Small Room Solutions

by Theresa McGowen, Allied ASID, CAPS of All About Interiors (13-Jul-2011)

Design is about solving problems which, when done well, makes it almost impossible to spot the original problem.  For example, ceiling-high draperies can make the whole room feel taller, and weathered wall finishes can hide many dry walll flaws.  Here are some small room tips.

GO BOLD - Play up the room's coziness with darker colors, to cocoon you and foster intimacy and conversation.

GO GORGEOUS - Powder rooms are typically small-make them luxurious.

GO BIG - An overscaled piece in a small room can actually make a room feel larger.

GO MIRRORS - Hang one to reflect an existing window.  Or lean a tall one against a wall for room - expanding reflection of walls and part of the ceiling.

GO OPEN - Let furnishings reveal as much of the floor as polssible.  Use leggy pieces with open bottoms.  Double the doorway size and fill with French doors - this makes the room feel more a part of the adjacernt space.

GO TALL - For low ceilings, stack pictures three high with the top one close to the ceiling.  Create an uplifting 'pyramid' of pictures and other wall-mounted accessories above the sofa.

GO FOR DISTRACTION - If you can't disguise a flaw in a small or any size room, draw attention to something else.  Create a focal point with furnishings to distract from a lack of windows, or invest in a gorgeous area rug to distract from the walls (a particularly good idea for renters).

It's not the size of the room - it's what you do with that counts!

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