I’ve lived in small spaces for over 20 years. Throughout that time I’ve often been asked if I'll ever move to more sprawling digs. While I can’t say that the idea is totally off the table, I’m honestly quite content with my current living conditions. Why?

Personal experience has taught me how to make the most of a limited footprint. I now fully embrace the exciting challenge of decorating or designing small homes for clients or even for myself. Keep reading if you’re looking for ways to do the same.

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When Your Small Space Won’t Let You Be Great

So your small home or apartment won’t let you be great, huh? The first thing you should know is that living beautifully is an art that has very little to do with the size of your home. Every home, no matter the size, comes with it’s own “personality”. Some houses are open-air and friendly. While others seem to be on guard with many walls. Still others have all the makings of a more dynamic dwelling, but they’re small inside and need a little hand-holding and confidence building to get there.

As with human personalities, we often make adjustments to get along and nourish healthy relationships with those around us. The same principle applies to your small space. Be sure to introduce your home to ideas and objects that will enhance or build its unique character. If you want to love where you live, here are 5 smart solutions to get you started.

Problem #1: No Space for a Coffee Table

SOLUTION: Consider coffee table alternatives. Bring a hotel chic vibe into your home with a drink table or ottoman. A collection of scattered or clustered round drink tables and ottomans in varying sizes and heights is even more stunning and totally unexpected.

The best part about this fix is that a drink side table can be pulled apart and used as an end table or even a bedside table when needed. With this unique and unusual coffee table idea, your small space will never be boring.

Problem #2: Super High Ceilings in a Small Room

SOLUTION: Bring the eyes upward. Small rooms with high walls can be a fun place to express yourself! Painting the ceiling a rich color will bring it in close, making it appear lower. In a recent project I applied wallpaper on the ceiling of a small tall space, which gave the room a bit of sophisticated drama. Adding big and bold, dramatic lighting for high ceilings is another option. Just be aware though that these ideas will call for either some scaffolding, skill, patience or a lot of mulah.

The easiest and most affordable solution might be to use a high-reaching arc floor lamp. The sleek curvature of the stem on an overhanging floor lamp gently reaches up and way from the occupied floor space, to the bare areas of a room, taking your eyes with it. Sadly, I often see arc floor lamps used in rooms with ceilings that are way too low. When well placed though, an overhanging floor lamp is a really cool and artistic way to admire the ceiling height of a space.

Problem #3: Not Enough, or No Closet Space

SOLUTION: Embrace an the idea of an open wardrobe. Clothing display racks have long been used in places with small or non-existing closets. Granted, an open concept closet is not for everyone. But for those who have beautiful, well-arranged garments (and a moderately tidy home), this is the perfect fix.

I recently stumbled across this wooden clothes rack which can be mounted directly onto the wall, and is simple enough to be modified to fit any aesthetic. If you’re already scrounging for space, an open, wall-mounted closet will help clear clutter from the floor.

Problem #4: No Entryway

SOLUTION: Create a space within a space. Living in a home with no foyer entry can grate on the nerves. I’m speaking from experience. There is no place to take off shoes, or to hang coats, hats or purses.

First time guests to my home are often immediately confused after crossing the threshold directly into my living space. I have found that the easiest way to ease the transition is to build a room within a room. No, not with literal walls, but with strategically placed items that define the space. A hall tree, a few entryway wall hooks, small benches, or even a slender console table are all non-invasive ways of creating the illusion of a foyer.

if the budget permits, however, adding a partition wall is sufficient to create the visual separation. Or, if you’re concerned about the feeling of less space, opt for a half-wall (also known as a pony wall).

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Problem #5: Poor Lighting

SOLUTION: Introduce more than one source of light. Many times when clients complain about lighting in small spaces, what they really mean is that there is not enough of it. Interior designer, Candice Olson was where I first learned to light rooms from three vantage points: from the top, at eye level and from the bottom using uprights. Later, it was one of my decorating buddies JoAnne Lenart-Weary, who assigned each of these areas a name.

Skyline Zone: The area of a room that measures 78” and above. This is where your main lighting source (i.e., ceiling light) will be mounted.
Power Zone: The area of a room that measures 36’ -78” from the floor. Wall sconces (both hard wired and plugin versions) are perfect for this area, and are usually installed between 60”- 72”. LED strips around mirrors and televisions also work great in this zone.
Function Zone: The area of a room that measures up to 36” from the floor. Here is where the uplighting

Dividing light in a small space between these zones creates interesting shadows that make the space appear larger and more interesting. Use the above zones to layer your light sources and your home will never be light-poor again.