Decorating a small space, like beautifying a more spacious room, requires a good eye to mix and match furniture and design elements to balance the look. Scale is an important factor to consider when making your room comfortable and functional. This means that thinking small doesn't always apply to small spaces. As much as you want to make the most out of your space, you must not forget about keeping everything balanced.
Read this quick guide to avoid common small room design mistakes.
Thinking Small
Taking scale and your lifestyle into consideration is important when it comes to designing your flat. Filling your small space with bulky furniture pieces, like an enormous cushioned sofa for your living room, makes your area look cramped. However, if you have a bigger seating need, getting a smaller sofa and overcrowding your space with multiple smaller chairs is not a better option.
To work out your big furniture needs, choose large-scale furniture that can also cater to other functions to minimise the extra furniture that you need in your room. A sectional or L-shaped sofa that comes with extra storage solutions and adjustable seats is a champion for small spaces. Go bold with a big rug to create the illusion of space. Work with small and large decorative pieces to add variation and depth to your room.
Welcoming Too Much Clutter
Clutter takes up so much more space in your home than you think. Even a tiny empty perfume bottle contributes to a big mess in your area. To prevent your room from looking cramped and suffocating due to clutter, make it a habit to conduct regular segregation of the items you use and those you no longer need. When decluttering, dedicate boxes for the items you want to retain, those that can be donated, and things you can already toss out. Focus on specific spots of your room first to avoid mixing up items that belong to a particular area. Make use of flexible storage solutions like boxes and stackable drawers to keep your items in place and avoid clutter.
Using Too Many Storage
Keeping your small space uncluttered and well- organised is important, this is where you need multiple storage solutions. However, having too many storage items in your room makes it more cluttered than organised. Instead of getting more baskets and boxes, focus on multi-functional furniture that can keep your clutter hidden as much as possible.
Underestimating the Importance of Lighting
Dark walls and corners make a small room look smaller. Sometimes, your central light is not enough to reach dark corners that make your room smaller and too occupied.
Recessed lights or accent pendants can brighten up dull areas. When combined with light paint and reflective decorations, it can help you create an illusion of space. If you have a focal piece of decor in your room, adding some light that reflects that piece will surely make your room remarkable.
In the morning, make sure that your room receives natural light. Do not block your windows with furniture and dark curtains. As much as possible, use sheer window treatments to invite natural light into your flat.
Pushing All Furniture Against the Wall
Pushing your furniture pieces against the wall does not always make your small room look bigger. Although keeping some large pieces close to your wall gives you extra floor area, lining up your furniture in this area breaks the inviting feel that you want to achieve. For conversational areas like your living room and dining room, keeping a distance between your sofa or dining table and the wall gives your eyes time to breathe. Pulling your sofa away from the wall reduces your centre space but gives you more room to walk around and interact with others.
Decorating Every Wall
Speaking of walls, when designing your room, you do not need to decorate every corner to make it alive. Sometimes, leaving some bare walls is the best design decision that you can make for your small space. When deciding what to focus on when decorating, choose the most noticeable wall when you enter your room. This will act as your accent wall. Make it distinct with paint, wall arts, and other decorative items. Now that you have a wall that stands out, you can let your eyes breathe with minimal decor in less highlighted areas.
The same goes with your furniture surfaces. You don't need to add potted plants or other decorative pieces on top of every coffee table, console, and drawer in your room. A few throw pillows on your sofa will suffice.
Interrupting Traffic Flow
When designing a small room, aside from the visual appeal of your space, you also need to prioritise the ease of movement. If your furniture and decorations are too close or too far from each other, chances are you will sacrifice a space intended for traffic flow.
When placing your furniture in the bedroom, especially the major ones like the bed frame and wardrobe, be sure that you have enough space to move and access your items. Your furniture shall not block the door, window, or walkways. If you see an awkward furniture arrangement in your room, try rearranging your furniture and focusing on creating enough space for ease of movement.
Focusing on Saving Space
Even when dealing with small spaces, your comfort should still be your number one priority. When planning your design, focus on the furniture basics that can make your home more comfortable and efficient. You can bring in some accent items afterwards. Small details such as cushions, pillows, and blankets have a big impact on your comfort. On the other hand, too much decoration can take a toll on your space. Always aim for balance and focus on what is important.
It can be daunting to design a small room, but if done right, you will surely get a cosy and intimate space that you can proudly call your home. Ready to design your space? Check out our extensive collection of high-quality furniture and home appliances to level up your home interior design in Singapore.