Whether you rent an apartment, just bought your first home or have been a longtime homeowner, you can probably agree: Some of us live in pretty small spaces.
According to Livabl by Zonda, the average size of a new single-unit home built in 2024 shrunk by 11.6 percent. In 2023, homebuyers were purchasing homes about 200 square feet smaller than what they were buying 20 years ago, and every square foot is costing more and more, with median home prices up 3 percent in 2024 from the previous year, according to a study by Redfin.
The average size of new rentals is shrinking, too. According to RentCafe, apartment construction surged past 500,000 units for the first time. Apartment sizes in 2024 also increased to an average of 916 square feet nationwide.
It’s fair to admit that we just don’t get as much property for our money anymore. But, there are still ways to make your small space look and feel grand.
Whether you’re a renter and are limited on the changes you can make to your living space, or you simply don’t have enough of a budget to actually make your home bigger physically, there’s ways around it.
Here are several ways designers say you can upgrade your space on a budget:
Soft lighting and pretty fixtures
Making a space feel brighter will help open up the space. Julia Kleyman, a kitchen and bathroom designer for Ulrich, Inc. in Ridgewood, N.J, says she likes to use hidden light sources, under kitchen cabinets or below vanities, to bring in a soft glow that reflects off of surfaces.
“You can also have a nice chandelier or nice sconces,” she says. “These always look nicer than just a harsh light source.”
Amanda Scotto, CEO and principal designer of AMA Designs and Interiors in Little Falls, N.J. says mirrors are the best pieces of décor for a small space because they help bounce light around the room, creating a sense of more space and additional dimension. She recommends grouping accessories to make them feel more cohesive in a small space.
“While less is more in most cases, there should be a little personality to every surface and shelf sprinkled throughout the room. Accessorizing in groupings of three or odd numbers works best,” she says. “Bookcases get tricky because often people overload the shelves. To … give your eyes rest, I recommend grouping books by color or height to give order.”
Go Pastel and Funky
Painting is a simple and cost-friendly way to make your small space feel bigger.
“I love using light colors and pastel tones to complement a small space,” says Michal Rubin, principal designer of MR Interiors in Livingston, N.J. “Mint greens, light grays, light yellow — these are great color options to give the appearance of a larger space.”
Scotto suggests accenting a focal wall, which can make the wall recede and give the illusion of more depth in the room.
Another way to experiment with paint in a space is through the use of paint finish, Scotto says. Rather than painting a ceiling with an ultra-flat finish, try using a lacquered finish.
“A glossy ceiling reflects all the natural light and artificial light in the room, giving the illusion of a larger space,” she says. “Lacquered ceilings do require a professional, as high-gloss tends to show all the imperfections, so the prep work required to accomplish this needs to be perfect.”
Wallpaper is another way to visually expand your space. Rubin says that busy patterns, such as fun prints and all-over florals, are better for small rooms and give the illusion of a larger space. If you are renting a home or apartment and have restrictions on what you can place on the walls, companies even make peel-and-stick wallpaper that can be easily removed when you leave.
Go minimal
When it comes to furniture, the size and bulk of an item is more important than the style or material. Rubin says it’s not only important to avoid furnishing a small space with bulky items, but to also not overcrowd a room with too many pieces.
“I’d probably opt for a sofa over a sectional, to avoid any one piece dominating the only space you’re working with,” Scotto says. “I’d also avoid clutter. For example, if you’re working with a small-scale living room, you don’t need to throw in a sofa, two chairs, a coffee table, a side table, area rug, etc., because that’s what you’ve seen in other living rooms. Be conscious of the space and edit two or three items out.”
Also, be intentional about how you arrange your furniture. Scotto says it’s best to walk into a room with the largest piece of furniture as the focal point of the room, such as the bed in the bedroom or the sofa in the living room.
It’s important to face the furniture to the entryway of the room. When you walk into a space and you’re facing the front of the sofa, it gives a feeling of an open floor plan, while seeing the back of the sofa makes the room feel closed off.
Bring furniture a few inches off the wall, rather than positioning it directly against the wall. While it seems counterintuitive, she says, it ends up giving the illusion of a larger space.
“If you’re doing a bathroom, have a wall-hung vanity,” says Kleyman. “Have an open console holding the sink so your eyesight will not be blocked, giving the illusion of a larger space.”
