It's true, we all don't have homes like Louis XIV! We tend to have slightly smaller spaces than the Palace of Versailles. And, if your space is *a lot* smaller than Louis's home, we have just the guide for you to make the most when decorating your spacially-challenged home.
Keep the walls a light color and keep your lights bright:
In these parts, we love our Benjamin Moore's Decorator White and it is a perfect white for a small space. Keeping the walls a light color allows it to feel more open while also bringing the focus onto your decor rather than the size of the room. Additionally, lighting can really impact the feel of the space - dim and low lighting makes it feel more closed in. Try bringing in some smaller lamps to add light to the space to help open it up.
Rugs are your best friend:
Sometimes with small spaces, there aren't designated areas for each purpose (i.e. your kitchen and dining area are all one or your bedroom and living area are open.) If this is the case, rugs are here to help. Rugs help define sections to your space and don't take up any additional room - win-win! The more designated areas there are to your space, the bigger it will feel. So, if you have a small 30" cafe table for eating, add a 4x6 rug underneath it and it will make that area feel more defined for a more curated and sophisticated home without taking up any precious room.
Hang art and curtains up high on the walls:
To create the illusion that your space is bigger than it is, you'll want to draw the eye up. This allows the height of your walls to feel taller and, therefore, your space to feel more open. Two ways to do this are to add curtain rods higher than the window frame - put the curtain rod midway between the top of your window and the ceiling and get long curtains to the floor so that you elongate and open up your space. Likewise, you can hang artwork that is larger scale and goes higher up on the wall. This will, visually, make the space feel more open since you are able to accommodate larger pieces. You can do this with a gallery wall of smaller pieces too - just take it higher towards the ceiling to give the sense of a larger and taller space.
You will depend on multi-purpose pieces:
Don't love baskets yet? You will! Clutter is a quick way to make your space feel even smaller. Use baskets to corral larger sized items and bowls and trays for smaller items to keep everything organized. This will allow for a more open and airy feeling when looking around as opposed to a busy and confined home. Similarly, when looking for furniture pieces, look for storage! Nightstands, end tables, consoles, and even bed frames now offer storage options. With a smaller space, you want each purchase to be multi-functional and storage is something everyone needs.
Need more ideas for multi-purpose items, check out our previous blog here.
