The simplicity and ease of small spaces have become more enticing as we focus on downsizing the unnecessary. Smaller living doesn’t mean going without. It means finding furniture pieces that work smarter rather than harder to make the most of your square footage.
Picking furniture for small spaces is intentional. Everything has a purpose when functionality is key. These are some of the best ways to optimize your valuable space.
Dining Room Furniture
Creating a dedicated dining area is one of the most challenging parts of living in a small space. The best way to utilize the space you have is often to create a small corner for dining, press your table up against the wall, or have your dining space serve more than one purpose such as doubling as an office space.
When it comes to furniture, you can’t go wrong with an extendable dining table.
The table you choose will depend on how much space you want to dedicate to your dining space. With an extendable dining table, like the crowd-pleasing Ethnicraft Bok extendable dining table, you can set aside relatively little space most of the time, only making your table bigger when the occasion calls for it. That way, you don’t have to completely sacrifice a large table.
Dining room seating can also provide space-saving solutions.
Add more seating by placing a dining bench like the Ethnicraft Bok dining bench up against a wall where chairs wouldn’t fit as nicely. You can also put your chairs away entirely when they’re not in use by picking out a set of stackable chairs. One of our favorite stackable seating designs is the S.A.C. dining chair by WOUD designs, a modern Japandi dining seat that stands for Stackable Arm Chair. Tucking your seats into a corner allows you more space for furniture you’re more invested in.
Living Room Furniture and Sofas for Small Spaces
The best furniture pieces for a small living room are pieces that serve more than one function. Most often, these pieces provide extra storage that is sorely lacking in limited spaces.
A side table that features drawers and space underneath is a simple example of multi-functional furniture. Two designs we’ve curated from Scandinavian furniture brand WOUD are perfect for this - the TABL features a spacious opening in the middle while the Sentrum side table contains space for magazines, books, or anything else. You might consider using something like a trunk for a coffee table where you can store extra pillows and blankets. Some ottomans have built-in storage as well.
Small, portable furniture is right at home in the living room. Tray tables incorporated into small spaces are a great way to add style and can be used for just about anything. You can even mix and match or create your own design with Ethnicraft furniture’s line of modern trays and tray tables. Or a small cart with wheels can be moved from the living room to the kitchen and even the bedroom with ease for serving while entertaining, bar carts are a great multifunctional piece and not just for drinks.
In small spaces, furniture with long, skinny legs gives you more room to breathe, and mirrored furniture adds more light to open up the space.
One of the most important pieces of furniture in the living room is the sofa. When shopping for a small space sofa, two-seaters are your best friend. A loveseat is comfortable and stylish and it doesn’t take up enough space to be disruptive, which is essential. A sofa that’s too big, too deep, or overstuffed will eat away at your already small room.
Small spaces are the perfect opportunity to make your sofa the feature point of your living room by choosing something that stands out from the typical clean lines and muted colors found in smaller homes.
Modular Sofas and Sectionals
Modular sofas and sectionals give you more options than a traditional sofa in a growing and changing space. Even when you’re working with small spaces, these pieces give you the ability to customize your sofa however you like. One of the most versatile designs in our collection of modular sectionals and sofas is Ethnicraft N701 modular sofa - available in multiple sizes, colors, and materials with the ability to mix and match and build your ideal custom design.
Because modular sofas come in separate pieces, you can purchase as few or as many sections as needed to fit in your space. The same can be said for sectionals. Start with one side of the sofa, transition to an L shape, or go for a full U sofa if your space allows.
When you move out of the small space for something bigger, it’s easy to purchase more pieces for your new larger living room instead of investing in an entirely new sofa.
Storage and Shelving
Storage is at a premium when it comes to small spaces. Aside from closets, there aren’t always enough places to put all of your things. That’s where vertical real estate comes into play.
Shelving hung on walls is your best friend in a small room. You can hang them up high enough to be out of the way without sacrificing precious floor space. Wall shelves are the perfect way to show off decor, books, and other objects when you have nowhere else to put them. Bookshelves or cube organizers are incredibly useful in small spaces, as they can be used to hold bins and baskets for additional storage needs. Ethnicraft furniture for storage like the M Rack bookcase or the PI solid wood shelves are perfect picks.
Try sectioning off a room with a bookshelf that’s open on both sides. This makes the space feel bigger by giving the illusion of two separate rooms while also giving you more storage space on either side. The open nature of the shelves will keep air flowing through the space instead of closing it off completely.
While picking out your furniture for your small space, keep storage in mind.
If you can’t get your hands on pieces that already have storage built in, look for leggy furniture with potential storage opportunities underneath. Tall beds, sofas, and benches are the perfect places to tuck boxes and bins when you’ve run out of options.
Use of Lighting and Mirrors
Lighting and mirrors are essential in any space but especially when you’re working in a cozy room. They make the difference in a space feeling crowded and closed in or open and airy.
Layer your lighting to brighten up small rooms. Use tall, slender floor lamps to add to the ambient lighting. Table lamps set on side tables provide wonderful task lighting. Or save on surface area by hanging up wall lamps instead to light up important parts of the room for reading and working.
Mirrored surfaces reflect the light and give the illusion that the room is bigger than it actually is.
A large mirror on the wall makes a great decor piece in a small room. Long, tall mirrors serve the same purpose when you only have a small stretch of wall to cover. Furniture pieces with mirrored surfaces, such as tables with glass tops, add to the effect of opening up the room.