Interior designing is not an easy job, and when the home you are designing is small in size, the job gets even more complicated. There is a particular set of rules that you need to follow when decorating a small house. The main idea for decorating small homes and apartments is to make them look bigger and more open to the eye.
Typically, people make a lot of simple mistakes when they set out to decorate a small home. These mistakes cost them a lot later as they can completely ruin the look of the house. This article will explore some similar errors so that the next time you set out to decorate a small space, you can avoid them, and have an elegantly designed and decorated small home. Here is a list of the major mistakes made by people.
Wasting a lot of vertical space
A common mistake that is made by many people living in small houses is that they waste a lot of vertical space. In a small home or apartment, you should try to maximize the use of vertical space. For example, in the kid’s room, instead of adding two beds horizontally, add one bunk bed that will take less space.
You can also use methods like creating a raised platform bed and using the space under the raised platform to create a small working area and a closet. You should also get higher dressers and make a lot of vertical shelves. Using vertical space can double up the effective space of a room without making it look cluttered.
Blocking natural light with heavy drapes
Natural light is essential in homes of all sizes, but for a smaller apartment, natural light is a necessity because it makes the small space look more open and airy. Many people make the mistake of using curtains and drapes to cover up their windows. While the drapes may look elegant in larger homes, they are very bad for the decor of a small one.
Interior designers suggest keeping window fixtures to a minimum, and if curtains are installed, they should be light and kept open during the day. Also, if you have smaller windows in your home, try to scale them up to maximize the flow of natural light in the house.
Using darker paints
The paint of the walls, of course, has a major part in setting the ambiance and mood of a room. Interior designers say that darker paints can actually make a room feel smaller and more congested to the eye. Now, this is the exact opposite of what we would want for a small space.
For a small home or apartment, you should focus on more lighter and neutral-colored paints. You can also add some bright accent walls to the mix to spice up the design, but dark colors should be avoided at all costs. You can also make an apartment look bigger by using texture. Instead of plain paints, you can also use textured wallpaper on the walls to add more design and style to your home.
Bringing in old bulky furniture
You should know that the furniture from your old house is not going to be suitable for a smaller apartment or home. Bulky furniture can take up a lot of unnecessary space, and it can make a small home look even smaller and cluttered. You should get rid of your old furniture, you can give it away, or you can sell it in a garage sale to make some money to help with the new furniture.
For a small apartment or house, you should focus on getting sleek furniture. You should also look into some collapsible and multi-purpose furniture. You can get a Murphy bed, collapsible tables and chairs to increase the functionality of a small space.
Cluttering up the place
According to many interior designers and real estate experts, clutter is one of the worst enemies of elegant design and decor in a small house. Even the best decorated and designed homes can start looking congested and dirty if they are cluttered. You should regularly clutter and tidy up your small home because in small homes and apartments, clutter can build up very easily.
One of the major reasons for clutter is improper storage. Many people make the mistake of placing too many baskets and other storage items in a room, which end up cluttering the space. Also, some decor methods like layering that are great for larger homes aren’t suitable for smaller places, so they have to be avoided as well.
You should always try to keep the house clean and tidy. For this, you should invest in some cleaning appliances like a good quality vacuum cleaner and a pressure washer. You can find a lot of reviews about such items, so, if you are interested, why not find out more about these cleaning appliances.
Not using the proper storage solutions
In a small house, one of the biggest problems is storage. In a small apartment, you can’t rely on conventional storage methods. You need to think outside the box. You should build dressers under the bed and create storage spaces in places that aren’t used, like under the staircase. You can also use vertical space for storage. You should also use some storage hacks like adding hooks and small shelves to the doors of your cabinets to store and hang some extra items.
Relying on simple lighting fixtures
The lighting of any room is an essential part of its decor and design. If a small room is not well lit, it can look very dull and congested. Simple overhead lights aren’t enough for a small space. If you have a small home, you can add a lot of style and class to it by using different stylish lighting fixtures. You should use some table lamps, wall sconces and chandeliers with variable intensity to light up the space. You can also create an amazing LED light display in your living room to spice it up. LED lights can also be used as under-cabinet lights in the kitchen.
