Whether you live in an apartment, an older home with smaller rooms or just have limited space in your house, decorating and furnishing a small space presents a challenge. By adding subtle details to a room, such as an oversized mirror, the right paints, or lighter window treatments, you can trick the eye into believing your space is larger and more roomy than it actually is.
Here are some tips from Lauren Clement, of local interior design firm Lauren Nicole Designs to guide you through your next room renewal along with some great small room finds from our local shops.
- Use oversized mirrors. Mirrors reflect and bounce light around a room. You can also use mirrored furniture which will give you the same effect.
- Use leggy furniture. The more you can use furniture with a more open base to it, the better. This allows your eye to see beyond and through the furniture pieces making the room appear larger. Heavy, blocky furniture pieces will close off the space, making it appear much smaller.
- Paint is your friend through thick and thin. Paint or wallpaper your ceiling a darker color – it gives the illusion of the ceiling fading away into space and can be quite dramatic.
- Keep your window treatments light. Window treatments are one of the most important finishing touches in a space, but be aware, if done wrong, they can make a room look itty bitty.
- Mount them as high as possible to pull your eye upchoose colors that are lighter
- Choose an airy fabric
- If you need privacy use shades, pick those that can be pulled out of the way to let in as much light as possible (shutters typically will block out a lot of light)
We shopped some stores around town for their suggestions on what works well in a small space:
Traditions
Smaller dimensions on traditional furniture styles are perfect for small rooms, apartments and spaces.
Storey Home in Dilworth (HT center on East Blvd)
Classic Attic in the back lot of PRSC right by the new Amelie’s
Smaller scales and sizes are always on hand at Classic Attic. BUT, things sell quickly so shop early and shop often!