Small Space? No Worries! This post will provide you design tips for small living rooms.
Living rooms featured in design magazines seem to be as big as tennis courts. A half-acre of spotless white carpet leads to a single armchair centered on a smooth, flat wall that seems to stretch forever in both directions.
However, most of us don’t live in carpeted sports arenas. Real-world living rooms are more likely to be small and crowded, and not large and sparsely furnished.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean we must give up on style. A small room can be a triumph of design if you are clever and inspired. Here are some techniques for making your cozy living room a showplace.
1. DOUBLE DUTY
In a small room, it makes no sense to have a side table with a top that’s big enough only for the lamp that sits on it. Why not place that lamp atop a bookshelf that’s repurposed to hold knick-knacks, television remotes, and photos? Eliminate a piece of furniture and let the bookshelf do double duty.
Big couches, a mainstay of most living rooms, take up a lot of room and make small rooms look even smaller. Replace the couch with a recliner. It takes up less space and can be tilted downward when you want to relax and watch television. Today’s best recliners are more stylish and appealing than the ones our grandparents lounged in. They are a practical solution to making the most of small space.
2. FURNITURE ON DEMAND
Another problem with couches is that they reserve space for three or four person even if there are only one or two in the room. For a truly stylish room, leave some vacant floor space. When people come to visit, you can bring in your best beanbag chairs to support lounging and conversation. When the party’s over, put the beanbags back in the bedroom or closet. Your living room is ready for the photographers again.
3. PAINT IS YOUR FRIEND
Designers know that dark walls make rooms look smaller and light walls make rooms look bigger. The lighter the better – but interior design tips always stipulate that you should stay away from white because it can create a stark effect that puts a damper on conversation and fun.
Consider painting just one wall with a contrasting color. A room with three light-yellow walls and a single dark brown one seems to extend into the darkness. It’s a way of tricking the eye and making the room seem larger. The contrast is also a great trick for bringing some style into the room.
Avoid patterned wallpaper in a small room. It will make the room seem even smaller.
4. CHOOSE FLOOR COVERINGS CAREFULLY
Designers say dark carpets make rooms seems smaller by sucking the light out of the environment. Light-colored carpets reflect light back into the room, making it seems larger.
To make the room appear even larger, pick a solid-colored carpet that is the same color as your walls. This creates the illusion that the walls are further away.
5. ACCESSORIZE FOR COZINESS
It’s easy to make a small room look more comfortable with the addition of a few accessories. Try a tall potted plant in a corner, perhaps behind the recliner. You may not have much floor space to spare, but a tall plant doesn’t need much. And it adds a cozy, forestlike quality to the room.
Quilts and throw blankets are great for comfort. They don’t make your room any bigger or smaller, but they can make it more inviting.
6. HANG SHELVES HIGH
Hanging shelves are great in small rooms – they give you places to store things but they don’t take up any floor space.
Designers advise hanging shelves higher in small rooms. That draws the eye upward and makes the room appear bigger. It’s a simple thing, but it can make a big difference.
7. PULL FURNITURE AWAY FROM THE WALL
This tip will surprise you. Pulling furniture eight to 12 inches away from the wall does reduce floor space in the center of the room, it’s true. But it also provides visual space behind couches and chairs, making the room appear to be bigger than it is. It really works!
Article Submitted By Community Writer
