By Arina Smith
Feel like your living room is too small? In today’s housing market, sometimes you have to make compromises in order to afford a place. Space can be an issue in a new house, but as a savvy decorator, you can get more out of your space. You can make a small living room feel spacious with the right design ideas. From the color palette to the furniture, a few smart ideas can make your living room feel bright, airy, and big. It may mean going beyond traditional furniture ideas and trying some new things out.
Where should you start when you want to make your living room feel bigger than it really is?
Use Mirrors:
Mirrors make a room feel bigger and brighter. Strategically placing mirrors visually open up space by giving the sense that the room extends further than it does. You can take a wall and suddenly make it reflect open space. Hang a mirror in a central location in your living room. It will center attention and reflect light. A brighter living room will feel like a bigger living room.
Neutral Colors:
Use a neutral color palette on the walls and in your furniture. Neutral tones will reflect natural light and make the room feel more expansive. Neutral colors feel like they push against the walls. Off-white colors and hues also have a softening, relaxing effect that will make it easier to unwind after a long day.
Draw Attention Upward:
Drawing attention to vertical space can also effectively make a room feel larger. High ceilings in a living room go a long way toward forgiving a smaller floor space. You can emphasize the verticality of the room by creating an upward movement. Floor-to-ceiling drapes or curtains will be very effective at creating this kind of vertical dynamic. You can also decorate the walls with smaller pieces of artwork. Art pieces invite your gaze to wander up and down the walls.
Choose Smaller, Lighter Furniture:
In order to avoid feeling cramped and tripping over things in your living room, shop for smaller, lightweight furniture that will be easier to navigate around. Furniture also has a visual weight – a perception of how heavy it is. Furniture that looks light-weight won’t weigh down on a living room. Go with tables and chairs with lots of air underneath rather than being solid. For example, a glass coffee table will also add a transparency to make the room feel bigger.
Your living room should be a place where you can relax and unwind. If it feels cramped or claustrophobic, it’s not going to feel like a room you can enjoy. Space efficient furniture, a neutral color palette, natural light, and a few well-placed mirrors will create the impression that the room is much bigger than it is. Get more out of the space you have. With these smart decorating tips, you won’t feel cramped in your living room anymore.
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