
Do you think your home is too small? A well-designed space is critical to making you feel at home in your surroundings, but even more important if you are looking for inspiration for small space decorating ideas.
How can you get the eye to make a room appear more spacious? How many decorative items are there, just too many? Decorating a space with limited space is difficult, but with compact apartments and tiny houses taking over from McMansions lately, there are foolproof strategies to power a room regardless of its size.
With small room decor ideas in mind, we asked our designers to share their wisdom about upgrading rooms on the smaller side so that you can create a beautifully balanced modern space that is functional and pleasing to the eye. From common mistakes to avoid to ideas for making a small room look bigger, we have important ideas for decorating small rooms to maximize your space.
Do not be shy
Don’t be afraid to think big and play by different standards. Everything doesn’t have to be small. Regardless of the size, each room needs different scaled parts to keep the eye moving and entertaining.
A large piece of artfully placed object here and there won’t overwhelm a room as it only takes one piece to make a room feel bigger. Think of medium-sized furniture combined with efficient placement to make the space feel much larger while creating less clutter and more functionality.
Image via One King’s Lane
Stick to a short color palette
Since you can’t afford to have decorative pieces clash with each other visually, combine everything with either a peaceful monochrome palette or a succinct set of complementary tones while remembering to experiment with texture and pattern to come up with ideas for decorating Maintain Small Spaces Bring your tiny space to life.
Image via Schunkit
Start from scratch
A common mistake is to put a small rug in the middle of a small room, as tiny rugs feel inadequate in any living space and make a room appear much smaller and simply less attractive.
When you buy a larger rug with a functional, yet eye-catching finish, you also have a solid foundation for connecting the various elements you have configured while adding a cozy option for additional (floor) seating when guests drop by.
Image via HGTV
Stay true to your style
Just because your space is limited doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your personal style to suit your needs and the space you have to work with. The trick is to incorporate pieces that reflect your personality and tastes just like you would in a larger room.
Look for pieces that evoke emotion and feel natural when you place them in your home as you don’t want the space to feel constrained or the objects to feel fixed. Often times, the best ideas for decorating small rooms revolve around a few key elements offset by small add-ons and embellishments that bring it all together. However, remember to take it easy and use slow decorating practices as no room will feel really put together overnight.
Image via Hall of Homes
Maintain close editing
When thinking about decorating ideas for small spaces, we recommend approaching what you put in your home, similar to what you add to your wardrobe. Keep yourself from overbought and try not to buy decorative items unless you know exactly where to put them right away. Everything should be in working order, with the ability to do duplicate tasks and serve multiple purposes – if possible.
Avoid putting too many different elements in a small space as the key is to create a central theme and work from there. By using fewer extras, you can focus on which larger parts to highlight in your small home.
Image over spruce
Use the lighting to your advantage
When you’re thinking of ways to make your small space appear as big as possible, take advantage of the natural light you have, and if you’re not blessed enough, get smart, dainty lighting, mirrors, and furniture with reflective surfaces that to maximize what you have.
A mirrored wall, glass tables, and high-gloss surfaces make every tiny room appear more spacious and airy than it actually is, and you don’t have to go over budget.
Image via gateway
Do not line walls
A common mistake in houses big and small is placing furniture entirely against your walls when in reality furniture is being moved away from walls, which instantly makes a room look bigger, you and your guests feel more comfortable, and you have more space across the room – especially if the room is anchored by a statement rug.
Image via catalytic media
Use forgotten spaces
When it comes to small decorating ideas, there are nooks and crannies you can take advantage of no matter how challenging your space appears. Take advantage of the areas that we often forget about kitchen cabinets, in entrance areas, and on window sills as they are the perfect place to support decorative items that are both functional and beautiful, and can serve as storage locations to hold items that are not in use often hide but need.
These can also be areas where you can exceptionally use oversized art on a dead space on walls, create vignettes with large decorative vases, and personal collections, as they are a place where the challenges of a small space won’t detract from your interior design aesthetics . When it comes to small life, think of ideas that can get the eye to make the area appear larger instead of focusing on how strangely you’ve been using the space.
Create a jewel box environment
Even with a lot of younger apartment dwellers having to adjust to small spaces, it’s surprising that there is still a common misconception that if you are to ultimately strive for that much, you have to keep a small space of furniture and patterns to a minimum to pack punch as possible to create an experience.
While luxury cannot be crammed into a box, if you think carefully about decorating ideas for small spaces, you will quickly realize that space is not really an issue when you can strike a balance in compact, simple design. Think of bold personal touches that bring in personality and warmth to exude the brilliant design moves of your little home. This is a great way to make your room sing, no matter how bare and small it originally felt.
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