This week I decided to dive into the content of some other AMAZING bloggers because I was feeling a little burned out.

I wanted some fresh ideas. And I thought there must be some NEW, small space advice that will inspire me to inspire you.

Well, turns out when you search for design tips for small, awkward rooms, you get the same stuff over and over.

Instead of diving into a bunch of small room focused content producers like me, I decided to investigate interior design pros from many different focuses, from fine, luxury interiors to apartment dwellers who just love design.

And let me tell you, I learned some truly incredible and fresh new approaches that will elevate ANY small, awkward, or tricky rooms.

Today I’m going to share with you some of the best design advice I’ve ever found from these very talented folks from many different segments of interior decorating and design. They’ve got advice on simple upgrades everyone can do to specifics for how to make the most of limited space and more. Trust me, you’ll want to implement some of these tips ASAP!

Best part, I’ll tell you how you can apply that advice to your small home to get exclamations of wow, compliments galore and praise a-many for your efforts.

Let’s get into 10 incredible expert designer tips that will elevate your small home to the next level!

Michelle Gage, Michelle Gage Interior Design

Michelle Gage is a Philadelphia-based interior designer with an affinity for playful prints and whimsical designs. Her career began as a buyer for Anthropologie Home, where she was tasked with selecting everything from art and antiques to decorative textiles. In 2015, Michelle embarked on her own and founded Michelle Gage Interiors. - Michelle Gage Interior Design

I was torn as to which blog post of hers I wanted to reference. They are all so good! But I landed on two that I think are especially pertinent to you, my fellow small and tricky space dweller:

First up, it’s Michelle’s own laundry room – closet. Now I chose this for purely self-indulgent reasons. The render she offers at the end of her post is spot on, my small mudroom/laundry space. It could literally be the exact footprint of my own laundry room, which desperately needs a makeover!

She makes such perfect points about when to take a sledgehammer to areas and when to pump the breaks. Honestly, I feel her advice could absolutely transfer to other areas and not just for a laundry rooms.

Next up, Michelle Gage talks about creating a layered living room. I’ve said it many times here on my blog and I NEVER miss a chance to tell my clients that one of the best ways to make your home feel interesting and alive is to layer your décor. Michelle takes this approach and elevates it to the next level by getting personal.

This advice is great for any size home but it’s particularly essential for small homes.

Shavonda Gardner, SG Style

I love this woman’s style! She moved into a smaller home with her husband and family, and she struggled with the downsizing process – not so much with the actual moving into a smaller home, but more so about downsizing her stuff. She’s a lover of things and being a designer and someone who curates beautiful spaces for a living, it was tough to get rid of things. I can totally relate! When you visit her site, you’ll most certainly find that she didn’t lose any of her design mojo by moving into a smaller place – she literally found more inspiration by the “challenges” of smaller spaces. Here’s some brilliant advice that any small home dweller can take and run with today.

In the summer of 2014 my family and I ditched our cookie cutter builder grade larger house for a little old bungalow half its size. Thus began our journey into downsized life. Every day is a lesson in adjustment, living intentionally, and being happy with less space. This blog serves as a space for me to not only share our story, but also to share my passion for design, travel, gardening, personal style, and inspiring ideas for living large in small spaces. - Shavonda Gardner, SG Style

Donna Hoffman, Interiors By Donna Hoffman

Donna is a premier luxury designer. She has impeccable taste and fine design pours out of her like water from the tap. She creates swoon worthy spaces that will leave you dizzy with delight! For Donna, the details are where it’s at. Nothing is left unaddressed and that’s a big part of the recipe for the level of perfection that she puts out. My advice, apply the things that she does to your smaller rooms and watch a few jaws drop. Small rooms don’t have to be drab or boring. As you ponder your makeovers, take some time to think about the finer details. Take a look at how Donna turned up the volume to WOW with a few keen details.

Donna had a unique beginning in design. She was a design client 20+ years ago before studying design at Parsons and Temple. Donna believes that experiencing the “clients’ side of the table” profoundly affected her by making her acutely aware of the normal stresses design clients face.

Want to Watch Instead?

Igor Josifovic-Kemper, Happy Interior Blog

This one is about the small master bedroom in his new Berlin home. He makes genius use of the space with an Ikea Pax wardrobe that allows him an abundance of storage in an economy of space. #brillant

When I decided to start Happy Interior Blog in 2011, my main mission was to bring more happiness to our homes and lives. Little has changed ever after. I strongly believe in the power of happiness brought to us through a beautiful and personal home, inspiring travels and a healthy lifestyle with plants and the surrounding nature. With Happy Interior Blog I aim to raise the awareness for the space we live in – a home is not a simple space it is our personal haven, a visual identity of ourselves, and a shelter to nourish our happiness. - Igor Josifovic-Kemper, Happy Interior Blog

Just goes to show you, in small spaces it’s always a good idea to think outside of the box. And if you can’t do that, change the look of the box so that it’s spectacular!

Ann Lowengart, Ann Lowengart Interiors

This one is all about the finer details in a room. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything more poetic than Ann’s words about the details that make a design.

After five years of working in the corporate world for Procter & Gamble, she found herself sketching wedding gowns in her spare time. In 1996, on a whim, she took her drawings into a San Francisco bridal boutique. The owner offered to make the dresses on the spot, resulting in a four-year fashion design business. At the same time, Annie remodeled a house in San Francisco, pushing her firmly into the design world. When she sold it for a profit, she already had a pipeline of clients, including colleagues, and friends eager for her consultation. - Ann Lowengart, Ann Lowengart Interiors

It is so true. Especially In small homes, it’s crucial to spend time creating the story of your style because there will be less opportunity to make these types of gestures with fixtures and finishes and that’s why it’s so important to remember the details are what bring a design to life.

John McClain, John McClain Design

John McClain is an accomplished interior designer, speaker, writer, and on-air contributor who has turned his lifetime passion for interior design into an opportunity to do the same for others. As a young man, John’s interest in creating beautiful spaces was sparked by his family’s talent in home building and renovations.

John talks about foyers, usually a small space in a lot of homes – especially small homes. Foyers still need function, and I really like how he focuses in on 3 functions: a somewhere to stand, somewhere to land and somewhere to store. It’s so simple yet I’d imagine that people forget to include all 3 of these in most foyers. In small homes we think that we don’t have the space for each but with some thought, I’m sure there’s ways to incorporate a small surface whether it’s a table or a shelf. I’ll even bet that you could incorporate the store and land into one object Brilliant. He’s right to the point and that’s perfect.

Shannon Voss, Voss Creative

Yes! It’s a dash of alteration to hammer home an absolutely perfect sentiment that applies to EVERY small room design I’ve ever done. That quote comes from his brother and Shannon couldn’t agree more.

How it pertains to design is all laid out in Voss’ 3 uber functional and small, open concept (that’s open plan, here in the US), furniture arrangements for the long rectangle, the square, and the “L” shaped room lay outs. He generously gives 6 to 8 action steps for each room shape and you don’t want to miss it if you’re struggling with a small open concept, multi-purpose room. (Heads up: the part where Shannon gives all the deets is located in a pdf linked from his blog because it was originally featured in Inside Out magazine.)

Monica Wilcox, M. Wilcox Design

Monica talks about how scale is fundamental. I say heck yeah, especially in smaller spaces or tricky and awkward rooms. The size, both physical size and visual weight, have everything to do with scale.

Heck yeah! Not every coffee table has to be square or rectangle. Curves are always easier to move around than squared off angles.

Affordable Interior Design

We all have them, and we can’t live without them, shoes. But shoes are one of the most clutter causing items we can own. I’ll say it, if you pile your shoes right inside the door – you are not only potentially ruining some of the most expensive items in your wardrobe, but you’re making your house look a mess!

When I came across Affordable Interior Design’s blog, I zoomed right in on their post about 7 clever ways to include a shoe cabinet in your closet.

I most definitely shrieked out loud because this one is a game changer!

Let me tell you, it’s like Carrie Bradshaw swooped in and made magic out of madness!

Don’t think you have space in your closet for a dedicated show cabinet? Well, naysayers – check this post out because you’ll see exactly how to capture shoe storage in the most imaginative and BEAUTIFUL way. Closet, or no closet. No lie!

Let’s set the stage for this one. They write,

Affordable Interior Design

For my last curated tip, I’m sticking with the ladies from Affordable Interior Design. In their post, SPACE JAM: KURT ARNOLD, AYA MACEDA, TWO KIDS, AND ONE 660 SQ. FOOT APARTMENT, they masterfully use vertical space and every nook, cranny and corner to make this uber small living space work for four people.

You must read to see how they literally installed a fully functional office/crafting/homework space underneath the open loft staircase. It’s pure genius!

So even in the smallest of spaces, when you plan out every inch of useable space AND go up vertically when you can, you’ll certainly find room for most, if not everything, of what you need!

I hope you enjoyed this curated post?

So much food for thought, right? I definitely felt the pangs of inspiration on quite a few of the posts and I was itching to get to work.

I love innovation and I’m certainly putting a few of these projects on my short list.

If you loved one or two, please leave me a comment below and tell me which ones you’d like to try. Will you tweak the ones you like to make thigs work or would you re-create it just as it is? Tell me all about it!

And if you enjoyed this post, make sure to give it a like and share it with your friends. Don’t forget to check out these 8 amazing designers by clicking the links above. There is SOOOOO much amazing content on their pages you will be inspired for years!

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I write about small space design and decorating, sustainable furniture options, positive self care and a variety of do-it-yourself home décor.

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Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.