Photo by Tile Merchant Ireland on Unsplash

These days, square footage might as well be equivalent to pure gold. When you’re working with a shortage of living space, it’s likely you’ll have to get creative in order to optimize your smaller-than-desirable situation. Fortunately, there are tons of easy design hacks you can try out to maximize your living space to the fullest and get your apartment or house looking like something straight out of Pinterest.

Get Rid of Clutter

For starters, you’re going to need to get rid of the excess. Nothing makes a space feel claustrophobic like unnecessary clutter. Start small — maybe one closet or dresser at a time. Try your best to be cutthroat about ridding of extraneous accumulated items in your home. Ask yourself: When was the last time I wore this top? This bridesmaid dress? When was the last time I actually used this 10-year-old camera with dust caking the lens? It’s time to get honest with yourself about the things that actually serve a purpose taking up space in your home. If you can’t justify its presence in your small, sacred space, it’s likely time for it to find its way to a Goodwill. Decluttering is the jumping-off point to maximizing space.

To keep this trend going, practice mindfulness before purchasing anything that will end up in your home. For all potential future purchases, ask yourself: Will this be important to me in a year? How about three? If the honest answer is no, save yourself the space (and the money).

Don’t stop at decluttering your closet and dresser! This hack can be applied across the board. Are there wall hangings, tapestries, or paintings darkening your doorway (or living room) that don’t speak to you anymore? Your space is precious and you don’t need objects you feel lukewarm about fighting for real estate. Getting rid of frames and knick-knacks on your wall can open your space up significantly. This can also leave room for a more desirable replacement in the future.

Do you have a garage you can make use of for storing excess items that don’t belong inside but that you’re not quite ready to get rid of? Garages are not just for parking your car. Try converting your garage into a stylish and functional space for additional storage.

Organization is Key

Don’t underestimate the power of proper organizational techniques when it comes to helping to maximize a small space in your home. Keep the idiom: A place for everything and everything in its place at the forefront of your mind. When you’re working with a shortage of space, strong organizational skills will reign supreme in maximizing it. Is there a potential for adding shelves in your closet so that you can get rid of an extraneous piece of furniture that functions as a catch-all of objects? This could open your room up significantly. Do you have senseless duplicates? For instance, you likely don’t need to be hanging on to seven beach towels if you live with one other person in the mountains. Organize your small space in a way that’s intuitive to you and reap the benefits of your newfound spaciousness.

Color Makes a Difference

Once you’ve organized to your liking and rid of the various items in your home that are no longer serving you, you’re ready to explore more methods of maximizing space in your home. If the walls in the space are painted a darker color, consider replacing it with a fresh coat of light paint. (If the walls were painted extra bold, you may need to budget for a primer coat!) Painting a tiny space with lighter colors brightens up the room and gives the illusion of more space, thus maximizing your room with a paintbrush and a gallon of paint. Trending colors for space maximization are different variations of light gray and white, but if you’re feeling more experimental than that, pick a shade that suits your vibe, being mindful that paint dries darker. Tip: paint sample swatches on the wall before you commit.

Don’t Forget About Mirrors

Mirrors and other reflective materials are likewise fabulous tools when it comes to maximizing small spaces in your home. Similarly to painting your walls with lighter colors, mirrors give the illusion of more space by reflecting other areas in your home. One large mirror should do the trick, a design hack of decorating the walls of small spaces with larger frames and mirrors is tried and true. Also, try to maximize the vertical space on walls by installing vertical tiles that serve to make the room have higher ceilings, and thus feel bigger.

Functional Furniture

Stylish furniture that functions with the primary goal of saving space is easy to find these days. Consider the benefits of a folding desk or a Murphy bed if you want a “collapsable” and versatile vibe for your small space. Remember, getting your small space the way you like it is a process and there’s no one right way. At the end of the day, it comes down to your personal preference.

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