Furnishing a small space requires balancing what you need and what you want. You want the space to be welcoming and comfortable without being cluttered and overpowering. Here are a few helpful tips you can use.
Oversized Furniture
Furniture set up in a large showroom looks and feels completely different than it does in a small space because most of it is manufactured for larger areas. Large sectionals, chairs, and tables crowded into a small space make it look and feel tiny. People feel crowded. Traffic patterns are disrupted or nonexistent.
Room pathways should be 3’ wide to allow easy passage into and around the room. Anything narrower makes the room feel smaller–even if the furniture is not oversized. The room feels cluttered and the occupants feel crowded and uncomfortable.
Tall furniture–especially when set in front of windows–appears bulkier because it is closer to normal site lines. They also reduce natural light–making the room feel even smaller.
Use a Tape Measure Before Buying
Sizes given by online sites often hold no meaning to someone purchasing furniture for a small room. Online sizing is often meaningless without visual help. Before buying furniture, get a tape measure and roll of painter’s tape. Use the painter’s tape to lay out the dimensions of furnishings on the floor of your small room. Note the resulting legroom and traffic patterns–then purchase furniture that fits.
Undersized Furniture
Don’t make the mistake of filling a small space with undersized furniture or too few pieces. That may only emphasize how tiny the room is–making it feel stark and sterile. Use your tape measure and painter’s tape until you find the proper combination of size and style.
Recliners
Recliners are usually large pieces of furniture. They also require a lot of space when opened up. A recliner makes many rooms feel crowded. Small rooms do not lend themselves to even one recliner–even if the rest of the furnishings are small or the pathways are undersized to accommodate it.
Dark Furniture
Heavy dark wood furniture serves to accentuate the smallness of a room. It overpowers the space. Eliminate bulky nightstands, end tables, coffee tables, and computer desks. Choose glass tables, desks, and stacking tables with smaller light-colored legs and tops.
Light Fixtures
Hanging light fixtures and intricate track lighting shrink a small room even more, while table lamps and floor lamps take up valuable space. Wall sconces–corded or battery powered–are up out of the way, light the wall area–making the room feel larger, and do not use floor or table space. Recessed ceiling lights can be used to light the entire room or just more intimate sections. Add mirrors to the room to amplify the light and make it feel larger than it is.
