Many of us face the difficulty of having rooms which are relatively small, though there are ways to deal with small spaces and to maximize that space through the process of decorating. For the purpose of explanation, this article takes the reader through the different rooms in the house, and the scenarios which present themselves, explaining how to get round common problems where space is limited.
Through explanation and an overall look at the room in question, small spaces don't have to have that feeling of constraint. Many home owners impose this constraint on themselves through not being able to separate the wood from the trees, and the article takes an in depth look at how the issue of limited space can be addressed.
*Bedrooms.
*Bathrooms.
*Kitchens.
*Family rooms.
Bedrooms.
Looking at the furniture used within a bedroom area, it is often difficult to decide how a small bedroom can be anything but small, though there are ways to disguise smallness. Before even considering the colors which are suited to the space, take a look at the elements which make up the bedroom, as often these can be changed for more space saving ones. Double beds can be downsized to three quarter beds.
Single beds can incorporate space saving drawers to eliminate the need for extra furniture. Wardrobes can be downsized as well, or even built in to save all that floor space which makes the room look constricted. Alcoves used wisely can turn into built in shelf space or into a built in dressing table area.
Let's take a look at all the other elements of the room which affect space. One of the most obvious is floor covering. If this is dark, the impression that this gives is one of oppression, making the room look smaller. Floors which are ideal for small spaces are those in lighter colors, and here a good quality modern laminated flooring can lift the whole feel of the room, or if this cannot be afforded, a good quality linoleum will be easy to clean and create a greater impact in a light color and the choice available today is enormous.
Looking at curtains, these should also be in a style which is not oppressive. If a window is too heavily dressed in a bedroom, it makes the room look crowded and also takes away an element of light. Lighter colored fabrics which are coordinated with bed linen look wonderful.
For walls and ceilings, there really is no restriction, though if you use dark colors, these always close in a small space and make it look even smaller. Perhaps it would be wiser to introduce those colorful elements in smaller items such as picture frames, cushions or little highlights against a lighter background, making the whole room look brighter and thus larger. Light deceives the eye and pastel shades reflect light, making the room look bigger.
Another great trick with a smaller room is that if you decide to block off a small part of the room for narrow built in wardrobes instead of a bulky free standing wardrobe, using mirrored doors gives the illusion of the room looking twice the size that it actually is, since these go from floor to ceiling.
Bathrooms.
Small bathrooms can also be uplifted by adding light colored flooring. Bad light in a small bathroom tends to make the room look dull, and if there is any way to increase the light within the room, this is always a good idea. Often people fill window sills with clutter, and addressing this throughout the bathroom is a great idea.
If you empty a bathroom of all except the fixed elements, you actually get a better picture of what the bathroom looks like without all that clutter, and can introduce color to lighten the walls, with tones that match in with the bathroom suite or accents in the tiling. Then look at areas which are constricted and find alternatives. For example, old bathroom cabinets can be replaced with under sink vanity units with great storage, freeing up wall space and resulting in the impression of space.
Using pale colors, you can bring out the darker and more vibrant tones that you enjoy more discreetly by using little items to add to the look of the room like brightly colored perfume bottles, towels and a bath rug. The ceiling should always be painted in a light color, though if the room is tall as well as being small, you can create the illusion of shrinking that ceiling, by using the same subtle tones for both the ceilings and wall, instead of emphasizing height by separation at ceiling level.
Avoid cluttered borders, as these add to the confusion of a small room, and make it look an even tighter squeeze. Often in a bathroom that has separate shower and bath tub, a plumber can incorporate a shower screen above the bath, and replace normal taps with those that have a shower attachment, and remove the shower stall, freeing up much needed space.
Kitchens.
Decorating the small kitchen similarly needs attention to what is kept within that area, and better ways of presenting it. Dark colors on units make the room feel too crowded. If you want to re-plan your kitchen during decoration, the first step is to get rid of clutter. How many of those ornaments do you really need ? How many of the items which live on work tops are actually used on a day to day basis ? Clutter makes a small room look and feel smaller.
Working on floors first, look at options which are kitchen friendly. If using the new laminated floors, do be aware that these need to be of reasonable quality and have additional glue added, where normally they are just slotted together. The reason for this is because the kitchen is susceptible to dampness from the sink area or the defrosting of a fridge. It costs no more to actually apply a little glue while placing this kind of flooring in place.
Look around an empty kitchen at the overall look. If the cupboards look tired and in need of change, it is very easy to repaint the doors and carcass frames effectively these days, and little accents of color can be introduced around shaped areas to make the kitchen look and feel stylish. The paints available to the home owner these days are tougher than in older times, and can be applied with a brush and then worked onto the surface with a small door roller, making the finish look superbly impressive, rather than brush marked and amateur.
Having tackled this, the tiling is another area which can make a kitchen look small. Perhaps it is too busy, though if changing the color of cabinets, wait until this is done before making judgment, since often the toning down of cupboards makes those colorful tiles look much more acceptable. The change made in the painting of cupboards can be astounding, as the lightening up process makes the whole room look newer, cleaner and more spacious.
The walls in a kitchen should be painted in good quality paint which is non reflective. Reflections in a paint within a small kitchen looks clumsy. Similarly with the doors, a satin finish looks more like the bought doors available in the stores these days. Look at where you store items, and see if you are making good use of space. Size down refrigerators if at all possible, and also take a look at the size of kitchen furniture. Often where the kitchen is only used for snacks, a breakfast bar can be incorporated to take the place of the kitchen table, and the best way to decide is to be honest about your use of the kitchen, taking away those elements which are unused, and replacing them with space saving alternatives.
The color of a small kitchen can be anything that you like, though be careful with dark colors, and confine these to little niches, using nice bright pastel shades for the majority of the room, with perhaps accents in storage jars, tea towels and accessories, rather than in over-statement with color.
Family rooms and lounges.
A family room should always present a relaxing atmosphere, though many of us forget that piling in extra furnishings and bits and pieces that form part of our normal family life actually take away precious space. This is the room where people gather, and where they want to relax, and many mistake being cramped for being cozy. To evaluate a small lounge or family room, see if you can first empty the room, as this gives you an overall picture of what the room space actually looks like before adding all your trimmings and furniture. This also gives you a great chance to evaluate those items which restrict space.
Look at the empty room and the emphasis placed on smallness by floor coverings, wall coloring and try and evaluate what spaces may be utilized in a different manner, and still house all those family members comfortably. For example, alcoves which are not used are wasted space. These can be turned into book shelves, or shelves to take those beloved ornaments in a stylish display, using discreet shelving, freeing up space elsewhere in the room.
Look at colors when the room is empty. Try to imagine walls in different shades. Here, have a paint sampler sheet and try different combinations, remembering the different between warm colors and restrictive ones, or colors that close in the room. You may like bright colors, though there is no need for these to be so blatant as what vibrant color does is close the room in and make it seem smaller. The way to get around this is to look at accents and the overall color of picture frames, curtains etc., and those colors which you know you will introduce with cushions, sofas etc.
Then choose a pastel shade which goes with those main feature colors, painting walls with that shade and only introducing main colors in accented manner, rather than flooding a small space with too much of it. Look at the flooring. If it is dark, is there any way you can lighten the color ? Again, laminate floors come in light and bright colors which may seem bland, but these can be brought into your color scheme with the addition of rugs.
Ceilings which are fairly low should be in white, though if you want to make high ceilings give more proportion to a smaller family room or lounge, paint the ceilings in the same color as the walls. Doors should be light colored so that they sit discreetly against the walls rather than standing out and making the room look small.
The furnishings of any room can be downsized to make a room look bigger. Try a smaller sofa or armchairs, because what you are doing is freeing up valuable space. Try using small nests of tables instead of permanent large tables that take space. Little by little, after the paintwork is done, add items and evaluate if they are too large for the room. It is amazing the difference which can be made just by being wise about the size of furniture placed in a small room.
Finally, add a great wall mirror, as this makes the room look lighter and brighter. Make sure that the window dressings or curtains are not too over-stated, as these have a habit of shrinking the look and being over-powering. Minimal curtains in neutral fabrics can be brightened up with accent ties and the whole look brought together with the addition of accents in cushions, ornaments, dried flower arrangements and rugs.
Whatever the area of the house which presents space problems, emptying the area concerned and appraising possibilities always helps a home owner to decide how best to tackle the area in question. Think big, downsize all those items which take extra space. Live more comfortably knowing that you managed to utilize the space to best advantage. A smaller home is easier to heat, to clean and to look after, though only when you see beyond the clutter and address colors that give the appearance of space.