Showing posts with label Small Space Decorating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Small Space Decorating. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Useful Decorating Tips for Small Bathroom


If you are thinking that your small bathroom will not be able to provide all the luxuries that you would usually get in large bathrooms, you are definitely wrong. In fact, the gigantic bathrooms that we often see in the television are actually quite rare. Very few of us have the privilege to use such huge bathrooms. Since the size of your small bathroom is the major hindrance for enjoying luxury, the following small bathroom decorating tips might help you to great extent.

Paint - The color of the paint is highly important. You have to be careful of the color as because the apparent size of the bathroom may vary with different shades of color. Try to stay away from dark colored paints. Do not forget to paint the ceiling of the room. Your bathroom would manifest depth if the ceiling along with the walls is painted.

Furniture - Suppose you open a door and you hit something, on that very moment you would conclude that the bathroom you are entering is undoubtedly small. Hence, while placing the bathroom furniture, be very careful. Always keep the furniture away from the main door of the bathroom. Also, make sure that the size of the furniture is not big enough to obstruct you from using the main bathroom space.

Professional Help - For decorating the bathroom, the professional aid is highly recommended. You might have some ideas, but a professional would have even better. If you find that even after using all your wits, you have failed to make your bathroom look that gorgeous and majestic, get hold of a professional interior decorator. Even though appointing an interior decorator can be bit pricy but if you manage to get good one, your bathroom is worth for it.

You may also take help from some books on this topic guiding you for the best small bathroom interior decoration. Always make sure that your bathroom has good ventilation system. Proper circulation of air and adequate sunshine is required to make your bathroom look attractive. Use a well lit one as even in the evening every nook and corner of your bathroom must shine, hence providing luxurious attire to your small bathroom.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Decorating a small living room


Decorating the interior of a small living room requires you to consider the space available so that the room when completed looks airy, bright and cheerful. In modern day homes, the high cost of real estate has led to rooms in apartments being smaller and this in turn restricts the sort of designs that you can execute for the living room.

So whether your interior design is modern or contemporary you need to keep in mind the area available and come up with an interior design that makes the best use of materials and colors and allows the final effect to be still be one of space and lightness.

Treatments to windows should not be bulky and use huge pelmets, jambs or sills that take up space. Heavy furnishings for a window in a living room that has restricted space could have the effect of making the room look smaller. Using blinds with the thinnest possible slats would help to give a feeling of space.

Furniture in small living rooms should be minimal and multifunctional. Floor space occupied by the furniture needs to be restricted so that the living room area looks as if it has enough circulation area. This can be done easily by seeing that the supports for the furniture occupy very little space on the ground. Open spaces below furniture can actually help to create the feeling of openness and space which is so important for small rooms.

Interior design of a living room would naturally include the colors on the walls. A small room would take more kindly to a single color or slight changes in the shades of individual walls. Having a number of colors can make a room actually look smaller, especially if some of the colors are of the darker hues.

A smaller living room calls for a lot of attention to be paid to the lighting. The limited light available that comes in from the windows can be accentuated with strategically placed mirrors or other reflecting surfaces. Use of a semi-gloss paint opposite the window can also help to increase the natural light in the room. When you decide on the lighting fixtures make sure that you do not use very elaborate shades, as these could further cause your room to look crowded.

Smaller spaces have as much potential as larger ones, when it comes to ideas for decorating. Even when placing decorative pieces around the house, limit them to just one or two on a table or shelf. Placing too many items on surfaces could make the room appear crowded. Decorating a small living room need not be too daunting a task if you consider all these aspects.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Decorating Ideas for Small Living Spaces


Small spaces in a house offer you a great advantage: they are by default more friendly to the eye and accessible at all times, so your main goal should be to decorate them in such a way that they can be a little jewel spot for you, a cozy and smart retreat, a place where the eye can travel smoothly and enjoyably around. Decorating small living spaces is not always easy, but on the other hand it can be an extremely creative and lovely endeavor.

Versatility and flexibility are the cornerstones of a small space interior design, as the room available is by default small; thus you need to be able to work and function freely having everything in well appointed and practical positions. Thinking big in a small place can end up in disaster and when referring to your place you definitely deserve something better than that.

Your house is your ivory tower and a vaulting spot; you need to be able to unwind, relax and move freely in an unhampered and friendly space. Just think how many times you found yourself in a place that was small and cute, smartly decorated so as to avail the best of it, and you imagined feeling equally comfortably and warm at your house, where everything has a meaning and a positive impact. Everything is a result of smartly decorating small living spaces.

The truth is that you can always find some plausible solutions when it comes to decorating small living spaces. There are some elements that make a huge difference when it comes to spatially challenged houses and rooms; first of all, the lighting: the proper lighting is the cornerstone of every decoration in the house. No matter how smart pieces of furniture you choose, or no matter how great your style is, lame lighting can actually destroy all your efforts. It's not about fancy lights and lamps. It's about making the right choices and decorating small living spaces in order to create the right ambience and atmosphere in the room.

When decorating small living spaces it's always a good idea to opt for small furniture that can accentuate the available space. Avoiding bulky things or too compact pieces of furniture is probably required because creating a loud result in a small space can be very awkward. Slim lines and streamlined pieces can always make a difference and can be a very smart solution in your home, tricking the eye and making your given space look and feel larger.

When decorating small living spaces, you should always keep in mind that multi-functionality is an issue. It's better to have a few pieces that can be used in different ways, rather than having one piece for a particular job. A small desk in the living or sitting room can be an excellent alternative to the kitchen table; a small armoire in the hallway can provide you with additional storage room in a space where storage room can be an issue.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

How to Make a Small Room Looks Bigger


If you've got a small, cramped room in your house that people actually see or experience on a frequent basis, then you know how frustrating it can be to be inside a cave within your own how. We all love having large rooms to breathe in, but the fact is that sometimes the square footage just isn't there. Rather than complaining about what you have to work with, you can employ a few different techniques to maximize the openness of the space. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Light Wall Colors
Anytime you put a dark color on the wall like navy blue or a deep maroon, you make the walls around you heavy. While this bold look may work for a great room, all it does to a small space is make it feel even more like a cave. You need to stick with light, airy colors for your walls so that the room has a sense of relief, rather than weight. Light yellows, beiges, and blues all fair well in most homes, depending on the context, of course.

Stripes
If you don't know this, the simple addition of stripes in your clothing can make you look taller or wider, depending on if they are vertical or horizontal. You can get the same effect with stripes on your walls. Vertical stripe will make your walls look taller if you have an issue with height, and horizontal stripes will make a room look wider if that's the problem. Be careful here though. Too many stripes could make the room busy, and when you have a small space to work with, you want to eliminate as much clutter as possible. Keep it simple and maintain the light color choices throughout.

Light Ceilings
Make sure that your ceiling is a lighter shade than your walls because that will really help open the room up. White or slightly off white ceilings are usually the best and should pair well with anything you paint the walls. Also be leery of excessive texture on the ceiling. Try to keep things minimal so you don't add an extra layer of enclosure to an already tight space.

Mirrors
The addition of mirrors can vastly improve the feel in a small space because of the reflection. For one, more light is able to bounce around because of the mirrors, thereby making it feel lighter already. Mirrors also reflect additional space in the room, even if it doesn't exist. Your mind will feel like it's in a bigger space when it really isn't. If you can find a tasteful way to do a full wall of mirrors, that could be an excellent source of openness.

Minimalistic, Multi-Purpose Furniture
Clutter is a small space's worst enemy. Avoid that at all costs. You want to keep your furniture small, simple, and clutter free. Only put in what you need to, and if you can find ways to get multiple purposes out of one piece, you'll save a lot of room. For instance, you might have a padded, long chest that can act as a bench, a storage area, and a coffee table with the addition of a tray on top. One piece can do three different things. You can make a desk that folds up onto a wall and looks like a piece of artwork until you're ready to use it, or you could have a couch that pulls out into a bed for guests. Get creative with your furnishings and always keep maximum function in minimal space in mind.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Small Bedroom Seems Large

Although most of us don't spend a great deal of time in our bedrooms, there's no question that making one as appealing and comfortable as possible is never a bad idea. Sadly, many people have very limited space to work with and assume that they are out of luck. With custom made furniture, however, they are not.
 

Make Everything Fit, With Room to Space
It's nice being able to include every piece of furniture that you want in the design of your bedroom - and it's a lot easier to do when you order custom made desks, shelves, wardrobes and wall beds. By using these customized items, you can plan everything so that it all goes together with ease. At the same time, you will still have plenty of space and won't feel crammed in to a too-small room. The aesthetics of a room greatly increase when there is an appropriate balance of furniture and space in any room.

Why Rely On Cookie-Cutter Designs?
Purchasing a wardrobe from one store, shelves from another and a desk from still another can create a logistical nightmare when the time comes to arrange everything. Suddenly, the desk that looked so attractive in the store is hogging up a great deal of room in your bedroom; the shelves that seems so capable of organizing all of your books and other belongings now seem to take up a huge percentage of the room's available floor space. Instead of ending up with a relaxing, comfortable bedroom, you've got a shoe box. Custom made furniture can help.

The Benefits of Murphy Wall Beds
There are few better ways to enhance the space potential of a bedroom than wall beds. Modern wall bed designs are available in a large range of solutions that include library shelve designs and other useful organizational detail. During the night, you can sleep soundly on a full-sized, very comfortable bed; during the day, you can fold it up and enjoy a highly organized - and very spacious - bedroom or study. Indeed, Murphy wall beds can bring together the design of a room unlike anything else.

Get Exactly What You Want
Without a doubt, investing in custom-made furniture for the bedroom is an investment in comfort and space savings. Why spend so much time in a cramped and uncomfortable room when you could be easily relaxing in one that is roomy and is well arranged? When bedtime rolls around, you'll be excited to head up to your delightful bedroom; during the day, working or studying there will also be pleasant and agreeable. All around, custom made furniture is a top-notch choice.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Decorating Small Rooms


Not all of us are able to have the wide open spacious rooms we would so like to have. This does not mean that you cannot still make the most of your smaller space and add the illusion of a roomier atmosphere. Add some fresh paint and new crown molding and you are all set. You can achieve this by just simply buying a how to book or video. Adding crown molding can make your small room appear larger because it will pull the eyes up and you will not focus on the size of the room. Hang pictures a little higher than eye level as the will work to draw the eyes upward also.

Whether it is a living room or a small bedroom you would like to place furniture in, there are a few factors you must consider to make the room look as open as possible. Here are a few tips that may help you to "expand" your living space.

Depending on the layout of the room and the number of walls you can arrange the furniture against. You will want to see what you have to going for you. Many times you will find that due to windows, closets or any other feature that makes it near impossible to place furniture against, you may only have one focal wall to work with. This begins the challenge of having to re-arrange entertainment units, TVs, dressers or cabinets, end tables, chairs, or beds, depending on what room you are trying to expand.

Getting rid of all clutter or accessories that are not necessary will help a great deal. The more floor space you can make visible, the more the room will appear less crowded and overall more spacious. Do not place furniture near any walkways or entrances. Place all large furniture along the wall with the most open space and work your room around it. If you have a small room, placing one couch, a couple end tables, and a small arm chair may be all the furniture you need to create a cozy yet modest looking room. If possible take any un-necessary items such as kid’s toys, book shelves, or a coffee table and place them in a more spacious room. Once you have arranged your furniture around a large item as a focal point, you can also use cool, soft shades of paint to add that extra feeling of comfort and openness.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Decorating Tips for Your Home


There was a time people thought the world was flat. At another point in history it was believed that women didn’t have the know-how to run a business or change a tire. Then there was the one about man not being able to fly. Over time all of these fairytales have proven untrue.

So it is with interior design. Until recently, many people held the belief that having their home decorated by an interior designer was reserved for the rich and famous. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Fact is, many people of average income who live in a middleclass neighborhood are frequently surprised to learn they can easily afford the services of an interior designer. In other cases, many folks prefer to learn tips about design so they have the flexibility to redo a room on a whim. Either way, you have more choices today then ever before.

It is not uncommon to completely redo a room for a one time social event such as a birthday celebration, a graduation or a wedding. With some simple tips, even the most inexperienced person can easily spruce up a room.

Before you begin, think about the style you are interested in. Is it art deco, traditional, Mediterranean, western, modern, or contemporary? These are only a few of the multitude of choices you have. Think through how functional the room will be with what you have in mind. Avoid rugs and chairs that stain easily if there will be a lot of traffic in the room.

Be very careful to scale your furniture to the size of the room. If you have a very large space you can break up the area into little sitting groups or area groups. You can easily shift the “feel” of a room with the use of lighting and/or plants. Area rugs are another tool many designers use to break up large spaces. A variety of paint colors and wall textures can make even the most mundane room come to life.

Small space decorating is fast becoming a favorite topic for many people as real estate prices rise. Think priorities when it comes to small spaces. Do you need to use an area of the room for more than one reason? In some cases you can easily convert the kitchen table to your workspace provided you have cabinet space handy for supplies. A chest of drawers can easily serve this purpose by holding office supplies, linens, or even computer components.

If you are considering utilizing the services of a designer, do your homework. Check their portfolio and references. Find out how they are to work with, did they deliver on time, were they easy to work with and did they listen to the homeowner. If you get an affirmative answer on all of these and their fees are suitable to your budget, then take the leap. Often, interior designs services are provided at no additional cost to you, and will give you the extra edge you need to create exactly the feeling you want for your home.

A great designer can make recommendations you may not have thought of. Ultimately, their goal is for you to be ecstatic with what you were able to accomplish together. After all, you are the one that has to live in the space long after the designer has done their magic.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Decorating Small Place


“Big Things Come In Small Packages” We’re all familiar with this quote, it’s normally associated with gifts not home decorating, but it should be.

A one or two bedroom house, apartment, condo or townhouse can be just as impressive and grand as something with fifteen bathrooms, Wow, imaging having to clean all those, I have enough trouble with two.

One interesting things I have found from past experience is that decorating a smaller place is actually easier, not to mention less expensive.

Whether your currently living in a small space or downsizing – that’s another one of those trendy “buzz” words, which simply means your moving into something smaller – planning how your going to decorate or redecorate is a good idea.

You may think because it’s smaller, having large pieces is out of the question. Not true, having oversized furniture is not going to make your rooms appear smaller, what it will do is give a warm inviting feeling.

Of course the layout and size of a room will determine how many pieces can comfortably go into it. After all, you may be looking for drama and comfort, but you still need to be able to maneuver around.

This also applies to accessories; it’s better to have a few large dramatic pieces as opposed to a lot of small items, which can tend to turn into clutter and dust collectors.

The exception to this would be with collections. But again you want to have places to showcase them like glass front hutches, cabinets, bookcases or shelves.

Another decorating challenge can be in warming up your new place. This normally can easily be achieved by adding color with paint.

Now that’s all fine and good unless you happen to be renting and your landlord say’s “Paint, oh no”. That’s OK, color can be added in a number of other ways.

Several examples: Window treatments - Furniture fabric -Accent pillows - Area rugs - Wall art - Plants & Flowers

Storage can be another issue in a smaller space, there just never seems to be enough.

If you’re buying new furniture or deciding on which pieces to bring from your current home, look for ones that can perform double duty.

For example: Instead of the standard coffee table, look for one with a flip top or shelves underneath. Cedar chests, blanket chests or trunks can also be substituted.

Place an armoire intended for the bedroom in the living room it’s the perfect storage place for remotes, magazines, extra bedding, kitchen linen or any of those pesky little things you just can’t seem to find a place for.

A small floor cabinet you might have used in a bathroom can become an end table. Most of these come with drawers, shelves or both.

Decorative stacking boxes or even old suitcases not only make for great storage, but they also become terrific accessories.
Plastic storage boxes come in a variety of sizes, colors and are inexpensive.

They can be stacked on shelves in a closet or cabinet, even into drawers. Clear smaller sizes are perfect storage for shoes, winter gloves, pictures or how about extension cords, nails, packages of hooks or hand tools.

Larger sizes can keep extra winter coats, blankets, odd season clothes or seasonal decorations neat and in one place.

Baskets and hampers are another option.

Kids rooms are always in need of extra places for all their treasures, plastic milk crates are perfect for them. They come in many bright brilliant colors. One suggestion, if you are planning on stacking the crates and have small children it would be beneficial to secure them to the wall.

Plastic shelving units, which can be found in most discount stores, are perfect for mounting on the backs of doors or on the wall in closets.

These come in especially handy in the kitchen for holding extra soda bottles, canned goods, paper towel etc.

Well, I think you’ve gotten the idea, look around and use your imagination; you will be surprised with what you can come up with.

Moving into and decorating a small space can be challenging, but with a little planning it can be just as beautiful as any large house. And in the end, size really doesn’t matter, if it’s filled with the people and things you love, then you have successfully created a home.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

How to Choose Suitable Colors for Small Spaces?


Colors have humongous power when used appropriately and if you are intending to use interior paint colors for small spaces, you really shouldn't underestimate how important the impact the right color may have. Learning how colors relate to each other is an important step to achieving the finish you dream of. One of the easiest ways of identifying color families is to use a color wheel. This will provide you with thousands of permutations of color, with tones and hues that you would never have considered would blend together. The first step to choosing any interior paint colors for small spaces is to decide those colors you can live with and, more importantly, those you wouldn't dream of giving house room to.

The Color Spectrum
Every color has an associated hue and a tone: when choosing crimson red, for instance, the hue is red. However, tone is especially important as it reflects the intensity of the color and gives emphasis to the color's density: it creates depth. The color spectrum runs from white at one end of the spectrum to black at the other end of the spectrum. This measures the amount of light that is absorbed by that color. The saturation calibration, on the other hand, reveals the amount of light that is reflected back - we see this as the purity and boldness of the color.

The importance of understanding color is because of the way that color affects our moods and when it comes to considering interior paint colors for small spaces, allocating the most suitable color, tone and hue will give the impression of more space as well as the ambiance you are attempting to create. You may want a warm room or conversely, you may want a room that is completely neutral: choosing white is not the way to do it as white is much too stark and creates an ambiance all of its own.

Colors to Look Good In
A tiny room can seem to be enlarged by the application of icy blues and soft creams: the illusion of light gives your rooms the appearance of being brighter and lighter due to the walls reflecting light from them and maximizing the natural daylight. Not only will these interior paint colors for small spaces provide an airy look, the way you use these paint colors will increase the impression of space. You can use darker colors to paint around the walls' borders and trims or you can pain you wall trims and moldings in a lighter color than your walls. This latter choice will make your room seem to be bigger due to the walls appearing to recede and look further back than they are.
Don't forget the psychological aspect of color - and the fact that you have to live with the color you finally choose. Different colors will alter your mood and will have an effect on how you view life around you: you can be lulled into tranquility or quiver with rage according to the colors you choose around you. Once you have decided on your color scheme, keep it simple. To maximize the impact of interior pain colors for small spaces, choose just one or two colors to bring out the feeling of space.