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1st Plan the Layout First and Choose Furniture Wisely
Pic by mymove.com
*Try to zone a space so that each area has a distinct purpose and use; for example, there is a sleeping area, a relaxing area, and a working area. Each one has a purpose: sleeping in the darkest corner, sitting on the lightest sofa, and working under the shelves. Zoning, aids in bringing focus to a small space and making the space work more efficiently for you.
*Furniture with a light appearance is preferable to furniture with a heavy, chunky appearances. Simple sofas lifted off the ground on narrow legs, coffee tables with slender tops, and chairs with fluid, slender profiles –gives view to the floor. Being able to see the floor running underneath a piece of furniture will give the illusion of more space by preventing the furniture’s base from cutting off the room. Select a dining table in the same way.
Less, but bigger
*Instead of a plethora of small objects that can become cluttered, opt for fewer decorations and larger pieces of furniture. For example, instead of two smaller sofas, use one large L-shaped sofa and one large rectangular coffee table instead of two side tables.
*RUGS- go bigger than you think you need, especially when it comes to rugs. You want a rug to feel large and expansive rather than shrunk and floating in the middle of the room. To help ‘ground’ and zone the space, I like to place furniture partially on a rug.
*It helps unify a cluster of objects into a cohesive, well-thought-out space by drawing the eye away from the furniture.
The Space in Between
*As important as the object itself, is the negative space around it. Give furniture some breathing room by pulling it away from the wall. In a small space, it’s tempting to push everything back as far as possible, but leaving a gap between the furniture and the wall tricks the eye into thinking the wall is further back than it is, making the space appear larger than it is.
Picture provided by Revive & Design
*When styling shelves in a small space, group objects of different heights together and leave some empty space on some of the shelves to make everything look more organized and well-thought-out.
Bring in the light
*Choose designs made of glass or plexiglass, such as coffee tables and side tables, so you can see through and beyond them. Glass designs appear to be lighter in weight and take up less space than solid objects.
*Use an open style windows in place of solid walls or insert a glass panel into a door to open up spaces and bring as much natural light into a room as possible, especially if it’s dark and windowless.
*If possible, remove doors and replace them with openings this way it lets more light into the hallway and provides an interesting perspective when looking from the kitchen to the stairs and the gallery wall going up the stairs.
Picture provided by goodhousing.com
*Allow as much natural light as possible to enter by leaving windows open as much as possible.
*In a bedroom, this could mean unobtrusive black-out blinds, while in a living room, sheer curtains and a minimalist curtain pole could suffice.
*Allow as much natural light as possible to enter by leaving windows open as much as possible.
Log onto Cornerstone’s Page again tomorrow to read Part 2
