Having a small space is actually my idea of heaven. You haven't got the worry of cosying up some big open plan room for one and nor have you got the expense. I've seen lots of small spaces in my time in particular Paris and NYC where space is a premium and yet they are decorated in the same way say a loft would be. Below are a few dos and don'ts - not from some text book but from experience from my years in the biz.
Don't compromise. By this I mean just because your space is small donât think you canât decorate the same way you would a larger scale room. You don't for example need to go for small verging on dollhouse size furniture with the belief that the space look bigger. Wrong it will make the room look sad!
Do use pattern if you so wish. Forget small motifs I'm talking ballsy show offy prints it will elevate the room making it feel far more exiting. In others words no playing it safe - playing it safe means boring!
Don't paint the walls white (worse pastel)Â with this belief that the room will look bigger (wrong actually). A small room is a small room painting it out in some wishy washy shade is not going to make it look bigger its just going to make it look more boring. Go dark, go bold and you will envelope that space with this feeling that I can only describe as squishy contentment! Paint the ceiling the same bold hue and I promise you your room will look so much bigger!
Do play around with scale. Adding something super sized to a small room will elevate it to new heights itâs amazing what happens, making it feel grander and more luxurious itâs such a simple simple trick. So a mirror that is too large on a wall that is small or a painting, or a large vase with blooms on a small table that kind of thing.
Do play with the verticals. Use the height of the walls, take art for instance up and oven the doorframe it will elongate your walls. Same thing applies if you put some tallboy or dresser in the space, or a floor lamp it takes the eye up and away from the small footprint.
Easy don't you think? A couple of images to support my case:
I've used this image before and I will continue to do so for I'm guessing another 90 years I love it. Its the home of Roman and Williams coolest designers on the planet and yes its small but they have done everything I've been yabbering about. Played with verticals (check the bookcase), used furniture that is not small scale and a lot of it so when you walk in you don't clock that the footprint is pretty small you clock that the space is pretty cool. Plus they've painted it dark - AMAZING!
Small kitchen painted dark - takes the emphasis away from it feeling bland and teeny tiny. You don't even think about it right?
Back later with an interview with one of my favourite bloggers, Victoria Smith from
www.sfgirlbybay.com
