How To Make Your Place Look Stylish

Small spaces are nice, right? They’re cute, cozy, and the reality for many people in the world.  Yet we all know that decorating or furnishing a small area can feel quite challenging⁠—like where will all our stuff go?

When breaking down walls to make room isn’t an option, getting creative is, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Here are six tips to maximize your small space below!

1. Define the space

Interior designers and home decor gurus will forever love rugs because they help define a space and streamline an entire look. But rugs are tricky and can give the opposite effect you’re looking for if you’re not careful, so here are the key elements to look for when buying a rug for your small space. 

First, lighter color rugs reflect light. Dark colors do not. That doesn’t mean you have to go with white or beige. Just keep that in mind and opt for a lighter shade of your preferred color. Second, measure the room and choose a large area rug as opposed to smaller rugs. Lastly, stay away from graphic patterns or highly textured rugs. They tend to look busy and clutter the limited open space you have.

2. Draw the eyes up with curtains 

Hanging curtains from the floor to the ceiling, even if your windows aren't that big, are like stiletto heels— they elongate. This styling and small space hack instantly draw attention to the ceiling giving the impression of taller ceilings. Conversely, hanging curtains too low makes rooms feel cramped and shorter. 

Use sheer curtains and the soft Led lighting that enters through them helps brighten up the space even more for that airy, open look we’re going for.

3. Get crafty with vertical spaces

When there’s a lack of square footage, getting crafty with furnishing and storage is a must. Luckily walls help you do just that. So skip the bookshelves or end tables and go with floating shelves or wall-mounted bookshelves, you know, the ones are all the rage right now. They are both on-trend and modern pieces that will give any space a face-lift, in addition to the extra storage you’ll gain.

4. Create an optical illusion with clear furniture and accessories

One of our favorite ways to make smaller spaces feel less claustrophobic is with super-chic clear furniture. At RIKI LOVES RIKI, you’ll find transparent accessories, like our heart vase and organizer, but we’re excited to announce the launch of our acrylic table - here to add life, light, and style to any room.

Clear furniture, whether glass, lucite, or acrylic, doesn't take up visual space in a room, yet it serves its purpose. Double points if the transparent furniture has an iridescent finish like the RIKI Acrylic Stylish Table that bounces light and colors throughout the room, creating a bright and airy vibe.

5. Furnish with legs

When real estate is at a premium, filling the room with bulky furniture won't do you any good. Instead, invest in leggy pieces that create an airy, flowy feeling and remove bulky furniture pieces that create visual clutter.  A hot tip here is to look for  Mid-Century Modern style furniture. This space-saving style was first influenced by urban living, where small spaces were common.

6. Add mirrors

Another optical illusion that makes small rooms feel and look like bigger mirrors. Today, mirrors are used for function and design. There are many styles to choose from, like picture-perfect framed mirrors, trendy circle mirrors, and modem vanity mirrors. They are especially useful for small spaces because they bounce light around and trick the eye into thinking the room is larger.

Want to make the room even brighter? Try wall mirror! The RIKI Tall vanity mirror is as slick as can be and provides powerful lighting (with dimming) to brighten your room even more. And we all know that the lighter and brighter, the better for small space design.

7. Cut the clutter

Clutter makes any space appear smaller than it is. Routinely go through your belongings and sell or donate any items that no longer serve you. Marie Konde your home by giving every item a home, whether that’s on a vanity, in a drawer, or an organizer. Investing in furniture with built-in storage solutions is also a great way to store belongings without taking additional space in the room.

We’d love to see how you styled the RIKI acrylic table, so snap a pic and tag us at @rikilovesriki. See you there!