Small Room Design Trends for 2025

NEW YORK – The right mix of lighting, color and other design elements can transform smaller spaces into luxurious and cozy spaces.

For lighting, designers suggest using a mix of floor lights, wall sconces and side lamps to layer lighting and create glowing pools of light or a dappled glow to generate a sense of contentment. Lamps with adjustable heads and swinging arms can provide greater flexibility for directional and ambient light.

To make a small room appear larger, designers suggest using color on walls, woodwork and ceilings to create an illusion of depth and provide a cohesive feel. Muted pastels and soft neutrals can help residents feel calm and make the room seem expansive. Dark, rich and bold colors can make a room feel cozier.

Floor-to-ceiling storage can reduce clutter and utilizing window ledges or chimney mantels to display belongings can make a space feel curated and lived in. Glazed wall units in the kitchen can create the illusion space, and slim shelving or open slim shelving units can make the space look less rigid.

Small spaces should be reimagined, and interior designers suggest that stealing space from other areas or taking space from other locations can provide a breakfast bar or workspace where there wasn't one previously. Built-in carpentry can increase storage availability, and pocket doors can reduce the need for space when doors are opened or closed.

Ottomans, sofa beds or coffee tables with hidden compartments and extendable features can increase storage availability in small spaces, and glossy tabletops and marble counters can bring warmth and glamour to a room, especially if they are lighted cleverly.

Wallpaper with reflective qualities can help small spaces feel larger and brighter and help maximize natural light, providing visual depth and dimension.

Source: House Beautiful (02/25) Harris, Vivienne

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