by Natalia Jones

Created on: April 15, 2009   Last Updated: April 16, 2009

Decorating a small living room could leave you feeling frustrated and overwhelmed if you are not prepared to handle the challenges presented by occupying small spaces. The task can comfortably be compared to trying to fit an elephant in a coat closet. Not an easy feat.

The problem arises because we try to accommodate all our activities into one area without adjusting the way they are traditionally carried out. For instance, if your living room has to be the entertainment space, relaxing zone and home office, the furniture pieces normally associated with these actions may not all fit into our ten by twelve room. Yet we try to cramp them in because we cannot envision a home office without a desk or a relaxation zone without our traditional lounge chair.

The key to making the most of your small space with style is planning what you want out of the room and also discarding preconceived notions of what it should look like. Forget the pictures of sprawling mansions you ogle in the pages of your favorite decorating magazine and find a solution that combines good sense with designer style.

The following tips will make it easy for you to make your small space seem so palatial your friends will wonder if you did an addition.

De-clutter. This is the most important defense against overcrowding. Take the time to go through your room from top to bottom. Separate your belongings into piles that you will keep what you can donate and things destined for the trash. This will then give you an idea of the things you really need to store, and therefore make it easy to plan out your space.

Add built-ins. Maybe you have a lot of books, an expansive movie or music collection or a simply a group of items that you would like to display. Look at your possessions and let them lead you to discover the type of storage you need. Try to remember to use your vertical space as much as possible as this maximizes the volume of the room without eating up valuable floor space. It also draws the eye up and gives the illusion of more space by emphasizing volume as opposed to floor space.

Light it up. Darkness makes a room feel even smaller than it is. Add appropriate lighting in areas that need it. If you have a reading nook ensure that you have task lighting. A bright room gives off an airy feeling that can never be accomplished in the dark.

Re-think your furniture choices. Make your pieces perform multiple functions. Stackable nesting tables are functional yet stylish options for entertaining friends that disappear when they are not needed. Using a sofa bed instead of an ordinary sofa turns your living room into a guest room when needed. You might have a closet that can be used to store the equipment and files for your home office.

It is important to love the space you are in. Your living area may not be as large as you had hoped, but while you are in it, there are always clever ways to maximize the space while making it beautiful.

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