The average apartment in Seattle is 649 square feet. In Brooklyn, it's 708. Studios in Manhattan dip below 500. If you live in a city, your walls are probably closer together than you'd like.
But small doesn't mean bare. Some of the most considered interiors I've seen are in Tokyo micro-apartments where every object earns its square inch. The trick isn't avoiding art — it's choosing art that makes the room feel larger, not smaller.
Small space art rules:
- Go vertical to draw the eye up
- Use light colors to expand the space
- One large piece beats many small ones
- Lean into line art and simple compositions
Go Vertical
In a small apartment, floor space is limited but wall height is often underused. Vertical prints draw the eye upward, creating the illusion of taller ceilings and more room overall.
Portrait-oriented pieces work especially well in narrow hallways, between windows, and in those awkward slim wall sections that every apartment has. A tall line art print in a 12-inch-wide entryway nook transforms dead space into a design moment.
Avoid wide horizontal pieces in tight rooms — they emphasize the width constraints rather than working around them.
Light Colors Expand the Space
Dark, heavy artwork absorbs light and makes walls feel closer. In a small space, you want the opposite. Light palettes, white backgrounds, and airy compositions keep the room feeling open.
That doesn't mean all-white. Soft neutrals, pale greens, warm creams all work. The Scandinavian collection hits this range naturally — Nordic design was born in compact apartments with limited daylight, so the palette was built for exactly these conditions.
The Scandinavian art guide goes deeper into why this palette works so well in smaller spaces.
One Large Piece Beats Many Small Ones
This trips people up. You'd think small rooms need small art. But one large, well-placed piece actually makes a room feel bigger than a cluster of small frames. Jeremiah Brent talks about this — one personal object that tells a story beats ten meaningless things filling space.
Multiple small pieces fracture the wall. Your eye bounces between them, and the room feels fragmented. A single 24x36 print gives the eye one place to land. The wall reads as intentional, not cluttered.
Our minimalist wall art rules explain this principle in more detail — the "one statement piece per wall" approach is especially powerful in small spaces.
Best Styles for Small Spaces
Not all art styles work equally well in compact rooms. Here's what to prioritize:
- Line art: Clean, minimal, lots of white space built into the composition. Perfect for small rooms
- Scandinavian prints: Light palettes designed for compact Nordic apartments
- Simple botanicals: Airy, organic, and calming without being heavy
- Abstract with white space: Compositions that breathe rather than fill every inch
Avoid heavily textured, dark, or very detailed pieces. They demand too much attention in a small room and can feel oppressive. The goal is art that adds personality without adding visual weight.
Placement Tips for Apartments
Small apartments have unique placement opportunities:
- Above the bed: a single horizontal piece centered above the headboard anchors the sleeping area
- Entryway wall: the first thing you see when you walk in sets the tone for the whole space
- Kitchen wall: a small botanical print near the window adds life without taking counter space
- Bathroom: often overlooked, but a small print above the toilet is an easy win
Check our hanging guide for the specific measurements — the 57-inch rule applies in small spaces too, but above furniture you may need to adjust.
