Big Ideas for Decorating Small Spaces
Answers to Your Small Space Decorating Dilemmas
Don’t let a room’s small size hinder your decorating efforts. First look at all the ways that you can give the appearance of a bigger room, and then choose your accents wisely. Before you know it, your small space will make a big impression.
Keep Things Versatile
The more your furniture and accessories can serve double duty, the better. Choose a universally flattering, lift top coffee table that lets you store blankets, throws and pillows in it.
Toss Strategically
Pillows and throws look so nonchalant when tossed on a sofa or across a chair, but be strategic in a small space. Use them to add color where needed, or to cover up a not-so-favorite piece of furniture.
Make Things Disappear
Furniture that seems to ebb and flow with the occasion is like a magic trick. Choose end tables that nest, so that you have the table space when you need it, and it disappears when you don’t.
Go Over Your Head
When your footprint is small, be sure to utilize all your vertical space. Choose a tall, skinny multi-drawer cabinet over a shorter version as the right storage solution for small spaces.
Make Things Taller
Give the illusion of height in a small space by hanging drapes far above the window frame. It instantly makes the room feel taller and more open. Be sure to choose fabrics on the lighter side.
Play With Patterns
Floor rugs can be the right place in a small space to add a punch of color or dramatic pattern. Let your other decorating choices be more basic so that the room doesn’t look too busy.
How Did You Make Your Small Space Bigger?
Comment below with your ideas for decorating small spaces with Country Door!
Comments (5)
toooldsmart
I really enjoyed your answer to Grace. I do feel very sad that her children are doing that to her. I liked your solution and I seem to like Grace also. Thank you for your great ideas. Mare
Grace Adams
I have a big beautiful sofa in a small living room. It looks like it came out of a gentlemen’s smoking parlor in the early 1920’s, and an authentic 1905 Bachelor Cigar ad with a mourning suit, pearl cufflinks, and he is smoking his cigar and playing cards. It is valued at about $2,500. The sofa is 47″ high x 46″ deep and 86″ long and chocolate truffle and leather arms, camel back, & loose back cushions. The cigar ad is in an antique reproduction frame and has a sepia photo finish. I have an old sea foam green credenza (holds the TV) and an antique porch rocker that is hunter green. The room is too narrow for a traditional coffee/cocktail table. A rug that ties all these colors together with a beige background with colorful circles that look like medallions. It is a dark room in the colder months because I live in the Northwest near Seattle.
I have purchased floor to ceiling curtains and double wrought iron rods that have lace under curtains for maximum light in the day time, yet privacy, and cream curtains that have large light grey and cocoa paisley print; very simple.
The room is long and narrow with the windows at the of the room. Sofa on the left, credenza on the right, picture over the sofa. I bought a Mercury lamp reproduction (so it looks like crackled mirror, and the lamp shade is white but I don’t know where to put it.
Do you have any suggestions for how I can lighten up the room? It is an apartment with beige walls that is also the dining area at the opposite end of the windows near the kitchen and door.
Thank you so much for any suggestions you can give me to make the room warm, inviting, and comfortable.
Blessings to you for your help.
Country Door
Hi Grace,
Thanks for sharing the wonderful details of your home. It sounds like you have been lucky enough to surround yourself with some truly unique pieces! Given the size and scale of your furniture pieces in relationship to your room footprint I would suggest adding lighting and some reflective surfaces to your room. A large linear mirror (if possible across from your window) will help reflect natural light and help to illuminate your room more throughout the day providing more of an airy feel. Your new mercury glass lamp would work nicely in front of the mirror, helping to reflect and bounce the light around the room more at night too. If possible, I would look to invest in a 1 or 2 additional lighting sources to add light. An accent lamp or even candlelight could work by adding soft ambiance. Lastly, you have some rich warm tones in your furniture pieces, so you could possibly add some cream textured throws or pillows to help contrast the greens and browns you’ve described as a way to lighten your larger pieces. Good luck and I hope you find this helpful!
-The Country Door Team
Joan
It’ hard to explain what I have to deal with. My husband and I are retired and my stuff seems to take up all the room in our two bedroom condo. I have kept most of my dolls from my childhood and have added to them and not I have about 200 or more, all in antique cabinets. I love antiques too. My children don’t seem to interested in my treasures nor my mothers acquisitions although one of my daughters has taken my grandmothers wedding china from 1910. I have to make a decision and in the meantime what do I do with the rest of the stuff? It breaks my heart but you have to prepare for this stuff and at the same time have your home looking nice and somewhat stylish? Signed, Old and waiting for my maker, God bless you all.
Paula
Hi Joan, parting with treasured belongings is very difficult. But, as a compromise to clearing up clutter while valuing those treasures, an option would be to take photos of each doll or a collection of dolls and create a memories album. I personally would take digital photos of each item (some videos) and load the flash drive into a digital photo album. You can either play all day long or whenever company comes as a conversation piece. You can donate or sell them online.
However, be sure to keep a handful of your favorites. Best wishes.