I have a long history with figuring out how to best organize a small living space. For years, we lived in a 350-square-foot apartment, before upgrading to what felt like a sprawling mansion: a 700-square-foot apartment. Now we live in a house, but it's a hundred-year-old Colonial, which means that it comes with its own space issues: teeny bedrooms, narrow hallways, and next-to-no closet space.

But something I've discovered over the years is that there are ways to make small-space living not just workable, but lovely. It's all about smart choices: looking for compact home items that pull double-duty and choosing decor elements that emphasize light and create the feeling of a wide-open space. Here’s how I’ve been adding a few easy updates to our home to make it more beautiful and more functional.