How to style a small space
Here at KRIS Furniture, we believe that small spaces are overlooked all too often. Don’t discount living in a smaller and more quaint house or flat just because you’re worried about how to style or decorate; this blog post will teach you not only how to create a space that you love, but also maximise it to its full potential.
1. Colour is everything
As with any part of decorating, certain ‘dos and don’ts’ have emerged over the years that we believe really limits how you can make your space look and feel. With regards to smaller spaces, some people say you should avoid bright colours and bold wallpaper patterns at all costs. We say throw out the rulebook!
While it may not be the best idea to paint all four walls of a small living room bright yellow, splashing a bright shade on one accent wall or adding pops of neon colours in your accessories can really work well. It’s all about balance, so make sure you add plenty of neutrals to even things out.
2. Let there be light
When people picture a small room or small living space, they automatically think of somewhere dark and cramped. While light is a crucial part of any home, it becomes even more important in a small space. Adding natural light wherever possible – you can get bulbs that very closely mimic sunlight – can really help to open up your home by making it more liveable and breathable.
A clever way you can utilise light even further is with the addition of mirrors. Adding these to the walls of your room is a quick, easy and simple way to make your room feel more open and larger in an instant. Try positioning a large wall or floor mirror opposite a window in your living room or bedroom. The light will bounce off the glass and give the illusion of bigger space. Trust us, it really works!
4. Make things multipurpose
When it comes to useful items in your home, don’t be afraid to think outside the box, especially with your furniture, and really think about how best to use your space. For example, having a guest bedroom is probably not the best use of one of your rooms, but on the other hand a dedicated office space may be more beneficial. Instead you could invest in a high quality pullout couch for any guests that stay over. Or instead of a huge dining table, a floating bar would likely be more useful. Not only are you saving space, your furniture is serving multiple purposes.
4. Walls are your friends
While you may not have the most square footage to play with, don’t forget that there are other surfaces for you to use to your advantage. Most notably the wall space. It’s not just decorating a small room that can be frustrating; dealing with the lack of storage can also have you tearing your hair out as you try to find safe places for all your belongings.
Solve all your problems in one go by using as much available wall space as possible. Build bookshelves, install wall or floating shelves, hammer in hooks to hold things like coats, hats, pots, pans or even hang your bike on the wall when it’s not being used.
5. Focus
One thing that you absolutely don’t want to happen with your small living space is for it to feel too cluttered. If that happens it starts to feel cramped and even smaller. You can avoid this by a) being tidy and organised and b) creating a strong focal point to help tie all elements of the room together. This could take the form of a large piece of art, a statement piece of furniture or a gallery wall of images. People’s eye will immediately be drawn to this area rather than the attention focusing on space size.