How To Style Small Spaces

Perhaps you live in a small studio apartment or you’re looking to style a tiny guest bedroom in your house, either way you don’t have to sacrifice style when it comes to choosing lights and fans for your space. In fact, there are many clever techniques you can use to make your space appear larger than it is and give it a greater sense of depth and dimension. 

Wall sconces are your best friends when it comes to adding serious style to a small area. They don’t take up any valuable floor space and unlike traditional ceiling lights, they create a stunning, widening effect along a wall, in bathrooms on either side of your vanity mirror and as bedside lighting.

This team created a cosy sitting area in the corner of their studio with an earthy colour palette and timber furniture. They added another layer of warmth with our Aksel wall bracket in brass. See how the wall bracket lights up this corner perfectly using minimal space.

Choose a dimmable wall light or fit your wall sconce with a smart globe so that you can switch between ambient and task lighting easily and have the freedom to customise your environment to suit your mood and time of day.

Downlights are the most popular ambient lighting choice for any space. They add a sophisticated, modern look to your home as well as provide practical illumination. They are also the perfect choice for a small space as they can be recessed into the ceiling or mounted on the surface, leaving your room looking spacious and larger.

For more flexibility and an architectural look, go with gimble or adjustable downlights which allow you to move the light frame to focus on different areas like favourite artworks on the wall or your work surface.

Sarah and George used a pair of our MFL By Masson Titan downlights with adjustable heads for the study in their studio. With such a small amount of space available, downlights were the best option to provide focused task lighting instead of table lamps which would have made the space feel cluttered.

An absolute lifesaver for small spaces, strip lighting is so flexible it can fit under cabinets, behind televisions, around bedheads – anywhere you need subtle, ambient lighting. These are also a great choice for renters as many strip lights have an adhesive back so you can stick the strips of light anywhere you want and take them with you when you move.

It’s a lighting trend that’s fast catching on, and a lot of designers are choosing track lighting over pendants in kitchens and lounges. They’re discreet, and you can angle the light where you need it without overwhelming the space.

You’ll never go wrong with a well-placed table lamp as they’re still the easiest, most affordable way to add light and style to any room. What’s more, they take up barely any space.

When you’re short on square footage, take advantage of height instead and go vertical with floor lamps. Slim floor lamps like our Emmerson are the ultimate in minimalist style and light up any corner without making your room look cramped.

Pendants pack a real design punch and are great for task lighting. Your space might be small in area but if you have high ceilings, pendants can make a bold statement in any room. However, if your ceiling is a little low, simply choose a close-to-ceiling design which gives you the look you want without cluttering the space.

Fans are important all year round to keep you cool on hot days and warm on cold days. All you have to do is flick a switch to change the direction in which the blades turn to activate summer or winter modes. Ceiling fans are available in a variety of different sizes, so if you have a small space, simply choose a fan with shorter blades without compromising on style.

This team chose our Takeko fan to match their small studio space. With the fan taking the space of a pendant, they used our MFL By Masson Accent gimble downlights to provide general illumination instead. Another great space-saving idea!

If you have low ceilings, consider pedestal or table fans that serve the same purpose with the added benefit of portability. Yet another option is a hanging fan like our Havana which is perfect for small spaces and corners.

As you have seen, small spaces can be big on style if you know the right tips and tricks. Go ahead and explore our range of lighting and fans designed to fit every space and budget but if you need expert advice or if you’d like to customise your lighting, contact our Beacon Design Studio here.