4 Clever Ways to Maximize a Small Space, According to HGTV Stars
Home reno shows have a large following for multiple reasons. A big part of it is escapism TV, but there are also watchers hopeful to get inspo for their own DIY projects — whether it’s the kitchen that they’ve been meaning to renovate, or an empty wall that needs something to make it complete. But one service they’re never short of providing is smart space solutions for families of all sizes, and it’s all thanks to the HGTV experts behind the transformations.
While there’s a chock full of lessons to be learned within each episode of every show, HGTV experts might not reveal their favorite tip on how to maximize a small space on public television — and so, we asked them during interviews instead. From creating a functional gallery wall to raising your bed, here’s what they had to say:
Sleep on a raised bed and create an office underneath.
In a world where everyone has one room with five functions, Tarek El Moussa of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” suggested one tip that can make the world of a difference in the bedroom — use a raised bed to maximize real estate. “You can turn your bedroom into an office by building your bed up onto a platform,” El Moussa explained. “You use the height of the room so you can actually sleep up top [and] work on the bottom, so it’s almost like having a bedroom and an office in one. “
Create a functioning gallery wall.
This isn’t your traditional gallery wall proposal: Tiffany Brooks of HGTV’s “50K Three Ways” says that the key to saving space in a tiny room is utilizing your wall space to the fullest. For her, that means making it have multiple functions that cater to your needs. She suggests installing floating shelves that can fit storage boxes, then hanging up some art near it make it look intentional. Add some hooks to place clothes, then create a mail drop center with a floating bin. It’s all about alternating between functionality and design.
Add a curtain to hide your storage.
If your first reaction to Brooks advice is fear of someone seeing all your storage out, don’t worry — she has a tip for that, too. Her solution is to cover the functioning gallery wall up with some drapery of choice. “I would spend the money on the drape because you can get these funky patterns,” Brooks said. “You have all of this storage behind this curtain — it’s just a wall of drapery, and it’s beautiful.”
Embrace the small and use darker colors.
When asked what their go-to tip to maximizing a small space was, Ben and Erin Napier of HGTV’s “Home Town” said that they don’t try to hide its smallness by painting the walls white, a common tip when trying to make a room bigger. “We like to go the opposite. Erin loves to take a small room and put super patterned wallpaper on, or dark, dark paint,” Ben said.
Erin continued, saying: “I think you should lean into small spaces feeling cozy. You can’t make it bigger, where’s the value in it working bigger if it’s not actually bigger? So you might as well make it feel like a hug. Lean into the little.”