Housing these days are smaller than they once were, gone are the days of the grand formal sitting rooms and expansive dining rooms along side the concourse of a large vestibule hallway.
In today’s world, housing has become a major topic, the financial difficulties that we are facing due to economic downturn, high interest rates and ever growing food bills and general living expenses are resulting in a national housing crisis, and as a result, is forcing many people to downsize or to secure accommodation into temporary or rented housing other than buying, and for those people that can afford to buy, housing these days are a fraction of the size of what our parents and grandparents would have relished in, leaving us the home owners/renters to have to make smarter choices when designing and decorating our homes. Our home is a form of self-expression a way for us to show the world who we are and what brings us joy.
Maximizing the appearance of Space in Your Small Living Room
I have put together few interior Design ideas that could help overcome challenges we face when turning a house into our home. classically, an effective sitting room arrangement would have a focal point, which serves as the foundation or starting point of your design. This is typically a fireplace, be it an open fire or a log burner or an electric fire there are so many choices these days. This focal point can also be used to hang a TV on, before doing this you need to consider the size and height of each. Ideally, you want them to be proportionate and harmonious, not out of balance or scale. The overall rule of thumb is to keep the TV at eye level when seated, ensuring that the fireplace is situated between 8- 12 inches below it. You could consider painting this wall in a dark block colour, this allows the tv to fade into the background when not in use. This is very trendy and fantastic way to save space, but to also have an amazing focal point.
Wall Colours
tarting with the shell of a small space, colour choices will determine straight away how big or small cosy or cold a space can look or feel. Keeping walls woodwork and ceilings in a light colour will open the space, exaggerating the size of the space in our minds eye. Anything from bright whites to very pale neutral greys. There are so many light neutral colours to choose from including white of which worldwide there are 150,000 shades available, but that is a whole different article. Creams, Beige, and Tans colours with warm undertones, this means these colours have undertones in them such as Pink, Yellow, and Orange whilst the likes of Ivory, Greys and Taupes are known as cool neutrals as they have undertones of Purple, Green and Blue. Knowing the undertones to the colour or colours you choose is helpful as it can dictate what colour furniture you buy, or maybe the colour of the furniture you already own will dictate the neutral colour you paint your walls in.
Floor Covering
If you have fitted carpets these too should be a light neutral colour, if you do not have this and are not able to rip it out and start again, lets face it these days not a lot of us are in that position so the next best thing is a rug. Make sure when buying a rug for a small space to make it oversized this will seriously trick your mind to thinking that the space is much bigger than it is whilst a small rug will show a small space for what it really is.
Perhaps your floor covering is wood, laminate, linoleum, or such like, having darker flooring in this case will make the room feel warmer but will also benefit from an oversized rug that not only add style and warmth but also a degree of layering.
Mirrors and Reflective surfaces
The use of large mirrors on walls is not only a pleasant way to add design and layers to the walls surface, but it also evokes the impression of increased spatial area, making smaller rooms feel more spacious and inviting. Depending on where the mirrors are placed, whether it be in an open space or in a small nook area the rooms focal points can be enhanced to extend the visual confines outside of the room’s physical limitations. Placing a mirror on a wall opposite a window will increase and reflect natural light around the room, regardless of how bright or dismal the sky is outside, it will use all available daylight bouncing it around making the room feel, visually doubled in size. Reflective surfaces such as mirrored furniture or items of furniture that have gold or silver legs, glass coffee tables that let the light flow through, anything that reflects the light and brightens a small room will work, you can optimize natural light by also hanging sheer curtains, blinds that fold or roll up to the top of the window during the day and clearing or decluttering window sills.
Furniture
Now this is the crux of our dilemma when working within a small space as although houses and homes are becoming evermore smaller in size, typically furniture isn’t. the idea of having lots of seating depending on the size of your family seems fair but then you remember that your living space is on the smaller side. One solution is to have sectional seating say in a corner position. By making sure that the bottom of the sofa doesn’t touch the floor maybe you will have to change the legs raising an existing sofa, again giving the impression of a larger room. Another way is to use furniture that isn’t placed against a wall so that there is sufficient space to walk around the furniture as it is very important to have an area that is well spaced for safe flow and efficiency maximising the use of available space for functionality but also for the aesthetics, promoting balance and harmony. Using furniture that is of different heights gives a room different dimension which moves the eye around as appose to having all furniture at the same height cutting a space in half vertically making a room more aesthetically pleasing. Use smaller side tables or table lamps that are not over bulky that add glamour and depth. Also try to make sure that furniture is multifunctional, Pouffes and foot stools that serve as coffee tables or as storage, ottoman style.
Maximizing vertical space
By installing tall shelves or floor to ceiling Bookcases or drawing the eye upward by hanging a decorative chandelier or pendant light will give the room a sense of space by making the ceilings appear higher and adding visual interest without taking up too much floor space, but whatever you do remember not to clutter the shelves, lots of clutter instantly makes a room appear small. Always remember the rule of three when filling the shelves, you want to create an interesting home that’s not just functional, but also has visual depth and satisfaction. The guideline of threes say that things arranged in odd numbers look more attractive, Impressive, and memorable than even-numbered groupings or items just cluttered into a space. Place baskets onto the shelves to minimises the look of clutter, these are great for storage in smaller spaces. Correctly hung window treatments will make or break a room. Hang curtain panels too low and the ceiling will feel like it’s caving in, hang them just right from the ceiling to the floor and they will be the finishing layer that makes your space feel accomplished and complete.
Lighting
Lighting can influence everything from our mood to our productivity, A poorly lit room can feel dull and boring, while a well-lit room can make us feel uplifted and motivated. The three main types of lighting are ambient also known as mood lighting, task, and accent.
Creating ambient lighting involves using colour, temperature, and brightness to create a comfortable and even level of light throughout a space. The main sources of ambient lighting are usually ceiling lights, wall-mounted fixtures, or recessed spotlights.
Task lighting supplies increased light for specific tasks in a room that may already have ambient light, examples of task lighting, including spotlight, under cabinet lights, bedside lights, and desk lights.
Accent lighting, also called highlighting, emphasizes objects by focusing light directly on them. Accent lighting can be used inside and outside the home to feature locations such as an entrance or to create dramatic effects.
If you want all your lighting to feel intentional, polished, and personalised, a simple solution is dimmer switches these can be applied to table lamps, floor lamps, main switches so you can control the ambience of the room.
Don’t forget Last but not least in the lighting department, a low hung chandelier or large light fitting, nothing screams grandeur more than that.
Accessorising
Bring colour to the room via cushions and throws. Using different textures and patterns will create visual stimulation in a neutral and subtle space but can also have a calming influence in a more flamboyant, extravagant environment. You can keep things subtle by using neutral tones with layers of different textures, A texture is associated with a sense of feel, which draws peoples physical and mental attention to the object, the right finishing touches to a room can create dimension, and depth, whilst the wrong can finish can create an uninviting dull space.
Accentuate your space with decorative ornaments, beautiful vases, mirrors, designer picture frames, luxury candle holders, scented candles and plant pots. These added items will add character and atmosphere and reflect your style aspirations for a unique design scheme.
And for the easiest-ever design final addition, bring together a mix of artificial and live plants to trick the eye into thinking they’re all real. Lifelike looking artificial plants look real and never fade.
And lastly, keep it personal. Your living room should reflect who you are. Whether it’s a collection of travel souvenirs, a stack of your favourite books, or a family heirloom, these are the touches that tell your story.
Remember, your first attempt at decorating doesn’t need to be your last. You can always adjust your approach down the road. The goal isn’t just to create a space that looks good in photos, it’s to craft a space where you feel at home. So, relax, experiment, and enjoy the process – after all, it’s your journey to a living room that’s as unique as you are.
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