Lots of people live in a small home, a small room, or just a
small space. Some people live in a small apartment because that's all they can
afford, and they're grateful for it.
Some
people live in a small apartment or home because they're tired of taking care
of a larger place and want to "downsize."
Others
just don't want a large home. Small is beautiful! And easy, and
practical, too! No matter what your reason for living in a small space, you'll
undoubtedly have to make some compromises in your decorating, get really
organized, and make some adjustments to your lifestyle in order to make
everything fit and not feel cramped.
If
you're looking for a cozy, intimate space, you're in luck. By using soft,
snuggly upholstered pieces, dark, warm tones, and dramatic lighting, your tiny
corner can become a wonderful private space.
But
if you really feel the need to stretch out in your small space, you can make
some decorating changes to make the area look and feel larger without
moving any walls! With color, furniture arranging, and interesting lighting,
your space won't feel so cramped.
Clear Out
the Clutter: There's
nothing that makes a small space feel cramped more than having too much stuff.
Work out ways to get collections out of view, organized behind doors, table
skirts, or on shelves. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space
that is in view will feel orderly and open.
Open the
Way: With furniture
and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to open spaces, a room
will look cramped. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you'll open
up the space and make it feel larger. You can also choose short pieces of
furniture like an ottoman, an armless, open chair, or a low table, and place large,
tall pieces along a wall rather than out in the open space. If you can see the
floor, the room will look larger.
Chooser
Soft, Light Hues:Whereas
dark, warm colors make a space feel cozy and intimate, light, cool colors
make a space feel open and airy. For optimum effect, select soft tones of
blues and greens.
Use a Monochromatic
Color Scheme: Choose
colors that are in the same color family and use tone-on-tone woven upholstery
fabrics, textured wall finishes, delicate tonal drapery fabrics. Cool colors
and delicate warm colors on most surfaces give the room a more open look.
Coordinate
Wall and Furniture Colors: Contrasting colors tend to break up a space. Pieces of furniture
are less interrupting and tend to blend with the space if they're colored to
match the wall color.
Let in the
Light: Any room will
look larger if it's well-lit, either by natural light or artificial lighting.
Get rid of heavy draperies and open up the windows to let the light of the
outdoors into the space. Add more lamps or install track
lighting or recessed
lighting.
Try some of
these tips and please let me know if you are successful.
