One never seems to have
enough space but decorating small living rooms is
quite a challenge. The first decorating idea for a
small living room that you need to implement is to
paint its walls and ceilings in a 'cool' color such as
many shades of blue and green. Paint the ceiling in a
color lighter than the walls to make the room look
more spacious. Stick to one color family for your
small living room makeover and create interest in the
room by using combination of matte and glossy paints
of the same color. Paint the walls in the matte paint
while you can use glossy paint of the same color for
window and door trims and for moldings on the walls.
Hanging window treatments right
from the ceiling add to the room's height while soft fabric or
drapery that extends to the ground and then some more, add
elegance and formal look to your room. Use of large-scale objects
is a modern trend in small living rooms and makes it appear larger
too. You may use an oversized screen, picture frame or pattern to
make the room look more spacious. Screens help you to create a
personal corner or a separate living space and are especially
preferred in apartments where there are not enough rooms for each
member of the family. Small decorating ideas can make a big
difference to the look of your living room.
Small living rooms are such a problem because of the multitude of
functions it is expected to perform and the number and amount of
facilities we would like it to accommodate. Traditionally, living
rooms have giant furniture pieces and oversized accents such as
ten-section couch, bulky armchairs and even a big-screen TV. Yet,
all these are not practical to use in a small apartment living
room and one has to rely on living big small size tricks for
making the best and optimum use of your small living space. Choose
a decorating theme based on your favorite color, patterns such as
Oriental or French and style such as rustic, formal, Victorian or
contemporary.
You may choose a non-traditional and unusual living room decor and
infuse your individuality in it but be cautious enough to remain
subtle and not overdo it all. Magazines with your favorite
superstar on the cover page or a Barbie dressed in Madonna style
displayed on your shelf can be included in your living room decor
to make it special and welcoming for you. Look for small-scale
furniture that can be easily found these days. You may choose one
large furniture item such as sofa to be the focal point of your
small living room. If you want to have a sofa but want to shift
your focal point too, add colorful or unusual accent pieces to
take away the attention from the larger item.
Too many small items can also cause clutter, so use only what is
absolutely necessary. If your living room has enough space, opt
for lesser number of larger items that greater number of smaller
items such as four chairs should be replaced by three loveseats
and better still by two large couches. For efficiency sake, you
may use different scale of furniture too. One tall cabinet,
grandfather clock or a tall lamp in a small living room where all
the other furniture is small and low, add height to the room and
look interesting. Use combination of mirrors and light fixtures to
open up the space in a room. One large mirror with ambient
lighting or several small mirrors positioned strategically on a
wall can create an unique look to your living room.
