2 minute read
FORM. FUNCTION. FINESSE.
from SPRING/SUMMER 2019
How To Style a Room in a Small Space
From Hong Kong to New York, smaller living spaces are becoming the norm as much for the sake of fashion as finances. For some buyers and renters, smaller spaces provide the opportunity to spend their hard-earned money on other necessities, like education, or luxuries, like travel. For others, a minimalistic way of living is appealing in and of itself as a way to let go of their possessions and focus less on materialistic things. Whatever your reason for moving into a smaller living space, however, the challenge of finding small living room designs that suit your needs is the same.
Thankfully, as tiny homes become more popular around the world, small living room decorating ideas have entered the market in full force. There is now a wealth of ideas and furniture you can choose from to create a personalised living space to relax at home alone, prepare for your next class, attend a video conference, or entertain guests at a small get-together. Here are some ideas we’ve put together to help you decorate your small living room space.
Go Big
The idea of putting large furniture in a small room to make it look bigger might not make much sense at a first glance, but let us explain. The idea to choose smaller furniture is tempting, but then a few months in, you realise you don’t have enough seating, and so you buy another armchair and then another. The problem is, many small items in a room begins to look like clutter. Better to choose the size that suits your need from the start for the most important items and then pair those with smaller furniture choices.
Prioritise Storage
One of the first things people think about when moving into a small space is how they’ll get everything to fit. Of course, you’ll have to get rid of a few things, but it’s perfectly possibly to fit all your smaller items if you are organised and prioritise storage when selecting furniture. There are plenty of smart furniture options that don’t compromise on style or break the bank.
Select beds with hidden storage and drawers to keep bed linen, towels, duvets and even suitcases organised and tucked away. For the living room opt for a coffee table with built in storage, drawers or an extra shelf to keep magazines, books, toys or coasters.
Go For Versatile
It goes without saying that a great way to minimise how much space you need is to need fewer things. One easy way to accomplish this is to purchase furniture that can double — or even triple — as something else. The storage items mentioned above are good examples of those. However, storage isn’t always the second function. You could choose a couch that doubles as a bed for when you have company, a dining table that you also use as a desk or even better an ottoman that has built-in storage and can double as extra seating when you have guest.are organised and prioritise storage when selecting furniture. There are plenty of smart furniture options that don’t compromise on style or break the bank.
Go Light
Black looks good on almost anything, but when you’re trying to make a space look bigger, dark colours make a poor choice for the floors and walls. Choose lighter and more neutral colours, like white, beige, or grey. You can then add furniture pieces, accents or accessories that are black or a vibrant colour to create contrast.
Leggy
You may notice most homes with large living rooms include sofas that conceal the floorspace they occupy. Because of this, they truly seem to fill the space in which they sit. For smaller apartments, choose a sofa that has legs and shows floorspace. This helps to keep the room feeling open and clear as it allows light to pass through.
Vertical
Vertical patterns and lines draw the eye upwards and are a simple, easy way to create the illusion of height and spaciousness in small spaces or homes with low ceilings.