9 Small Space Furniture and Decorating Tips to Elevate Any Room

There’s no need to wait until you own a sprawling manse to start making your decorating dreams come true—even if you find yourself in a space that’s short on, well, space. A thoughtful and well-placed small space furniture item can transform any corner into a cozy, chic nook.

I’m currently hunkered down in the humble, three-bedroom apartment that I share with my husband. And while it’s much bigger than the apartments I’ve previously lived in, our living room is almost too small to turn around in. After a bit of trial and effort, we’ve found several clever ways to transform that little area into a hosting-worthy (whenever we can do that again) entertaining room, dining room, workspace, and storage area for my growing collection of clothes.

I’d like to thank the years of living in match-box-sized studio apartments for teaching me how to make the most of every square foot—horizontally and vertically. If you, too, are in need of small space furniture or decorating ideas for a tiny room, you’ll find several ingenious items to help elevate any room just ahead.

The Parisian-Inspired Café Table

A traditional dining room table was completely out of the question for our small kitchen-slash-living-room situation. But this elegant slab of marble by Nathan James fit perfectly in one corner without taking up precious space. The best part: Two sleek rattan chairs easily slide underneath the table when it’s not in use.

Nathan James Lucy mid-century modern table

$280

AMAZON

The Sleek Desk

My favorite small space decorating trick is buying items that can easily fold up and go into storage. Instead of committing to a bulky desk, CB2’s acrylic folding tray with metallic legs makes for a chic, mobile workspace, and the clear design doesn’t look cluttered in small areas.

CB2 Novo acrylic folding table

The Kitchen Saver

Placing cups side by side can eat away at cabinet space, but Our Place cleverly crafted these stackable cups to help utilize the often wasted vertical space in cupboards. Plus, they come in a wonderful assortment of colors.

Our Place the drinking glasses

$50

OUR PLACE

The Wee Washer

There’s no need to do any kitchen remodeling in order to enjoy the luxury of a dishwasher. This mini option from EdgeStar—which comes in a sleek black, silver, or white—is perfect for renters or those who simply want a portable fix. 

EdgeStar portable countertop dishwasher

$269

AMAZON

The Foldable Chair

Never worry about extra seating for guests with this collapsible teak wood chair by Danish brand Skagerak. The unique design is also pretty enough to double as a work of art.

Skagerek royal chair

The Lean Lamp

Skip the bulky end tables and traditional lamps and brighten up a small space with a sleek floor-standing lamp like this brass-finished Edison bulb option. 

Brighttech Elizabeth industrial floor lamp

The Stackable Storage

As Marie Kondo tells us, clutter makes a small space feel even smaller—storage baskets, like these hand-woven ones from West Elm, are an easy and stylish way to keep things tidy.

West Elm modern weave round-lidded baskets

$100

WEST ELM

The Closet Hero

Every fashion lover needs one of these Steamery hangers. You’ll be able to squeeze six times the amount of clothes into your closet, thanks to the double perforated holes in the double hook hanger.

Steamery space-saving hanger

$32

NORDSTROM

The Sleek Sofa

Even if you don’t have a lot of extra room to play with, you can still incorporate those swanky 1960s vibes with an architectural mini sofa like this boucle curved option from Urban Outfitters.

Urban Outfitters Aria Sofa

$899

URBAN OUTFITTERS