Tips For Choosing the Decore for a small apartment or condo
So living in a city apartment or condo can be difficult when it comes to room and organizing your furniture to get the most out of every room. Below are the top ten tips for making your small apartment/condo seem larger than it is. If you have any others just add them below.
1. Choose your paint color wisely.
I know, Deep Purple is so totally in right now, right? So why can’t you paint your living room to reflect your edgy hip style? When choosing the color palette for a small room, choose a light color for the walls, and instead, jazz up the room with accessories in bold colors. Let the walls ‘fall-away’, and let the eye travel to individual objects that contain your favorite colors.
2. Paint horizontal stripes that are similar in color.
If the room lacks area, paint it with large horizontal stripes that are similar in color. Better yet, keep it monochrome. One great way to do this is to choose a paint sample card at a hardware store and find the color you love. Select the next lightest or darkest color on the card, and voila – horizontal stripes. If your space has low ceilings, paint vertical stripes. This gives the illusion of a taller space. Play with different thicknesses and different spacing between the stripes throughout the room for a fun and spontaneous look.
3. Choose the right furniture.
This is important. Measure your space before buying anything, and use masking tape to block out areas of an empty room that you would feel comfortable filling. Use the space for a couple of days and decide if the size of the boxed-out areas feels okay.Bring a tape measure to the furniture store. Ask the salespeople if the furniture on the showroom floor comes in different sizes or is customizable. Also, be open to choosing something that is different than the original idea you had in your mind. Don’t go into buying furniture as you would a haircut; with a photograph in hand and your expectations set. Finally, don’t look past upholstered or stained wood furniture that isn’t the right color. Ask the showroom manager what other colors, textures and finishes are available.
4. Decide how multi-functional the furniture is
After choosing the size furniture that you feel comfortable with, decide how multi-functional these pieces can be. Use an antique trunk as a coffee table. It is a great bonus spot to store infrequently accessed items such as seasonal clothing, or extra linens for guests. Buy a platform bed with drawers in the base. Buy a desk with shallow shelves above. This maximizes the area above the desk, which would otherwise be wasted.
5. Choose drapery that is nearly the same height as the room.
Hang it near the ceiling regardless of the height of the window, as verticality helps to make wall openings appear larger. Keep the curtain from touching the floor so that the fabric doesn’t break, as this can look heavy in a small space. Choose sheer fabrics that allow views to the outdoors. Windows are your closest ally in the quest to make a small space feel large.
6. Keep clutter off surfaces.
Chances are high that the expanse of your kitchen counter is slightly smaller than you wish it was. Keep small appliances off the counter, and keep bathroom implements stowed. Nothing makes a kitchen or bathroom look larger than a clean counter top.
7. Keep artwork and other wall accessories localized.
Choose one wall on which to feature these items. This corresponds with number six above; keep surfaces looking less cluttered. The eye will naturally focus on one thing when entering a room. If focal objects are located in every direction on every wall, it is immediately overwhelming. Choose a focal point. Stick to it.
8. Use large mirrors.
I was lucky enough to find an antique mirror at a thrift shop for $25 that originally retailed for $6,000 when it was crafted 40 years ago. It is nearly floor to ceiling height, and hangs on the wall opposite the sofa in the living room. Its placement is strategic, as someone in the kitchen can look ahead of them into the mirror and see the person in the living room on the sofa, and vice versa. It creates an otherwise non-existent visual connection that is paramount to the relationship between the kitchen and the living room. Use large mirrors.
9. Play with different furniture arrangements.
The best solution is not always the most obvious. Divide a large living room into a living/dining area by moving the sofa away from the wall and using it as a room divider. Use a half-height bookshelf as a partial room divider. Visual continuity remains but it feels like two separate rooms. And it provides automatic storage; something a typical half-wall wouldn’t be able to do.
10. Buy a few nice things instead of alot of low quality things.
Quality shows, and regardless of your ability to coordinate furniture and accessories, or color and texture, if you buy a few nice things, it will be apparent in the overall look of a room.
By Answer Blip Design Writer Amy Therrien