Some of us live in apartments. Some of us live in terraced houses. And some of us live in big detached homes. But each of us will have an awkward room, with a small size that makes it impossible to get the décor right.
Unless you’re careful, a small room can oh-so easily become cramped, cluttered and claustrophobic. However, avoiding these three CCCs is a doddle – just follow a few of our decorating tips for making a snug space feel bigger.
Decorate with cooling shades
Colours can be divided into two camps: warm and cool. Roughly speaking, warm shades are the ones you’ll see on a sunny, summer day and they make rooms feel smaller. So you’re going to have to avoid reds, oranges and browns.
Cooling colours are the blues, greys, greens and pure whites that typically define an overcast morning. These shades recede, which means they can make a space seem bigger and are the ideal choice for decorating a small room.
Sticking to a simple colour scheme will also enhance whatever space you have. Maybe pick a décor comprising two or three shades of light blue and add interest with a strong, clean white.
Pull your furniture away from the walls
This tip might sound counterintuitive, but it really does work and it takes next to no time. Give it a try. You’ll find having space behind your sofa and armchairs creates a free-flowing illusion.
Minimise (AKA have a tidy)
A small space is tough to keep clean. The daily debris that drifts into the background of a big room takes prominence in a little lounge or a cramped bedroom. And that’s bad news. The solution is to have a tidy; just put things away or throw them out.
Draw the eye upwards
Almost all of your furniture stands at roughly the same level: sofas, dining tables, cupboards and armchairs will be more or less waist high. When your eye rests at this level, a room will feel busy and crammed. But give an eye a reason to look up and all of a sudden things seem much more spacious.
Try fitting a bookshelf just below the ceiling or paint your coving a colour that contrasts with your walls.
Go for blinds that neatly tuck away
Sumptuous curtains look great, but will steal valuable inches of living space. However, choosing a close-fitting Pleated blind, Roller blind or Venetian blind will allow the view from your window to add depth to your room.
Express yourself with art
Keeping your walls pattern free makes a room feel spacious, but it can be a bit on the dull side. Choosing one, big piece of statement art will solve this problem.
Choose fewer, but bigger accessories
Having lots of small ornaments or accessories crowds a space, so only choose a few larger items. If you must stick with diddy bits and pieces, be sure to group them according to colour. A tidy, organised space feels more expansive.
Pick a striped rug
Everyone knows that stripes elongate appearance. Apply this knowledge to your home by laying a striped rug in your small room.