Spell out a clever phrase with bathroom tile. Splurge each week on a bouquet of fresh flowers for the kitchen counter. Tuck favorite figurines on each shelf of a bookcase. As tiny houses and the people who love them demonstrate, little things can have a big impact.

Whether you’re in a downtown studio apartment or a one-room cabin in Montana, your home’s footprint doesn’t have to prevent you from living large; with a bit of strategic thinking (and a well-constructed loft bed, of course), any space can feel like a palace.

You might not be in the market for a Murphy bed that folds up into the wall, but who couldn’t make use of some clever under-the-stairs storage or an ottoman that doubles as a coffee table? 

It’s far simpler to shuffle furnishings from space to another when the hues you’ve chosen are part of the same family; wildly differing colors and motifs, on the other hand, can make your home feel disjointed (and perhaps a wee bit like a hotel with room themes.)