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A small room may not have much floor space, but it probably has a lot more useable space than it appears to. Look up and see for yourself! A small room does not have to be crowded, awkward, or uncomfortable.
One of the best ways to streamline a small space is to remove everything you do not absolutely need in the space. Items that belong in other areas need to be placed where they belong, and things that just end up in the space need to find another home. Items that are no longer needed should be disposed of or donated.
Next, limit the function of the space. Choose a purpose for that space and try to stick to just that purpose. If the room must be a multi-use space, try to minimize the amount of items needed for the secondary purpose or find creative ways to store them.
If your small space must serve as a home office as well as a guest room, you might want to consider building a loft bed. This would enable you to retain a cozy guest area while not limiting your workspace on a daily basis. Additionally, you may choose to keep the bed on the ground, but use the loft for storage. This would be a great place to keep older files, office supplies, and other items that are not required for everyday use.
In other small rooms, take full advantage of vertical space by installing shelves around the perimeter of the room, approximately 1 ½ to 2 feet from the ceiling. Leave a comfortable space between the shelves and any doorways, so entering and leaving the room or opening closets will not be awkward.
To make the shelves blend in, paint them the same color as the walls. You can store accessories, books, and collections on these shelves to free up space in other areas. Store the items that are used the least frequently on these shelves. You can add another layer of shelves about 2 feet below the top shelf if necessary, or build floor to ceiling shelves on an entire wall.
Closed storage will give the room a less cluttered appearance and therefore make it look and feel larger. Tall, narrow storage towers are great additions for hidden vertical storage. Make sure freestanding units are stable. Secure to a stud in the wall if necessary. If you find a great unit that does not have doors, add your own, or cover the opening with fabric.
You can apply the same treatments to bookcases, or line an entire wall with floor to ceiling bookcases, leaving some shelves open and covering others. For example, you might want to leave the upper shelves open to display decorative items, while covering the lower shelves to minimize the cluttered appearance.
Instead of having a TV cart, stereo stand, and CD/DVD racks, opt for a tall armoire or another type of closed cabinet where you can tuck all of these items away vertically in one area, rather than spreading them around the room and filling the space with separate pieces of furniture.
Another handy way to keep things off the floor is to hang things like bicycles or sporting gear on the wall.
Finding ways to utilize every inch of space takes some effort and creativity, but the extra elbowroom makes it worth it.
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