Decorating small spaces

People who live in the middle of the city have one common dilemma: the lack of space. Many condominium units and apartments are so tiny, there’s barely room for a six-seater dining table. Decorating limited spaces isn’t the easiest thing to do, but there are ways to give the impression of a bigger area. Here are some tips:

1. Free up the space. Sort through your belongings and decide what stays and what goes. Small spaces should only contain functional and decorative pieces. Personal day-to-day effects should be stashed in designated compartments and not left lying around.

2. Pick a theme. A unified aesthetic, with a neutral color scheme, makes a room look complete even with minimal pieces. A well-coordinated space with pieces that complement and flow into each other also makes it look bigger as there won’t be any awkward cuts or segregations.

3. Less is more. Accent pieces here and there are better than a bunch of figurines and picture frames all over the place. Decorations should be restrained. Add personality by choosing pieces that mean something to you, as opposed to generic decorations.

4. Fake and innovate. If you have a lot of boxes containing trinkets, you don;t have to hide them all under the bed. Yan actually make them part of the décor by piling them all up beside your couch and making a faux side table. For other items, think of interesting ways to fake your way through.

5. Scale your furniture. Small furnishings make the room appear bigger than it really is. No to bulky pieces. If you have one big piece like a sofa, make sure everything around it is relatively smaller.

6. Let the light in. Having big windows to maximize natural lighting gives the impression of an open and bigger space. Keep window coverings to a minimum. Sheer or thin drapes are recommended. They should also be simple so as to blend with the backdrop and not overpower and clutter the area.

7. Install large mirrors. Mirrors reflect light all around the room, giving it a more illuminated feel. They also provide the illusion of space. If you can’t get one big mirror, make a collage of small mirrors.

8. Maximize storage. Small spaces don’t have a lot of room for storage. Pick decorative furniture that can be used to store clutter. Go for pieces with built-in drawers. If you have a big empty wall, mount open shelves for books and other items.

9. Paint light. White walls can get boring. If you want a little splash of color, stick to light hues that reflect, not refract, light. Light shades of gray, yellow and brown are acceptable. It’s also fine to have an accent wall of an eye-popping color, but it has to flow harmoniously with the rest of the room, not distract from it.

10. Stripe the wall. Drawing a single horizontal stripe that’s about two feet thick provides the illusion of width. Vertical stripes, meanwhile, adds height. Evaluate what your room needs and stripe accordingly. You can also do this for cabinets. –Ed Biado, Manila Standard Today