Need to Decorate a Small House With Small Rooms? No Problem.
People have lived in tiny houses even before they were a trend. They also live in tiny studio apartments or one of a group of minuscule, one bedroom flats carved out of an entire bedroom suite in an old mansion or townhouse. How to decorate these small spaces in ways that are both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable has always been a challenge, but it can be done. Here are some tips:
Paint the Walls and Ceilings a Light Color
Light colors can make a room look bigger. But the whole truth is more subtle than this. There is a place for a bright, bold color in a small room. Indeed, a room that’s painted a strong color will certainly make a lasting impression on its visitors. A happy medium would be to paint the ceiling a few shades darker than the walls, so that the ceiling doesn’t seem to be closing down, and the walls seem to recede.
Gradations of the same color imply a depth of space in a small room. One trick is to paint a panel of one color on the wall then paint a panel that's a lighter shade on one side and a darker shade on the other side. This can even be done from one room to the next. Paint the living room one color, then the kitchen a lighter shade and a bedroom a darker shade. This gives the feeling that all of the rooms belong together.
Light, even more than color, can make a room feel larger than it really is. Take advantage of natural light by adding windows, sun tubes or skylights if that’s possible, or buy furnishings or paint with reflective surfaces. A variety of lights, such as CFLs, halogen lights or LEDs help set the mood and lighten up even a studio whose one window faces a brick wall.
Use of Lights
Another way to use light is to light different areas of the house differently. This is excellent for a little studio. Light up the dining area with some downlights, while using ambient light for the living area. Different types of light can instantly make a room seem bigger. Downlights can make a space seem smaller than it is by isolating it a bit. Uplights and spotlights bounce their light off the walls and ceilings and can make a space seem bigger.
Vastu and Feng Shui
Feng shui and its Indian version, vastu emphasize harmony and tranquility in the way a home is built, decorated and used. Some of the rules of vastu for bedroom, for example, cover where the bed is to be installed or at least how a person should sleep in it. The sleeper's legs can face anywhere but south, because south is the abode of the Lord of Death. Mirrors can make a room look bigger, but a mirror in a bedroom should never reflect a body part of a person who’s sleeping. If it does, that body part will become sick. Computers, TVs and laptops should also be banished from the bedroom. This is a good idea not only because the bedroom should be a place of rest, but because they take up space. The bedroom should also not be in the center of the house.
Room Dividers
The enemies of a really small space are hinged doors and walls that stretch floor to ceiling. One solution, if it is allowed, is to take out a non-load bearing wall and replace it with a half wall. This can partition off the kitchen from the rest of the space while allowing everything to be seen. Hinged doors can be replaced with pivoting doors, sliding doors or accordion doors and pocket doors.
There are too many ways to decorate a small space to describe here. However a person decorates their space, it should be pleasant, safe and beautiful.
