31 Clever Ways Designers Decorate Small Rooms (That Actually Work)

Peninsulas give you all the benefits of a kitchen island without taking up as much floor space. Interior designer Danielle Tanner added a peninsula to her own kitchen renovation: ‘It gave us extra seating and eating space without compromising on storage and I’m glad we have somewhere for friends to perch when I’m cooking in the kitchen.’

• Tour the rest of Danielle’s London home

‘Using a single colour over the walls, woodwork (including bookcases and shelving) and up onto the ceiling will make the room feel larger and uncomplicated giving the illusion of more space,’ says Charlotte Crosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball.

• Pictured: Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball

Strategic styling is key when it comes to decorating a narrow hallway. XL mirrors are a clever way to reflect light and the more you add (within reason) the brighter the room will feel. Consider placing two mirrors on opposite walls to magnify the effect.

Tackle awkward layouts with bespoke features, like this clever integrated shelving from designer Lonika Chande. She’s had the bright idea to take the citrus orange floor tiles up into a practical splashback, leaving the rest of the room with a more economical coat of paint.

• Pictured: Design by Lonika Chande

If your small home doesn’t have the square footage for a full-size guest room, transform an existing area into a bunk space. Here, designer Ashley Gilbreath turned what was once a laundry room into a spot with built-in stacked beds for when little ones come to visit. ‘It’s like riding a business class train; just pull the curtains,’ Ashley says. ‘If you’re seven years old, that’s the coolest thing ever.’

Galley kitchens do well with a run of wall cabinets, but all that bulkiness can overpower a small space. Glass fronts feel much lighter, diffusing the intensity of colour overhead and revealing an artful mix of kitchenware inside. The mismatch of uppers and lowers feels relaxed and a little less formal than the usual coordinating sets.

‘When looking to kit out a small bedroom, being able to move freely around the bedroom is key to making sure you don’t bump your shins on clutter left around the floor. Think about investing in a storage bed either with drawers or with an ottoman lift, or if your budget prevents this, consider separate wheeled drawers that you can slide under the existing bed – just make sure you check the height from floor to bed,’ says Caitlin Price, head of buying, furniture & flooring at John Lewis & Partners.

Pictured: House Beautiful Aro Bed and Nia Side Table, both at DFS

Removing doors or increasing the width of your doorways can make all the difference to the flow of your home and the amount of natural light available. Connect the adjoining spaces with a harmonious colour palette à la designer Sheree Millington, who has echoed the punchy blue paint of her kitchen cabinets in her hallway.

Colour drenching is a tried and tested strategy in box rooms, and an oily, olive green is a great choice of paint. It adapts well to both daylight and lamplight – it doesn’t shift dramatically or bounce too much light around the room – which keeps shadows soft. The Henry Holland Blenets check fabric breaks the block of green in quite a fabulous way.

• Pictured: Harlequin x Henry Holland Blenets Check Mini fabric

The ever resourceful Katherine Ormerod added overhead shelving in her diminutive bathroom – with a squiggly trim for good measure – and packed all her essentials into pretty toiletry bags.

White is an obvious one for small rooms, but the key is choosing the right undertone. A brilliant white can make shadows appear harsher and highlight every corner, which often makes a compact space feel boxy, not bigger. Instead, look for a soft white with a touch of grey or cream, which diffuses light more evenly. For those considering an all white room, have a look at our deep dive into white paint.

• Pictured: Country Living Morocco Carpet at Tapi

A brilliant solution for narrow bedrooms. If your bed blocks your bedroom door from opening fully, swap them for slim double doors like these that can fit in a standard frame.

• Tour the rest of this creative London home

Intense colour or pattern does brilliantly well in small spaces where the effect is contained. A wallpaper like this can be taken up onto the ceiling too for a totally enveloping effect. ‘A downstairs toilet is a great place to experiment with your decoration ideas by using bold and contrasting colours,’ says Suzanne Duin, founder of Maison Maison.

• Pictured: Hollyhocks Wallpaper at House of Hackney

Every inch of this tiny bedroom has been used to wonderful effect by interior designer Jojo Barr of House Nine – have a look at the rest of the home, we’re utterly obsessed. The green wall panelling and picture rail combo is a particularly clever idea, adding oodles of colour and decor while sacrificing no more than a few inches of space.