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Decorating and furnishing a small
space can be a challenge. Because form and function sometimes
compete in a small space, careful consideration needs to be paid to WHAT
goes in the room and WHERE.
"The eye travels quickly around a small room,
so you want everything to have meaning
and impact or at least be tailored and make sense
in the space."
- Trading Spaces designer Laurie Smith - Source iVillage.com
With this in mind, we've collected 25 of the BEST decor tips to help make
a small space appear bigger.
1 - SIZE MATTERS
If the room is small, be careful not to
buy the largest pieces of overstuffed furniture you can find. Furniture
should be appropriate - scale wise - to the rest of the room. That
doesn't mean that everything should be miniature. You can make a compact room feel much bigger by choosing fewer
larger, bolder pieces instead of several smaller ones.
Scale and co-ordination is the key.
You're going for Cozy, not Cramped. But don't go too far to the
other extreme, a small room... very sparsely decorated... will maintain
the visual appeal of a small room.
Slim and streamlined pieces, such as armless Parson chairs, are beautiful space savers.
Also, a sofa with exposed legs will appear smaller and less bulky than one with hidden legs.
2 - LET THERE BE LIGHT
Use a soft even light and eliminate shadows which tend to slice a room up into smaller spaces.
If you have low or average-height ceilings, avoid overhead lighting - as
this will visually lower your ceiling. However, if you have high
ceilings, a sparkling chandelier or ceiling fan draws the eye up to the vertical volume of a
room.
Try to focus the lighting around the perimeter
of the room, as this will effectively push the walls back, providing an
illusion of more space.
Also remember that a floor lamp can
eliminate the need for a side table. And consider track lighting to reduce the number of lampshades, which interrupt
the view of a room.
3 - LET THERE BE HEIGHT
Use at least one tall element in a room
to draw the eye upward, towards the ceiling. Not only does this
maximize the vertical space in the room, but it also draws the eye up to
the less crowded ceiling space above.
4 - KEEP IT SIMPLE
Don't let loud
or bold patterns take over the room. Bold patterns and prints can
still be used as focal points or accents within the room, but keep them to
a minimum.
5 - COLOR YOUR WORLD
Use just one or two colors per room for visual simplicity that expands a space.
Also keep in mind that white, neutral or pale colors best reflect light, visually "pushing back" walls.
This is not a hard and fast rule, as many designers prefer richer colors
in smaller spaces.
What you have to watch for when using rich
colors in a small space is to reduce the contrast in the horizontal and
vertical planes. For example, a
light carpet, dark wall and white ceiling will often cause the walls to
feel like they are "closing in" on you. If you do decide
to use a dark color, reduce the contrasts with the floor and
ceiling. For example, continue the wall color onto the ceiling (or use a shade that's
only two or three shades lighter than the walls on the ceiling) to keep
the contrast levels.
Instead, focus the contrast on the
furniture or accents, keeping woodwork, cabinetry and/or trim a contrasting neutral color
such as cream. The dark color on the walls becomes negative space for the detail and furniture up against it.
6. DO THE UNEXPECTED
Don't center your artwork as expected. Pictures hung off-center
forces the eye focus on something other than the size of the space. Two
prints hung one above the other draws your eye up to the vertical space of the room.
7 - HANG 'EM HIGH, HANG 'EM WIDE
Extend drapery rods well beyond the height
and width of the window, so curtain panels frame the view but can be
opened fully to expose the entire window. This way, when the
curtains are open, the maximum amount of natural light is allowed
through.
When selecting your window-coverings, use sheers, tailored
panels or semitransparent Roman shades. Besides letting in light, simple treatments do less to interrupt the eye, as it travels around the room.
If you're set on using shutters, make sure they're white.
8 - THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...
Maintain consistency under-foot. In a
small space, the one thing that should create an uninterrupted flow is the
flooring. Wood flooring, carpet or a single area rug in coordinating
colors is best. Multiple flooring changes will "chop-up" a
room, making a small space feel like several even smaller spaces.
The exception to this rule will be if you
are trying to create two "functional" areas within a single
space (e.g. a writing desk in one corner, reading area in another). This
treatment may demand usage of two distinct area rugs to help
"frame" the space.
9 - HIDE THINGS UNTIL THEY ARE NEEDED
Think of storage as much as possible when
decorating a small space. Two great ideas are to use skirts on beds
or tables to create hidden storage areas. Also, ottomans that will
slide under a coffee table or end tables can add much-needed seating
without taking up floor space all the time.
Hide small clutter such as mail, pens,
etc. inside vases, pitchers or decorative boxes and baskets.
10 - DON'T BLOCK THE VIEW
Try not to place anything in front of
windows or french doors. If space is such an issue that you must
overlap these spaces, use open, slim furniture that won't obstruct the
view or natural light.
11 - DOES THE SPACE WORK FOR YOU?
Look for ways to add functionality to the
space. An attractive phone table / letter-writing desk in the
corner can create a sense of functionality that provides a feeling of
additional space.
Alternatively, a music centre, including a Crosley
vintage-style turntable can add both function (music) and form
(vintage styling).
12 - MAXIMIZE STORAGE
Build or install simple shelves
that will create easy storage space.
Also, look for at least one piece of furniture that can provide some level
of storage as well. A stunning armoire or buffet cabinet can provide
visual appeal within a small room, and hide all of the unsightly clutter
that makes a room seem small.
For kids rooms, look to maximize
functionality storage. A great example of this is the Guidecraft
4-Sided Bookshelf or
themed bookshelves (such as the Circus
Bookshelf) which provide both form and functionality.
In order to maximize the depth of the room,
use glass or see-through doors on the storage cabinets (or no doors at all
on shelving units) if the items stored can be displayed in a tidy
way. Otherwise, use sold doors to hid the clutter.
13 - I CAN
SEE THROUGH YOU
Remove solid doors completely or replace
them with glass-paned French doors between rooms (providing privacy isn't
an issue). This opens up sight lines room-to-room and lets in more light, making each space feel more expansive.
Use the same technique with
furniture. By selecting acrylic or glass
coffee or end tables that allow you to see through them, you can trick the
eye to believe their is more space in a room.
Also, see-through, pale-colored or reflective accessories,
such as an EcoFlames
Glass Ethanol Fireplace, blend into the background to keep your eye traveling smoothly around the room.
14 - A SMALL SPLASH IS PERFECT IN A SMALL SPACE
Introduce subdued patterns in little touches
throughout a a small room. Accent pillows and floral arrangements are easy ways to add dashes of pattern or color without overwhelming the space.
However, keep these splashes to a minimum. As with an earlier point,
it is often better to have one or two larger arrangements than have several smaller ones that
end up creating a sense of clutter.
A fine
art tapestry or one of the Brushstrokes
Fine Art collection of miniature masterpieces are perfect for
creating a small grouping of color in a small space.
Simplify live displays such as a huge vase of riotous flowers or a group of houseplants. Instead, set out a simple bowl of apples or a single-bloom orchid.
15 - USE YOUR WALLS
We often make the mistake of focusing
solely on floor space available in a
room and forget about all of the space provided by the walls. By maximizing the full height of your walls, you will get lots of extra storage, adding to the sense of space.
Install
bookshelves, armoires, and cabinets that run floor-to-ceiling. This
helps accentuate height, as well as providing excellent storage
space. And don't forget to take advantage of space above counters and shelves by adding decorative pictures, vases, or flowers.
16 - STRIPES ARE GREAT
A vertical stripe motif to your walls,
which can be painted on in neutral tones, such as creams and beiges, will help to draw the eye up to the
ceiling... maximizing the sense of vertical space.
Again, this treatments is excellent for
small spaces with tall ceilings, as it brings the focus to the overall
size of the room, not just the floor space.
17 - COLLECTIBLES AND KNICK-KNACKS
Display your collectibles with space around them, or choose one favorite
piece (or pieces) and allow it to become a focal point. If you have
difficulty picking a favorite, consider showcasing 2 - 4 at a time, and
put the rest away. You can rotate them every few weeks to allow you
to show off your entire collection, a few at a time.
18 - SIMILARITY BREEDS CONTENT
Limit the number of different patterns,
materials and finishes. When installing flooring, countertops, cabinetry and other fixed
surfaces in a small space, it's best to keep the design simple as the lack
of intrusive patterns help promote the illusion of a larger space.
Also, use similar colors in adjoining rooms to visually unite them. To
the eye, the harmonious connection of the similar colors will blend the two smaller rooms into one larger
space.
19 - TAKE
IT TO THE CEILING
One great way of maximizing vertical space
is by adding a ornamental details around the ceiling line. Crown moldings
are a stunning example, but can be quite expensive. One inexpensive
but effect methods is using textured, paintable wallpaper as a ceiling
boarder. If your ceilings are white, either paint or leaving them
white. Otherwise, paint them the same color as the ceiling to extend
the height of the ceiling.
20 - MIRRORS, MIRRORS, ON THE WALLS
Mirrors
are probably the single-best way to expand visual space in a small
space. By using mirrors to reflecting other parts of the room or
other areas outside of the room (e.g. angling a mirror to provide a
reflection of another room or the outside window), they create visual
space like nothing else. Mirrors are also excellent at bouncing light
around, adding to the feeling of space.
And there's no need to limit mirror
placement solely to the walls. Mirrors can be used in a variety of
ways to increase the feeling of space.
21 - ELIMINATE, IF YOU CAN
If there's a way to get rid of pieces of
furniture... do so. For example, by using built-in drawers and
shelves in the closet, you can eliminate the need for a chest of drawers or armoire.
Extending the countertop slightly, or adding a "dropped" counter
can provide space for chairs or bar
stools, eliminating the need for a kitchen table.
22 - UP WITH TEXTURE
Use fabrics with texture as opposed to pattern to add interest without adding visual clutter.
Simple-patterned tapestry
wall hangings are a great example of using texture to create
visual impact.
23 - I'LL SEE YOU 'ROUND
Rounded or oval tables take up less visual space
than rectangular ones. Of course, if the table is supposed to be set
against a wall, this rule does not apply.
A favorite among designers is the round
clock table, which provides both form and function.
  
24 - RAISE THE ROOF
If your building style and budget will
allow, consider converting the attic space
into a vaulted ceiling. This also allows for light-giving transom windows or skylights. Expanding the vertical space of a room gives the illusion that it's much bigger than its actual square footage.
25 - CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL VIEW
If you don't have a lot of windows in the
small space, create an artificial view using a painting or tapestry which
shows a landscape or some other open space, giving the visual sense of
space outside of the room.
However, the view should be clean, spacious
and open. A busy landscape will effectively "pull back"
into the room, which may not be the effect you are looking for.
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