Just because you have a small home does not mean you have to live in a cramped space.
Proper decorating can make a small home feel more spacious.
Here are a few interior designer tips & tricks for how to decorate a small home.
photo courtesy of Brent Eckley flickr.com/photos/96831183@N08/24543608045Look Up
Since you don't have as much floor space in a small home, emphasize the volume of your small space.
Bring attention to the ceilings and upper parts of your room using a light color on your ceiling, a beautiful light fixture, and architectural elements such as crown molding.
Decorate with draperies toward the top of your wall instead of just over the window in order to make the windows feel taller.
Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Mirrors not only reflect light, they also create the illusion that the space continues, thus making a small home appear larger.
Consider decorating your small house with wall mirrors and mirrored furniture #ad and accessories.
Single Paint Color
Decorate your small home using one wall paint color throughout all of the adjacent rooms that area not separated by a door.
This will make the rooms in a small home feel continuous and larger.
Lighting is Key
Make sure the small space is well lit.
Allow sunlight in and add lamps in dark corners.
Research the possibility of using skylights or solar tubes.
Clear Furnishings
Consider furnishings for your small home that are clear, such as Lucite tables or a clear shower door instead of a shower curtain.
These items visually disappear making the small room feel larger.
Furniture with Legs
Select furniture with legs instead of furniture that completely touches the ground, such as a skirted sofa.
The legs will allow more flooring to show making the small room feel larger.
Avoid putting anything unnecessary on the floor, else it will make the room look smaller.
Multipurpose Rooms
Use rooms for more than one purpose in a small home.
A decorating trend is to combine a dining room and a library.
You can also have a small office almost anywhere using a computer armoire that can be closed off at the end of the day.
For a guest room, consider a Murphy bed #ad so the room can be used for another purpose when you do not have guests.
You can also use a daybed #ad as a sofa during the day and a bed at night.
You can keep a trundle bed #ad underneath for guests.
Between the Walls
Take advantage of the space between walls in a small home.
You can add a display shelf, medicine cabinet, or toiletry shelf in your shower.
Open Concept
Create an open concept home without too many narrow doorways to make a small home feel larger.
Narrow doorways and closed off rooms make a home more compartmentalized and feel smaller.
Enlarge doorways and consider removing walls to open rooms to each other.
Organization
Make sure your closets are well organized and take advantage of all the wall space.
Add shelves to the top portions of your closets to store seasonal items.
Fill the shelves with matching boxes or baskets for a cohesive and designer look.
Not Too Much
Don't decorate using too many accessories else the space will feel cluttered and thus smaller.
Very ornate and highly embellished items will also make the room look cluttered.
Patterns
Avoid large patterns when decorating a small home.
Select solids and smaller scale patterns that do not dwarf the room.
Choose textured fabrics over patterned fabrics.
Outside
Don't ignore your yard.
You can extend your home into the yard by creating an outside room by building a covered patio, putting up a pergola, or simply adding outdoor furniture #ad.
