I live with my boyfriend in about 600 square feet and we have very little storage, so I’m always looking for ways to get more out of our small space. A recent renovation featured by This Old House transformed a 1,500-square-foot Brooklyn home for a family of five and offered several practical ideas that work well in compact homes.
Here are a few of the most useful tips from the project:
- Lay flooring on the diagonal. Whether you choose wood or tile, diagonal installation draws the eye across the room and can make narrow spaces feel wider.
- Choose small-scale furniture. In smaller rooms, streamlined, proportionate pieces help maintain flow and prevent the space from feeling crowded. Avoid oversized, overstuffed furniture that consumes visual and physical space.
- Use mirrors to expand depth. A single large mirror can increase the perceived depth of a room, but placing two mirrors facing each other greatly amplifies that effect and creates the illusion of extended space.
If you’d like to see the full project and additional ideas, search for the Brooklyn renovation featured by This Old House for more before-and-after photos and practical suggestions. Photo courtesy of This Old House.