Using creative design strategies, you can give even the most diminutive items the prominence they deserve. These four simple ideas have enormous style potential -- any one will make a big difference in your small space.
1 Photographs and paintings
They trick the eye into perceiving even small rooms as gallery-like and spacious by using wide mats and large frames, both of which are often associated with more important pieces of artwork. Use artwork to create focal points in a room, but surround each piece with visual breathing space rather than crowding them together.
2 Sculpture or pottery
Rather than hiding impressive pieces, create an arresting display by placing a sculpture or unique item of pottery on a plinth (a platform built to add height and prominence to displays).
3 Windows
Hang draperies outside window frames and as high as possible in order to stretch their perceived size. Keep draperies the same colour as the surrounding walls to increase the impact and make the wall appear larger. Using fabrics with vertical stripes can add height, too.
4 Small furniture
Accent with high-contrast detail. Take, for example, a small bergère upholstered in pale yellow; it will assume larger visual proportions if outlined in piping in a contrasting colour like black.
Read more in Decorating & Design and Design Lesson
You might also enjoy:
Twitter
Facebook
Youtube
RSS
3 Comments
These are some of the best small-space living tips I've seen. Thanks for a great article. Deb
Thanks this was a realy big help. As I am a guy with no decorating skills trying to redo the living room in my Town house. lol.
I am so stumped. My husband retired and we moved to Alberta to be close to family. We purchases a 4 level split and now we are having a hard time decorating the living room which is only 10 X 14 and steps up to a dining room and kitchen. This is all on the one level. I like the dining area but what do we do with the living room. I would like to keep it as just a sitting area for entertaining as we have a family room but do not have a clue what type of furnishings to put in there. I like it simple but cozy.. Any suggestions. Oh and we also have a bay window in the living room. Thanks for any ideas that come my way. Donna Scott