One of the biggest challenges that interior designers deal with is how to decorate a small space. When you don’t have much room to work with, you have to be careful about how many decor pieces you introduce to a room. Put in too many and you risk making the room feel cluttered. You also have to be mindful of how space is perceived with your furniture arrangement.
This is particularly true of most apartments, where space tends to be limited in every room. Apartments often require the most forethought and planning to get the most out of the space available. If you’re apartment hunting, and interior design is a passion of yours, understand the amount of room you’ll have prior to moving in. There are plenty of great choices that will give you the space you desire, but only if you’ve thought about your dimensions beforehand.
Regardless of whether you’re seeking an apartment or a house, there are some really cool ways that you can not only deal with a small space but also make it as memorable and inviting as any other room in your home. To help you do just that, here are six fantastic decorating ideas to help you get the most out of your small space.
1. Use Smaller Furniture to Increase the Perception of Space
Furniture is the number one detractor from the feeling of open space in a room. Couches, chairs, sofas, entertainment centers, and similar pieces tend to be the largest items in a room. That large size quickly eats away at the space available. You can help make your room appear larger than it is by using smaller furniture pieces.
2. Use Lighter Shades of Color to Reflect Light
Reflections of light can give the impression of length and depth. If you’ve ever tried just staring at a white wall, it can seem to go on forever. You can take advantage of this perception to make your room appear larger than it really is. When you decorate your space, use brighter colors like whites, yellows, and sky blues to create an impression of depth.
3. Layer Your Furniture
When we see an object pushed right up against a wall, it sets a clear boundary. We know where the end point definitely is, and in an apartment, you normally don’t have to go far. By layering your furniture, you can skew this perception so that a room appears larger. Don’t push your bookshelves and love seats right up against a wall. Leave a small gap, and use slips where you can to fill in space.
4. Keep People Closer to the Floor
Human beings associate the sky with open space, and any time we look up, a room always feels larger no matter how small it really is. If you’re on the floor, and you have to look up at everything, this heightens the impact. Take advantage of this natural phenomena and put your seating as close to the floor as possible.
You obviously still want people to be comfortable when they sit down, and some neat ideas for seating you should consider are:
● Bean bag chairs
● Japanese dining chairs
● Middle-Eastern tea rugs
● Indian floor cushions
● Oversized pillows
5. Make an Accent Wall
With an accent wall, you can draw attention towards a unique aspect of your room. This will draw attention away from the fact that the space is so small. There are several great ways to do this so that your accent wall won’t clash with the rest of your room.
Paint One Wall a Different Color
You can create an accent wall by simply painting it a different color from your other walls. To avoid disharmony in your design, use a complementary color or an analogous color. Reference the color wheel to help you make your selection.
Create an Exhibit
Using pieces of art or your own pictures, you can create a very successful accent wall that looks like an art gallery. The trick here is not to hang your pieces directly beside or above each other. Spread them at various intervals and different angles. You can either use the same style frames for a unified look or use frames of different styles to create a more unique display.
Paint a Mural
If you’re comfortable and confident in your own abilities (and it won’t violate your rental agreement) you can use your accent wall as a canvas to create a beautiful mural! Some example themes you can consider include:
● An underwater scene with sea animals
● A field of flowers
● A cityscape (This one is really neat when done well. It’s almost like your wall becomes a window!)
6. Bring Your Seating Closer Together
Taking a different track than the previous ideas, you can actually capitalize on your smaller space to foster feelings of intimacy. Bring your seating and tables as close together as you can. When people sit with you, you’ll be closer to each other and this can heighten the sense of connection you share.
You’ll want to be careful with this choice as people need at least some personal space. But done correctly, you and your visitors will be so focused on each other that you’ll forget all about how small your space is!