How to Decorate a Small Apartment to Make it Look Big
Decorating a small apartment to make it look big requires clever innovations and thinking outside the box. Light colors, small furniture and keeping the surfaces clear of clutter are simple decorating techniques often used by professionals when faced with the challenge of limited space. "Smoke and mirrors" yields to light and mirrors, and with just a few creative ideas, a small apartment can be designed to look grand. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Paint the walls a light and non-intrusive color. Pale yellow, very pale pink that hardly gives off a hint of color, or a very light brown all serve as decorative backdrops. The color should be happy, inviting, and should make the eye see beyond the wall and out the windows.
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Work around what you have. Often the flooring is not an option. If dark woods are used, purchase area rugs that blend with the upholstery. Sculptured cream-on-cream is expansive if there isn't heavy traffic in the rooms. Busy Oriental or modern area rugs are confining. Keep the flooring simple and light.
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Buy scaled-down furniture. Instead of a sofa, look for a love seat. Avoid puffy roll-arms as they take up space. Select trim and tapered designs that are comfortable yet not invasive. Side chairs should be open, such as a Bergere-style, open-armed and cushioned chair. Queen Anne and Biedermeier-style chairs are also comfortable while not taking up too much room. Avoid solid pieces of furniture. Let the eye see through the piece to another part of the room. A cocktail table can be traditionally sized. This is where the eye is fooled into thinking that the pieces surrounding the table are bigger than they actually are.
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Hang mirrors, as they expand any room. Use either a large vertically hung mirror to create a division between the dining area and living room, or a horizontally hung mirror over the loveseat. The mirror should not be wider than the loveseat to be in proportion. A collection of different-sized mirrors in differing frames hung on one wall is also attractive.
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Purchase a high-top table with two or four high-legged chairs to create a functional dining area without overcrowding the space. Avoid heavy, dark woods. The chairs need not match, and using different styles of chairs adds an interesting element to the décor. Be sure the chairs are see through, with open backs.
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Store media components out of eye sight. Closed media centers are available in a variety of sizes. This helps to avoid clutter. A small cabinet placed at an angle to the wall is a decorative piece of furniture and can be used as additional storage.
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Clear kitchen counters of clutter and keep appliances tucked out of view. Use an accent color for one or two items, perhaps silk flowers or a special piece of glass that has other uses. Put cookbooks in a cupboard. Hang artwork on the walls. Make the kitchen as interesting as the rest of the apartment.
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Start with a small bed -- queen sized or smaller. Avoid head and foot boards. Instead, hang a painting over the top of the bed in place of a headboard. Bed-side lamps can be attached to the wall. Find a narrow bookcase and place its open side facing the bed for use as a nightstand and reading rack. Stacking hat boxes or decorative filing boxes also creates interesting bedside tables. Mirrors and artwork add a finishing touch. Keep all clothing behind closed doors to avoid clutter.
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References
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