14 Tricks for Making the Most of a Small Space

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Two designers show how to live large in a little space.

Small is beautiful. These fourteen gorgeous images from The Art of Living Small are a lesson in how to live small. Innovative design solutions, like a second-story loft bedroom, a symmetrical dining nook, and a plush living room all illustrate that —although it may seem daunting at first—once you understand how to live small, it is just a matter of putting each amazing piece of the puzzle together. So enjoy seeing the subtleties of a limited color palette, how architectural details can help to create space, and how a simple understanding of where and how you choose to live can help you master the art of living small.

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The Genteel Cottage

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Location: Orange, Virginia
Size: 1200 square feet
Designer: Sam Blount
Architect: Madison Spencer

A couple from Connecticut moved down South with the plans to develop land in Virginia's horse country. With a plan that would take years to complete, they decided to start with a guest house to provide lodging while the main house and stables were built. The straightforward floor plan can be seen in the cottage's simple exterior.

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The Kitchen

White Kitchen with Green Soapstone Counters

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Decorative touches—like green soapstone counters and tole fronts on the upper cabinets—add color and style to the white kitchen without taking up space. The marble-and-iron table also doubles as an island work surface.

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The Dining Nook

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

"Symmetry is so important. It imposes order and soothes the eye," says Blount. "Sometimes asymmetry is nice and necessary, but in a small space where you see everything in one look, the best image is one that doesn't make your eye work so hard."

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The Living Room

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Blount is a big fan of large rugs in small spaces, saying that too many bitsy ones visually chop up the floor. Here, he used as big of a rug as possible. A striking blue barn door takes up less room than hinged doors would.

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The Living Room

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

"A limited color palette gives clarity. Blues and whites predominate in this house, playing well with the clients' classic furnishings. Too many colors can shrink a room—the eye has to stay very busy to take it all in. Painting the walls white and the vaulted portion of the ceiling celestial blue makes the 14-foot ceilings soar even higher."

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The Living Room

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Blount set up a bar atop this chest and stashed glasses in the drawers below.

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The Bedroom

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Tucking the queen-size bed into a nook creates more floorspace. The roomy drawers below provide extra storage space.

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The Madcap Loft

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 650 square feet
Designer: Matthew Bees

A Mississippi couple looking to create a home base in Charleston gutted their 1 bedroom, 1 1/2-bath getaway, and Bees created a space that looks like it was cultivated over generations. He drew inspiration from a hotel where "a wonderful mix of 17th- and 18th-century styles was presented in a fresh, modern way."

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The Living Room

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

In the living room, the 7-foot chocolate brown sofa fades into the wall and the skirt hides a pullout mattress. Filling the room with upholstered pieces creates a plush look and extra seating.

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The Living Room

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Using a chest as the bar in the living room adds extra storage, and also provides a surface to add extra lamps. Since the space is low on natural light, Bees made sure to pile on the artificial light with five lamps, a large central chandelier, and a smaller one over the dining table.

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The Dining Nook

Dining Nook with Glass Table and Brown Chairs

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Beneath the stairs, a wall-mounted TV, glass-top table, chairs, and stools create a lively, low-profile dining nook.

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The Loft Bedroom

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

An Asian screen mounted from the ceiling beams gives the illusion of a wall in the loft's second-story bedroom. The garden stool and sconce function as a nightstand and occupy just 2 feet of floorspace.

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The Loft Bedroom

Photo: Instagram/@ryanntaylordavis

The tallboy provides ample drawers for storage and ginger jars on top add height and additional storage.

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The Powder Room

Powder Room with Wallpaper and Aubergine Ceiling

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

In the powder room, the deep aubergine ceiling coordinates with the wallpaper.

Replay gallery

The Art of Living Small

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The Genteel Cottage

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The Kitchen

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The Dining Nook

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The Living Room

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The Living Room

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The Living Room

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The Bedroom

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The Madcap Loft

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The Living Room

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The Living Room

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The Dining Nook

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The Loft Bedroom

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The Loft Bedroom

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The Powder Room

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The Art of Living Small

1 of 15

The Genteel Cottage

2 of 15

The Kitchen

3 of 15

The Dining Nook

4 of 15

The Living Room

5 of 15

The Living Room

6 of 15

The Living Room

7 of 15

The Bedroom

8 of 15

The Madcap Loft

9 of 15

The Living Room

10 of 15

The Living Room

11 of 15

The Dining Nook

12 of 15

The Loft Bedroom

13 of 15

The Loft Bedroom

14 of 15

The Powder Room

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