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Fixer Upper's Best Small-Space Designs

Chip and Joanna Gaines know how to make a home small on space, big on style. Check out some of the duo's best space-saving designs.

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January 02, 2019

By: Maria Conti

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Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

Photo By: Sarah Wilson/ Getty Images

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo Agency

Photo By: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo Agency

Photo By: Rachel Whyte

Cool Corner Kitchen

This cool, gray kitchen design features an L-shaped layout that wraps the storage, appliances and dining nook along the perimeter of the room. This approach frees up the floor to provide easy mobility and creates the illusion of a larger, airier space.

Floral-Flocked Powder Room

This pretty powder room makes up for being small on space by being big on style. A classic, white pedestal sink sits beneath an iron vanity mirror for a space infused with modern charm. Our favorite aspect of the design? That unforgettable, inky floral paper lining the walls.

Built-In Attic Office

Chip and Joanna make use out of every nook and cranny in their clients’ homes. The dynamic duo got creative and designed this dreamy built-in desk and lounge bench in an attic! Warm, wood-planked ceilings and piles of textured pillows create a cozy spot to sneak away for work or play.

Cozy Corner Booth

Old homes are renowned for their never-ending charm - but notorious for their choppy layouts, minimal storage and teeny-tiny kitchens. Chip and Jo conquered all three of those tricky aspects in this space, first by using matching millwork on the walls to create flow between the kitchen and dining room. From there, they added a handsome, built-in display cabinet for space-saving storage and crafted a cozy, corner booth in the kitchen for morning coffee or a quick bite of lunch.

Little Library

The under-the-stairs library is a classic Chip and Jo move. The book-lined shelves add loads of character to an otherwise forgotten cranny of the home. Plus, peep those stylish storage cabinets built down below. Just imagine how much "stuff" you could hide in those things.

Coffee + A View

Tight spaces call for creative furnishings! Rather than clutter up the room (or view) with an ill-fitting breakfast table, Chip and Jo built a countertop ledge along the floor-to-ceiling windows and added cool industrial stools for seating. The stools tuck beneath the ledge when not in use, offering the homeowners maximum space to move around throughout the day.

Chic Work Space

We only have one word for this workstation: sleek. Chip and Jo scrapped the old, original shelves in this kitchen and replaced them with this ultra-elegant lacquered desk. The built-in structure features deep drawers for storage, an unexpected hide stool and two fashionable floating shelves overhead.

Caffeination Station

A house is not a home without a designated coffee bar, right? Luckily, it’s much easier to pull off than you think, friends! Joanna transformed this tiny kitchen cranny into a cute coffee corner, using two wooden shelves as storage for mugs above the homeowners’ sleek, silver espresso machine.

Open, Airy + Tiny Kitchen

Chip made the most of demo day in this tiny-home kitchen! He brought Joanna’s vision of an open-concept, airy kitchen to life by knocking down walls and adding a vaulted ceiling. A pair of bold, black floating shelves creates open storage along the back wall, while a hand-crafted kitchen island offers additional cabinets and bar seating.

Window Seat

No designated office space? No problem. This contemporary family room features a series of custom cabinets along the walls, paired with a petite workstation with plenty of natural light.

Ultra-Elegant Guest Bath

Petite powder rooms or tiny hall baths are the perfect spaces to experiment with playful prints, unexpected colors and splurge-worthy finishes! Chip and Joanna spruced up this tiny guest bath with striking brass sconces, ornate floral wallpaper and crisp subway tiles in the shower.

Neutral Loft Office + Living Space

Chip and Joanna’s tiny home project called for some serious design savvy for them to provide their clients with a home truly equipped for modern living. They created this open-air loft that overlooks the first-floor living room and kitchen. The loft features fashionable finishes and provides the homeowners with a second living space, as well as a handsome home office.

Spa-Worthy Shower Stall

Petite though it may be, this master bathroom is jam-packed with all the luxurious finishes one expects to find in an ensuite. Joanna skipped the soaking tub and opted for an equally striking spa-quality glass shower. The stall boasts a chrome showerhead, chic niche shelves and modern concrete tiles.

Cathedral Windows

Okay, how stunning is this? You’d never know this bedroom was small, thanks to these floor-to-ceiling, cathedral-style windows. The grand windows draw the eye up toward the vaulted ceiling and create the illusion of a larger, airier space. Not to mention: The entire room is washed with energizing, natural light throughout the day.

Funky Coffee Station + Kitchenette

Joanna brought in an unexpected punch of color and pattern in this coffee station and kitchenette. The small space is filled with big, bold accents like turquoise cabinetry and graphic tile floors. Crisp, white shiplap lines the walls, while floating shelves provide easy-reach storage for mugs and sparkling water.

Corner Countertop Seating

Chip and Jo added this corner ledge to their boathouse project to provide the homeowners with space to dine and delight in the waterfront views. The L-shaped ledge is ideal for a small kitchen, as it appears unfussy and frees up floor space for preparing meals.

Fashioned Foyer

Just because a home is small, that doesn’t mean it should miss out on the fun or function of a foyer. Joanna provided the owners of this home with a makeshift foyer by adding a styled console catch-all table, plus simple wooden wall hooks by the front door to store hats, bags and scarves.

Sleek Shower

Chip and Jo opened up this tight bathroom by eliminating the old, bulky shower enclosure. Using a high-shine glass shower stall in its place yields a fresh and edgy design that oozes airy appeal.

Wall of Windows

This cozy-comfy cabin living room features floor-to-ceiling windows, making the small space feel like anything but. The expansive windows drench the stylish sitting area with sunlight and provide the homeowners unmatched views of nature, just outside their door.

Houseboat Bunk Beds

If there’s ever a place to bunk up with your buddies, it’s on a houseboat! Chip and Joanna built a custom, cozy quad for super-stylish sleepovers. Bonus? Building the four bunks along a single wall allows the kiddos to fully maximize the floor space for playtime.

Mini French Country Mudroom

Behold: proof that even the teeniest, tiniest hallways can transform into stylish and functional spaces. This once-overlooked nook right off the kitchen now serves a family of four as an elegant, French Country mudroom to corral their coats, boots and bags.

From: Chip Gaines

Stare-Worthy Windows + Open Staircase

This remodeled houseboat living room boasts stunning floor-to-ceiling windows that elongate the space and create a grand feel. Joanna created cool contrast with a modern, jet-black staircase that allows the homeowners to enjoy their unmatched water views from any corner of the room.

Double-Decker Patio

Does it get any better than this? The homeowners of this modern houseboat enjoy wraparound water views from their double-decker patios. The patios are framed by handsome cedar for a high-style contrast against the bold, black planking.

Warm Welcome

This tight entryway offers guests a sleek spot to store their snowy boots and envelops them in warmth via the charming wood-burning stove.

Staircase Study

Again, no nook goes to waste with Chip and Joanna Gaines! Together, the design duo created a tucked-away study nook and a mini-library, built into the homeowner’s new custom staircase. That black, suspended desk looks oh-so-chic against the white shiplap, don’t you think?

Petite Prep Station

Less is so, so much more in this small-but-stylish kitchen! Limited space allows for stylish splurges, such as a marble backsplash, designer fixtures or custom cabinetry.

Open-Air Office

Here, Joanna shows us how to designate various spaces in a small home like a pro. This quaint and cozy office space is separated by a shared wall of custom bookshelves. These shelves offer similar advantages of an open-concept room, in that they promote an airy feeling for both the office and living room on the other side.

Library + Loft

Excuse us as we drool, mouths agape, at the ultimate bibliophile dream room. The library wall boasts beautiful books, bound in every shade of blue, and a crisp, white ladder that leads to a lofted bed above.

Wash + Work

This space-saving workstation is so pretty, we almost wouldn’t mind folding the clothes or paying the bills. Key word: almost.

Creative Catch-All

Warm, wooden shelves are a timeless addition to this bright white entry, and offer the homeowners endless opportunities to switch up their styling with each passing season. A farmhouse-style serving tray is positioned directly beneath the shelving, creating a cute boot storage spot right by the front door.

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