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.
Clockwise from left: The Loop Loveseat by Retroloop, Corbel Desk by Audo Copenhagen, and SOS Stool by Heller.
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."
Designed to seamlessly transition into home settings, catering to remote work and the need for stylish yet functional home office furniture, the Corbel wall desk delivers a flexible, space-saving solution particularly beneficial for smaller spaces.
Produced in colors exclusive to MoMA’s customers, this chic, minimalist Zone Denmark console table provides multiple uses for storage, while adding a pop of color to your home decor. Use it to store and display books, plants, kitchen or bathroom supplies, gardening items and more.
The Parc 02 mini pendant from Lambert & Fills is a minimal, versatile piece, recalling childhood days when simple found objects could be used for imaginative ideas. The mini pendant’s fine cord and cylindrical aluminum body invite use in various surroundings as an overall slim composition.
Created to easily stand out, yet look right at home in any surrounding, the unique silhouette of the Gere Easy chair stays true to the iconic design of the 1970s while seamlessly integrating contemporary materials and elements. Dimensions: 31”W x 29”H x 31”D
A brilliant creation by designer Josh Owen, the SOS stool is more than just a seating option. This stool embodies versatility, style, and a commitment to sustainable design. The SOS stool stands out for its multifunctionality and elegant aesthetics.
Featuring inverted cone shades in white cast plaster, the Cornet collection is designed to build off of the continuum of history. Specifically referencing 1920s through ’40s European design influences, everything from Art Deco through to Italian midcentury.
California cool meets Parisian chic in the Marc striped sofa. Part of a special collaboration with Clare V., it’s inspired by founder Clare Vivier’s eclectic, pattern-filled closet.
Clockwise from left: The Kit by Mustard Made, Panton Wire Extended by Montana Furniture, and Bon Hallway Cabinet by Ferm Living.
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.
Petite and purposeful, The Kit is your vintage medicine cabinet reimagined. Wall-mounted and a little retro, she’s ready to house everything from your keys to your serums to your teacup collection. With medallion handles and a custom enamel keyring, she’s little and lovely and very, very useful.
Powder-coated metal mounts on the wall and bends to your will. Ready to hold your towels, organize your books, and more generally, class up your clutter. Comes in colors that favor the bold as well as those who rather blend in. Dimensions: 23”W x 27”H x 6”D
Lucca House’s largest offering in their Grid System. Perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, or even as a room divider. Dimensions: 59.5”H x 59.5”W x 11.5”D
In 1971, Verner Panton designed the iconic Panton Wire system. The Panton Wire Single module is available in the depth of 13.7 inches or 7.4 inches. It can be used individually or in combination with other products from the Panton Wire series—on the floor or hanging on the wall.
A captivating sconce of refined detail and timeless sophistication, created in collaboration with Little Wing Lee of Studio & Projects. Dimensions: 7.7”W x 6.5”H x 3.2”D
A little table goes a long way. This luxuriously long yet stealthily slim console table will add just the extra storage you need in your entryway or behind the couch.
The Bon Hallway cabinet is a stylish and functional storage solution that seamlessly blends into any space. Ideal for the hallway or bedroom, it consists of a shelf, a rack, a mirror, and convenient narrow shelves on the side, allowing you to store coats, bags, keys, gloves, and more.
Loom is a slim bookshelf that provides you with a range of different options to store books and other items in the living room or home office. Loom has many different storage rooms of various sizes that provide a perfect solution for displaying items in a sophisticated way.
Clockwise from left: Silo Wine Rack by Massproductions, Otto Table and Chairs by Willett, and Foldable Wooden Metal Stool by Zara Home.
Diminutive Dining
Well-designed micro apartments tend to have integrated and stow-able options in kitchens and dining areas—which is great if you can afford a custom solution, but less helpful if you’re working with a space you rent. Before you buy something that needs to be stowed, consider whether you’re likely to fold out/pack up a table every day. Fritz warns that "complicated products, although they can be quite ingenious, sometimes have longevity issues or can be cumbersome to work." He suggests a small bistro table instead—we like chef Marcus Samuelsson’s for West Elm.
Kitchens are typically the tightest spaces in small homes, but Fritz encourages adding personality. "We had a client that was into wine and cocktails," he recalls. Instead of hiding that interest, the designer found ways to incorporate the client’s collection of bottles and glassware into the space. Disguising functional items like appliances is a clever move. Patricia Urquiola, in collaboration with SignatureKitchen Suite, has created brutalist-feeling pieces that contain refrigerated drawers. There’s a tower with shelving on top, fridge drawers below, and a horizontal, rectangular version that doubles as a bench and refrigerator.
Table and chairs made from bent plywood with wood veneer (either Douglas fir or white oak) and painted edge banding. Chairs are upholstered in black leather. Dimensions: 54”W x 30”H x 54”D (Table); 17”W x 27”H x 17”D (Chair)
The Jai pendant takes its inspiration from the traditional Basque hats worn for carnivals, using a circular canopy and slim downrod to suspend powerful lamping inside a conical shade.
Designed to accommodate the undercounter convertible refrigerator. Urquiola has thus transformed the appliance into a true piece of furniture with sculptural forms and a handcrafted touch.
Slim, balanced proportions give the Altura Step Stool a pleasing aesthetic. It’s simultaneously durable enough to be used as a step stool and refined enough to be used as a side table in the bedroom or living room. Its bi-level design works well with both low and high seating.
Ultra quiet with high-end compressor with isolated temperature zones inside. Holds 27 Bordeaux bottles, 88 cans, or a variety of both. The racks pull completely out of the frame so nothing gets lost in the back of this fridge.
Created in collaboration with celebrated chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson. His first foray into home furnishing and design, this table from the limited-edition collection showcases forms, patterns and textures that nod to the different facets of his background.
Based on a continuous loop, Chris Martin designed the wine rack in an unbroken line of wood, where the bottles rest firmly in milled-out compartments. Silo holds its bottles securely and in a horizontal position.
Clockwise from left: Fernand Circle Mirror by Schoolhouse x Clare V., Plot Room Divider by Poltrona Frau, and Esmé Storage Bed by Sixpenny.
A Small Bedroom That Dreams Big
When it comes to outfitting small bedrooms, there are plenty of ways to create character and maximize functionality. Among the experts we consulted, nearly all emphasized the importance of storage beds as essential. Sixpenny’s storage bed offers two side drawers and two drawers at the foot of the bed, utilizing nearly every inch underneath your mattress.
Nightstands remain a pain point in dollhouse-size bedrooms: Save floor space and go for a floating platform, like Goux Studio New York’s minimal yet distinctive version with maple or white oak slabs. Beyond that, color and paint go a long way, especially in studio apartments. "Using color, even in simple ways, like paint to define spaces instead of walls, can be an effective and playful approach to maximizing space," says Sara L’Espérance of the Canadian design firm SUPRBLK. And, of course, the timeless trick of using mirrors can—you guessed it—open up the room and add character.
Graceful curves, plus four soft-close storage drawers, make Esmé a stunning yet functional bed collection. Fully wrapped in high-density foam with a muslin outer layer and interior drawers, and constructed of kiln-dried hardwood and plywood, with reinforced hardware blocks on the...
Plus nightstands are designed for bedside essentials. They are solidly constructed, but visually lightweight and modest in footprint. They can also be used for general storage or display in other spaces—next to a reading chair or in an entryway, for example.
Made from intricately handwoven leather in bold geometric patterns, the Plot room divider (2021), designed by Gam Fratesi for Poltrona Frau, is more than a practical piece; it’s a work of art.
The Fernand mirror adds a touch of high fashion to any corner, and it’s no coincidence. Part of a special collaboration with L.A.-based brand Clare V., the chunky and twisted frame draws inspiration from the brand’s braided leather handbags. Dimensions: 24”W/H x 1.5”D
Knuckle comes in the form of a modest table light with one bulb, and as a chandelier version, resplendent with eight bulbs. The table light is nicely weighted, with a brushed aluminum finish that reflects the light from the bulb in a soft, muted way. Dimensions: 5.9”W x 15”H x 9.4”D
The Glamberget series is smart, space-saving and multifunctional furniture—used individually or together. The wardrobe opens from two sides and is ideal to put in the center of a room as a divider. The height makes it easy to use the top for storage—and allows light to enter the room.
Inspired by the bestselling Kelston sofa, the Kelston bed (2022) invites round-the-clock relaxation with a unique articulating headboard that can be adjusted by each individual to comfortably support reading, watching TV, or lounging in bed.
Who said a locker should only be drab and utilitarian? You won’t want to hide this upbeat, colorful cabinet that doubles as an artful object and side table.
Leonora Epstein is a writer living in Los Angeles. She is the former editor-in-chief of Hunker and currently authors the newsletter Schmattamag.com, which explores design and decor through a non-traditional (and unserious) lens.