Nine Tips to Decorating
a Small Space
No matter the size of a living space, we all want to make it a home. After all, even Harry Potter’s closet felt cozier with his own personal touches. We have compiled a three-step process to help decorate even the smallest of spaces.
Affording a home in today’s housing market can be a monumental challenge. So, why are so many people buying condominiums? Relatively speaking, condominiums offer a more attainable way to enter the real estate market, as they are often less expensive than houses. This allows individuals to live in their desired areas, albeit with less space.
Given this reality, many homeowners find themselves faced with the challenge of decorating smaller spaces.
9 Tips To Decorating A Small Space
1 – Whether you find yourself downsizing, or entering the housing market for the first time, it is advisable to move into a smaller home with less belongings. Makes sense right? Afterall, clutter can add to the overall sense of “business”. “In a small space, even the smallest amount of clutter will affect the overall look of the room” and can make it feel smaller.
“Decluttering” is a very hot word right now. Netflix’s current star, Marie Kondo, advises clients to touch every item within their home, and if it doesn’t spark joy, send it on its way. Does this seem like an overwhelming task? Hiring a professional organizer to help streamline your belongings, can help eliminate the excess clutter before moving. Getting rid of items we no longer need or want, can help ease the transition into a small home. We have established the first step in decorating a small space: declutter!
2 – Once you have your belongings down to the essentials, the next step is to find a home for every item. According to Sean Juneja, of Décor Aid, “Savvy storage solutions are essential in any size home, but even more so in small challenging spaces” . Purchase furniture that has more than one purpose. For example, a book shelf can be used to not only house a favourite collection of books, but by placing baskets on the bottom and very top of the unit, it can also be used to store remotes and magazines etc. If a coffee table is to be curated, purchase one with storage space within.
3 – Not only can furniture have dual purposes, so too can the walls. Use the height in your small room instead of leaving it as wasted space. By using different hooks and fasteners, wall space can be utilized for storage.
4 – Additionally, try hanging your television instead of placing it on a floor unit. If installing new kitchen cabinets, make sure they go all the way to the ceiling so as not to waste storage space.
5 – Need a table in the kitchen or dining room but have no area for it? Mount a floating bar. This creates a multi-functional eating space while leaving room to move around. Many stores such as Ikea offer fantastic options for utilizing space. Decorating small rooms “is all about finding hidden spaces and choosing furniture that does more than one thing”. Creativity goes a long way in the quest to a find a home for all of your precious items.
6 – Furniture should not only be multi-purpose, but when decorating small spaces, it should also be proportionate. Often times, home owners mistakenly purchase under-sized pieces. This actually can make a small space feel even smaller. Step 6 is all about choosing regular-sized pieces of furniture, just less of it. This helps to make a room feel larger. The key to a beautiful and functional room is achieving a sense of scale, balance and proportion. The relative scale and size of the elements in a space is critical, especially when the challenge is lack of space.
7 – Furthermore, when choosing furniture type, avoid using anything “boxy”. A table with long legs allows light to travel through and around it, which makes the space overall, feel more expansive. The same can be said for utilizing glass or Lucite pieces of furniture; they take up negative space and make a room feel less crowded.
8 – Pulling furniture away from the wall will add depth, and keeping space between pieces, will add a feeling of space as well.
9 – Additionally, by using furniture the same colour as the wall, the eye is tricked into believing the room is larger, as it all blends together.
Decorating a small space can seem intimidating, but by utilizing these tips and tricks, size, or lack there of, will seem irrelevant. Being limited by space allows you to focus on function and the practicality of the room being decorated. Now is the time to use only the items that you love, and need.
Your home “can still be unique, fabulous, beautiful, functional, and comfortable”.