You Don’t Have to Sacrifice Style When Your Space Is Small

For ages, architects and designers have been fascinated by the puzzle of small spaces. Visionaries like Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Eileen Gray, and Frank Lloyd Wright pursued projects that may have felt experimental at the time, but ultimately laid the groundwork for future design for tight interiors. And the Tetris of it all is always evolving.

The first thing to consider, according to Ecuadoran architect Juan Alberto Andrade, is to understand that "small scale has no waste or, rather, it has little margin for error." That makes selecting furnishings that both look good and function well a true challenge. We talked to designers who have solved remarkable spatial organization puzzles and got tips—and products—for how to live small and love it.

The Compact Living Room

There are two ways to go about organizing a small living room, says Andrade: "You can inhabit the perimeters to free up the center and have a single congregation space, or you can inhabit the center with furniture or pieces and free up the perimeters." Either way, you’ll probably be starting with a couch. At Dwell, we say, think modular and multifunctional. Retroloop’s modular seating can be attached to create a love seat or broken up to create chairs for social gatherings.

For those who truly can’t squeeze in a coffee table, Heller’s clever stool at least offers a way to store two beverages and some snacks. Added bonus: It’s made of recycled plastic, meaning it’s indoor/outdoor.

Another living room tip from Koto Design’s MillieBryant: Use a large rug, as "it can help create a sense of expansiveness."

Some living room furniture of note

Essential Storage

The traditional approach to small space storage is to build upward and utilize dead space near the ceiling. This may work if you are constructing a home or gutting a space, but renters may want to consider prioritizing storage from the waist down. "You feel space from the waist up," says Kevin Fritz, founder and owner of Fritz Tiny Homes. "We try to eliminate upper cabinetry as much as we can because that’s shoulder space—that’s visual space that can eat into a small room." When you’re low on closets, consider a wall-mounted storage solution, like Ferm Living’s hallway cabinet, with just enough room for a coat, some keys, and a bag or two. Create the tiniest drop zone with Yamazaki’s teensy table; at just eight inches deep, it’s one of the slimmest console tables we’ve ever seen, meaning you can fit this item in a tiny hallway or position it at the back of a couch.

To find hidden opportunities for storage, Fritz has some advice: Think about ways to create custom solutions above or below furniture. A great example: "We like to use the space underneath the couch. So we’ll buy a stock couch, remove the legs, and put it on top of a cabinet or on top of a trundle bed," he says.

Some storage of note