Home Decorating For Smaller Spaces
"Big Things Come In Small Packages" We're all familiar with this quote, it's normally associated with gifts not home decorating, but it should be. A one or two bedroom house, apartment, condo or townhouse can be just as impressive and grand as something with fifteen bathrooms, Wow, imaging having to clean all those, I have enough trouble with two. One interesting things I have found from past experience is that decorating a smaller place is actually easier, not to mention less expensive. Whether your currently living in a small space or downsizing ? that's another one of those trendy "buzz" words, which simply means your moving into something smaller ? planning how your going to decorate or redecorate is a good idea. You may think because it's smaller, having large pieces is out of the question. Not true, having oversized furniture is not going to make your rooms appear smaller, what it will do is give a warm inviting feeling. Of course the layout and size of a room will determine how many pieces can comfortably go into it. After all, you may be looking for drama and comfort, but you still need to be able to maneuver around. This also applies to accessories; it's better to have a few large dramatic pieces as opposed to a lot of small items, which can tend to turn into clutter and dust collectors. The exception to this would be with collections. But again you want to have places to showcase them like glass front hutches, cabinets, bookcases or shelves. Another decorating challenge can be in warming up your new place. This normally can easily be achieved by adding color with paint. Now that's all fine and good unless you happen to be renting and your landlord say's "Paint, oh no". That's ok; color can be added in a number of other ways. Several examples: - Window treatments
- Furniture fabric
- Accent pillows
- Area rugs
- Wall art
- Plants & Flowers
Storage can be another issue in a smaller space, there just never seems to be enough. If you're buying new furniture or deciding on which pieces to bring from your current home, look for ones that can perform double duty. For example: - Instead of the standard coffee table, look for one with a flip top or shelves underneath. Cedar chests, blanket chests or trunks can also be substituted.
- Place an armoire intended for the bedroom in the living room it's the perfect storage place for remotes, magazines, extra bedding, kitchen linen or any of those pesky little things you just can't seem to find a place for.
- A small floor cabinet you might have used in a bathroom can become an end table. Most of these come with drawers, shelves or both.
- Decorative stacking boxes or even old suitcases not only make for great storage, but the also become terrific accessories.
- Plastic storage boxes come in a variety of sizes, colors and are inexpensive. They can be stacked on shelves in a closet or cabinet, even into drawers. Clear smaller sizes are perfect storage for shoes, winter gloves, pictures or how about extension cords, nails, packages of hooks or hand tools. Larger sizes can keep extra winter coats, blankets, odd season clothes or seasonal decorations neat and in one place.
- Baskets and hampers are another option.
- Kids rooms are always in need of extra places for all their treasures, plastic milk crates are perfect for them. They come in many bright brilliant colors. One suggestion, if you are planning on stacking the crates and have small children it would be beneficial to secure them to the wall.
- Plastic shelving units, which can be found in most discount stores, are perfect for mounting on the backs of doors or on the wall in closets. These come in especially handy in the kitchen for holding extra soda bottles, canned goods, paper towel etc.
Well, I think you've gotten the idea, look around and use your imagination; you will be surprised with what you can come up with. Moving into and decorating a small space can be challenging, but with a little planning it can be just a beautiful as any large house. And in the end size really doesn't matter, if it's filled with the people and things you love, then you have successfully created a home. This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright © 2004 Bonnie Carrier About The Author Bonnie P. Carrier is the creator of Savvy Home Decorating. She is the mother to two grown daughters and a very spoiled 4yr old Blue Merle Sheltie named Toby. Having been a homemaker for over 23yrs has provided years of experience in budget decorating and organization. Stop by Savvy Home Decorating - www.savvy-home-decorating.com - for ideas and tips on budget decorating: bonnie@savvy-home-decorating.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
An Introduction to Hardwood Floors
There's good news about hardwood floors. Because of advanced construction and finish technologies, they are now more stable than they were in the past. There are three types of hardwood floors: engineered, longstrip, and solid. Within these basic types, there are many variations, so it is worth getting information about many products before determining which one is right for you.
Cookers
If you are buying a free-standing cooker, oven or hob to makeover your kitchen, you may want to consider shopping for a few other important kitchen appliances, as well. Agas and cooker hoods are both important tools for the serious cook.
Home Decorating Tips - How to Change a Rooms Dimension using Wall Pictures
The Basic Role of Pictures
Pool Table Lights Guide: How To Light Up Your Game
The proper pool table lights is critical to playing your best game of pool. The ideal pool table light fixture is attractive, unobtrusive, and provides just enough illumination without creating a glare. Choosing the right pool table lights for your home need not be difficult. Just keep a few points in mind.
Make Your Own Fishing Decor from Fishing Gear
Decorating with old, used fishing gear is fun, creative and inexpensive. It's pretty easy to find unique fishing gear to use as decorating items for your log cabin or home. Here are a few fun ideas for your fishing decor projects.
How to Brighten Your Decor with Hand Painted Ceramic Tile
At one time, ceramic tile was only for the wealthy. No more. Today, for the same price as you will pay for manufactured cast resin, imitation marble or other polymer, you can have a one-of-a-kind piece of fine art, made by an American artist who is willing to work with YOUR ideas and concepts. Suppose you love plants and flowers, but the wall over your sink in the kitchen has no window? Tell the artist your favorites, she will paint your favorite ferns or perennials, in a basket or within its own little garden. What if you moved south and miss your paper birch trees so badly? A mural over your bathroom sink of these gorgeous white and black trees, with or without surrounding fall foliage, will guarantee a lifetime of the perfect view. No wall space for a mural? How about accent tiles placed every foot or so of your favorite cooking herbs in an 1800's style, right out of the Farmer's Almanac? Or an easy-to-clean backsplash behind the kitchen sink of fruits connected by flowering vines all in a lively color scheme?
The Advantages of Wall Wine Racks
Wall wine racks make it easy to store wine in tight spaces. Many wall wine racks are hanging wine racks. These can only hold a few wine bottles, but cost under $50 and have slots to hang stemware. Some, for about $20, can be attached under kitchen cabinets. One precaution: the kitchen is not the best place to store wines. Wines should be kept in cool, dark areas without strong odors.
Home Decorating For Smaller Spaces
"Big Things Come In Small Packages" We're all familiar with this quote, it's normally associated with gifts not home decorating, but it should be.
Transitional Lighting - What Is It?
Anyone perusing through the websites looking for lighting fixtures to decorate their homes with may be tempted to choose a style known as Transitional Lighting. The smooth curves and solid foundation of the fixtures of the Transitional Lighting style make it a popular choice with designers today. But for anyone trying to actually define Transitional Lighting for a friend might be surprised to find that there are few words to describe this elusive style.
Contemporary Rugs Can Transform a Room
When tackling a do-it-yourself home decorating project, you can use rugs as a relatively inexpensive means of enhancing or transforming a room. There are practical considerations in how to use rugs to advantage, and how to get good value for your money. The purchase of contemporary rugs for one or more areas of your home can make a significant contribution to the beauty and comfort of its interior.
A Look at Fruit Gift Baskets
The original, the granddaddy of all of today's items bought and sold as fruit baskets, was in fact a basket full of assorted fruits. While there is no clear cut evidence when the first fruit basket was wrapped up and delivered to it's overjoyed recipient, it is known that in ancient times fruit baskets were routinely given to kings and feudal lords all over the world as a sign of respect and loyalty.
The Functions and Benefits Water Softener Salt
Hard water causes an array of problems in home and industrial settings. Soap doesn't lather or rinse well, clothing, skin, and hair feel stiff or sticky after washing, and dishes appear dirty after having been run through the dishwasher. Worst of all, plumbing can become clogged when scale builds up. All of this is caused by minerals in the water. The most common minerals that cause water hardness are magnesium and calcium.
How to Buy a Used Adjustable Bed
Mounting health costs and cuts to government funding are making people seek cheaper alternatives like used or secondhand adjustable beds. Used adjustable beds are no doubt cheaper than new ones, but a lot of care should be taken while buying a used adjustable bed.
Wine Rack Kits and Plans
Properly storing wine keeps flavor and lets wine age so that you can taste its evolving, complex flavor. Buying a wine rack, however, can be pricey, especially for someone who is more interested in developing a robust wine collection, not decorating.
Corner Bakers Rack: Create Extra Storage Space and Style
One of the most highly sought after pieces of furnishings for the kitchen is the baker's rack. In addition to adding that special element of style, baker's racks are also very practical in that they can be used for extra shelving, storage space and/or as a work center. This multi-purpose nature of the baker's rack is what makes it so popular and the perfect addition for any kitchen or living space.
Japanese Sword: A Great Piece for Any Home
A Japanese Sword is a wonderful decoration to add to any room of your home or office. Many people think that a samurai sword might look out of place in their home if their not Japanese or into martial arts.
Kitchen Island Design Ideas - The Look, Size, And Features
Kitchen island design ideas not only include choosing the right look for your kitchen but choosing the correct size for your floor plan and the correct features to satisfy your needs.
Update Your Home Decor Using Colorful Rugs
Retro, checks, black and white...looks like MOD is back. A color explosion - bright tomato red, tangerine, lime green and even yellow - is what's hot. In Europe, designers are using opt-art checkerboard patterns. The 60's mod influence that practically defined fall has gone back in time about 40 years and it's now very much a 20's thing. Patterns and prints are back in a big way. Color prevails.
The Latest Trends in Interior Decorating for Your Home & Office
In this time period, people are as busy as ever. Mom's and dad's working overtime can be very hectic and hard to handle at some points. Include the kids after school activities, family and work stress and you have a full schedule to fulfill. That's why many people rarely think or have time to decorate and take care of their homes. Flower can be a great way to decorate any room in the house. A simple flower arrangement or vase can make the room warm and inviting to guests in your home. This years flower trends are modern, elegant and simple. Even if you are not gifted in designing and creating professional flower arrangements, today's flower trends are geared for those who like "laid-back luxury," yet simple and easy to create arrangements. If your style is stylish, modern and simple, then these year's trends are perfect for your liking.
Tasteful Home Decorating Changes Your House Into a Home
There is this undocumented story about Andrew Carnegie who kept postponing the decision to redecorate his home just because black, his default color of choice, was simply not used in home decorating those days! Mercifully today, you could well translate your home decorating ideas into alluring reality. For home interior decorating no longer means just coloring your walls in pastel shades and showing off your antiques ? it is about using all the home decorating tips that one can get to highlight the most of what one possesses. Unless of course you wish to shrug the opportunity and call in a professional designer. But even this experience could be fascinating ? what with "walk-throughs" in your "virtually" designed home before even a single coat of paint is applied!
|
