The Basic Rules of Small Room Decorating

Living in a small space is definitely challenging. And, small room decorating is a challenge in itself.

People live in small homes for a variety of reasons. It may be that they can’t afford a larger home or perhaps they just want to live a less complicated lifestyle. Whatever the reason, there are certain rules that should be followed in decorating small rooms. Here is a list of the most important ones:

1. Plan, plan, plan. Go through your home and note down how you actually use the space that you have. Then, look at it with an eye toward how you can better utilize that space. You’ll need areas for cooking, entertaining, relaxing, sleeping and possibly a home office. Write it down and then decide on the best places to fit those uses. Don’t need a formal dining room? Make it an office instead. A room doesn’t always have to be used the way the architect intended.

2. Get rid of the clutter. When you have a lot of “stuff” and very little space, the clutter-filled space that you do have can look a lot smaller than it actually is. So the first task is to clean out what you don’t really need. Have a garage sale, give to a charity and throw the worn out items into the dumpster.

3. Use color to visually enlarge the space. Choose lighter colors to give the room a more open look. Also, try to go monochromatic. Choosing tones that are in the same color family fools the eye to make spaces seem larger. Your furniture colors should blend in with your wall and carpet colors so that they don’t break up the visual flow.

4. Paint the ceiling a lighter color than the walls. Avoid using a heavy patterned wallcovering in a tiny room.

5. Select furniture carefully. Choose styles that are multipurpose. Furniture like ottomans that have removable tops and tables that have drawers for storage are ideal for a small room. Trundle or bunk beds or even loft beds are just the ticket for kids rooms or a den. Taller end tables with curved, narrow legs draw the eye under the piece, thus making the space feel larger. Dining and coffee tables that are made of glass provide a place for accessories without blocking the room’s view.

6. Use lighting to make a room look larger. Add lighting such as track or recessed lights. Also, eliminate heavy draperies. Use light sheers that will allow the sunlight to show through, or use no window coverings at all if privacy isn’t an issue. With the right kind of lighting, you can use darker colors in paint and furnishings. In fact, the result can be quite dramatic with the correct lighting effects.

7. Use a mirror to visually enlarge the space of a room. Not only will its reflection make the room feel twice as large, but it will reflect light around the room further increasing the visual space.

Visualizing the ways your rooms should work for you is a good first step to take when decorating a small space. Small rooms do not have to feel cramped and unusable. They can be beautiful and cozy with a little planning and creativity.

Kids Furniture And Basic Design Ideas

If you’re the designer type, enjoy adding unique expressions in your home, then you’re probably excited about the prospect of adding interesting elements to your child’s room or playroom. In fact, even if you’re not adept with designing unique styles, you can make minor adjustements to have that lasting effect in your child’s room.

The options are endless when it comes to customization, you can paint, add wall paper, or other designs to walls for extra color and patterns. After that comes perhaps the most important elements, and those which can last generations.

The furniture your pick for your kids is particular to who they are as individuals, but also based on the overall look and feel of the room. Albeit, the point of a place for your child to have to call their own is to customize for them, but it doesn’t hurt to add your own impressions.

Sometimes it’s two kids and not one sharing a room, or in a playroom multiple friends visiting over and over. You’ll want pieces of furniture that not only last, but have a quality that is transferable to different personalities. Simple but quality wood furniture for kids rooms is a safe bet. The question is what to get?

Well there are plenty of cheap and plastic alternatives, but lasting impressions are made with quality wooden built pieces. You can usually pick stained or basic colors for your furniture needs. Full pieces of wood are very different than particle boards that appear to be wood but damage easily, are brittle, and when wet can warp.

You should think about which pieces of furniture you want to invest for your kids room. Not everyone can afford all sorts of different pieces, so be selective to your child’s particular needs. Here are some example we can think of.

Maybe you have an athlete, to start off they’ll want a lasting rocking chair (well perhaps they don’t know they want one but you’d like surprise them!) Instead of the usual wooden horse, perhaps a car shaped rocker would do the trick. Or perhaps instead of a large furniture item you want to customize. Consider getting small things like a sport shaped piggy bank (shaped like the ball used in the sport of your choice.)

Maybe you’ll want something that can be used over and over again like kids tables and chairs. Perhaps a wooden vanity for your baby girl. All kids and definitely parents enjoy tracking the growth in height. Find the write growth chart for your child’s room and keep it forever!

All in all, depending on your budget, find pieces of furniture that are quality, made of solid wood, hopefully customizable to some degree, and will be enjoyed for years to come by your special little ones.