Decorating That Small Space: Easy, Inexpensive Tips

By Kathy Wilson

Congrats on the new home! But it does it seem a bit smaller than when you first looked at it and the moving company moved all your stuff in?

If so, there are some easy and inexpensive ways you can decorate it to make the most of those small spaces.

• An oft-used design trick is to use mirrors in a room to expand the space, but to be really effective, hang the mirror high enough on the wall that it does not reflect the clutter of the room. Above eye level is best.
  
  

If it is a large mirror, hang it as high on the wall as is practical. If you can't hang it high, lean the mirror on a shelf or mantel so that it tips upward a bit; if the mirror is hung too low and reflects the contents of the room, it will make the room look smaller.

• White walls are not necessarily the way to make a room look large -- they tend to create a lot of contrast with furniture and artwork, and contrast makes a room look smaller. Try painting the walls a soft, cool color to reduce the contrast, but still reflect as much light as possible. If you cannot paint the walls, paint your furniture a lighter color to blend more seamlessly with the walls, thus creating the illusion of a larger space.
  
  
• Speaking of light, the more in a room, the better! Make sure whichever window treatments you choose for your new room are hung to let in as much light as possible. When curtains or blinds are open, they should totally clear the window so no light is blocked. Even an inch or two makes a difference! Also, hang the window treatments as high on the wall as they allow. This will create the illusion of a higher window, and therefore a larger light source, making the room seem to expand.
  
  
• Keep accessories to a few, larger scale pieces in a small room to reduce a feeling of clutter. If you have collections of smaller items to display, find a way to place them into a grouping. A display cabinet or shelf works well. Grouping the smaller elements together allows them to be seen from a distance as one item, and expands the look of space in a room.
  
  
• Try to choose window treatments in a color that blends with the wall color. This reduces the contrast with the larger items in a room, and makes the entire room appear more open.
  
  
• Put your furniture at an angle to the walls in the room. If the furniture won’t cooperate with that arrangement in your new place, place a large area rug on an angle to the walls. This allows the eye to be drawn across the room to visually expand the space, and also makes a room more visually interesting.
  
  
• Finally, shine up all those sleek surfaces in a room. Cleaning the windows, stove fronts and countertops from all the moving-in dust and grime will brighten up any room, reflect more light and create the look of a larger space.
  
  

Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home and garden ideas at TheBudgetDecorator.com and TheGardenGlove.com