If you’re Googling furnishing tips for small spaces, it’s usually for one reason: you’re tired of your home feeling tighter than it should. Your walkway is awkward, “storage” is random piles, and your room doesn’t look the way you pictured in your head. The good news is, you don’t need a bigger apartment to get a more elevated look. These tips pull from the same logic behind modern luxury interior design Los Angeles projects, just scaled down for real life.

TIP 1: START WITH THE WALKWAY

If you’re squeezing past the sofa or turning sideways to get to the kitchen, then you need to fix your layout. Pull pieces off the wall if it helps the path. A tighter-depth sofa usually fixes more than people expect.

TIP2: PICK PIECES YOU CAN SEE UNDER

Furniture on legs makes a room feel lighter, and you don’t get that “everything is sitting heavy” look. Bonus: you can actually vacuum without moving half the room.

TIP 3: skip the big coffee table

Small round tables, nesting tables, or a storage ottoman do the job without blocking your knees. If you host, nesting tables are gold because they can spread out and then disappear.

nesting coffee table for small spaces — Photo Via: Adorn Homes

Tip 4: don’t waste your surfaces on Lamps

In a small room, table space is valuable. If your side table is basically a lamp stand, you’re losing function. Use wall lighting instead: plug-in sconces by the sofa, a swing-arm by the bed, or a picture light over a shelf. Hide the cord with a slim cover, and it stops looking “temporary.” This is one of those small moves you’ll see in warm modern interior design LA since it keeps the room feeling open, even when there’s not much square footage.

wall sconces for small spaces — Photo Via: Blushing Bungalow

TIP 5: let the rug do the organizing

A too-small rug makes the room feel scattered. Go larger so at least the front legs of your seating sit on it. It’s one of the quickest ways to make a small room look pulled together, especially if you’re into a minimalist luxury home design LA look.

Tip 6: choose low-maintenance fabrics (if you have kids or pets)

Performance fabric, leather that wipes clean, and tighter weaves save you stress. Closed storage helps too. A storage ottoman lets you keep everyday clutter from living on your sofa.

pet friendly sofa for small spaces — Photo Via: Cozy Comfy Couch

TIP 7: when storage is the issue, go up!

Storage solution for small spaces — Photo Via: The Medium Collective | Design

Tall shelves, wall cabinets, or a bench with closed storage will give you space back. If you’re ready to invest, take cues from custom millwork design ideas LA and build around awkward corners or dead wall space. That’s how small rooms start to feel capable.

Furnishing Tips for Small Spaces