room, hallway, entryway), bookshelves, group the mirrors on one wall and create a focal point or interesting setting. A large mirror will reflect light around the room. Mirrors also reflect natural and artificial light and make a room brighter during the day and at night; mirrors will bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. Mirrored or glass-fronted cabinet doors make spaces feel large and uncluttered.

Add window treatments: sheers or top treatments to the windows only.

choose a pattern

Pick a fabric pattern as your focal point and build around those colors and patterns.

You can mix many textures together easier than many patterns

Define and divide your space

Create space by painting different areas of the same room in different colors, installing louvered or screen doors, room dividers, or hanging shades.

When arranging furniture, keep traffic patterns in mind. All traffic must flow seamlessly through the room. Make sure there is enough room to move and live among the items. Place the largest piece on the largest wall and in front of the focal point. Then create a conversation area. Place a side chair on each side of the sofa or loveseat, and place the coffee table where it can be reached from all three seating locations.