You may have a small living room, to begin with, but it doesn’t have to feel that way! When expanding upwards or sideways is simply not possible, it’s time to get creative.
Clever Color
No, we are not going to tell you that white is your only option. You can paint your living room in either very pale or very deep colors, depending on your taste. The trick in a small space is to stick to the same tones in paint, furnishings, and accessories rather than chop up space with a combination of light and dark colors. Functional Furniture
Choose furniture for a small living room that is on casters so that items can be used in different areas. Purchase multi-purpose pieces like a small pullout sofa bed, a vintage trunk to use as a coffee table and storage, or an upholstered ottoman that doubles as a coffee table. You can also look at chairs and tables that either nest inside each other or fold down and can be stacked when not in use. Float shelves on the walls so that they do not take up additional floor space or hinder movement. If possible, swap solid interior doors with French doors. Narrowing it Down
A narrow living room coupled with a low ceiling presents its own set of problems. Paint the moldings and trim the same color as the walls to elongate the room and thereby detract from the low ceiling. This treatment also allows the walls to “disappear” so that the furniture and windows stand out. Trick the Eye
There are many more tricks you can use to...
Is it a coffee table? Is it a book? No, wait. It is a map! Take your coffee table beyond the ordinary by giving it your own style. Try these DIY ideas to create designer coffee tables that are uniquely you.
Smart Art Smart Art Whether or not you are an artist, you can create a one of a kind art piece on your table top. Paint the coffee table a plain base color like white or black and use the top as your canvas. Cover with a solid base color, and use strips of masking tape to mark out stripes, criss-cross, or any other shape you fancy. Paint right over the table top and masking tape in a contrasting or harmonizing color. Let it all dry; peel off the masking tape and voila! You have a stunning piece of modern geometric art. If you want more colors and more stripes, just repeat the process, putting the masking tape in different places. Table of Fame Coffee table books are great, but why not make your coffee table top just as interesting and informative? Paint the table top a creamy off white color and with a sponge dipped in a darker cream or brown color, dab the edges of the table to it looks like an old piece of yellowed paper. Use a permanent marking pen to write your favorite sayings and quotations all over the table top, or a piece of prose, poetry or a journal entry. Seal with several coats of varnish and you have a uniquely literary coffee table. Photo Montage Table Turn your coffee table into a piece of memorabilia that...
When you walk into an eclectic master-bath suite that has room to spare, does your own bathroom seem suddenly inadequate? Do you dream of knocking down a wall and expanding your present bathroom to include the entirety of the bedroom next to it and infuse it with your own personality? Well, put down that sledgehammer for now, and start thinking simpler. With a little creativity and a few simple design tricks, you can make the smallest bathroom seem like a creative retreat.
Organize space and purge clutter The first step is to take the time to organize storage areas to get the most from your space. Pare down clutter to the essential items. The cleaner the look, the larger your room will feel. Mix and Match A bathtub from the 40s, a sink from the 70s, and a mirror from the 30s can all works together if you believe in it, and your eyes can see how the elements create a unique whole. This is the main tenet of eclectic design – that interesting contrasting pieces can create a beautiful space. Gain Space with Different Bath Items Eclectic decorating is easy for bargain hunters because great vintage items from various decades can always be found at flea markets and garage sales. When going shopping for your small bathroom, look for ways to open up the existing space as much as you can. Try losing a bulky long vanity and installing a slim pedestal sink. It’s an easy, elegant way to make the room feel more spacious. Choose Simple, Elegant Accessories Turn to books and magazines for inspiration and remember unique pieces...
For a no-fuss home office from which you can pay household bills, catch up on paperwork over the weekend, or supervise children’s homework, a seemingly awkward space can fulfill your needs. An unused space can turn out to be a surprisingly functional work area and with a little ingenuity.
Under the stairs If you open up your under-stair space, which is often boxed in and not used at all, you can create a practical workstation. You will need to take the slope of the stairs into account, planning storage where the pitch is low and positioning the desk where you can sit comfortably without crouching. Make sure that the lights in the room do not shine onto your computer screen causing reflections that are tiring to the eyes. Basement Rooms Rooms below ground level are more prone to damp and poor lighting, so it is important that space is properly ventilated and well-lit before you use it as a home office. Also, check that steps down into the basement area are in good repair. Other spaces Loft spaces can be awkward but, if well-planned, they make a good out-of-the-way workplace. In most lofts, you will have to take into account a pitched roof. Use the A-frame shape of the roof to build a row of shelves along the end wall, reducing the shelf lengths toward the apex.
A little-used household cupboard can also hold a workstation. You might find it more convenient to remove the door to create an alcove in the room and to make the work area less claustrophobic. Key Design Points to Consider for Awkward Spaces • Planning: awkward...
If your kitchen cupboards and drawers are a jumbled mess of mix-and-match cutlery, Tupperware with no lids, baby food jars and empty cereal boxes, it’s time to do some organizing to make life easier. Try these tips to decrease clutter and increase efficiency in your kitchen.
The first big step to compartmentalizing a drawer is creating dividers. This is easy with cardboard, scissors and shelf paper. Simply cut strips of cardboard to size and cover with shelf paper. Leave a little notch on the ends so that the cardboard dividers can interlock. An egg carton is great for the little items that end up in a junk drawer. It also helps keep visual order in the drawer so that you can immediately see what is in each small space. Pick up a pre-assembled utility basket or even a utensil holder that matches the dimensions of your drawer to quickly begin to get things in order. Use ice-cube trays to hold the little items that normally slide around in the bottom of the drawer. By using an open-weave cutlery tray and grouping similar items together, you can transform the cutlery drawer into a more organized junk drawer. If you have an old dresser that you don’t need, save the drawers. Just buy four caster wheels and screw them onto the four bottom corners of the drawer. Now you can roll the drawer to any spare corner of the kitchen. Use a cardboard bottle divider from a liquor or wine case to create small compartments in a drawer. Totally empty junk drawers and throw out all of the unused items. This...
Does opening your kitchen cupboards have you screaming “A v a l a n c h e!”? It is time to develop a game plan and conquer the organization battle. The first step is to make a list and categorize all the different things you store in your cupboards such as appliances, pots and pans, plastic containers, baking goods, dishes, cans, and utensils. The next step is to divide your shelf space into sections. Use the most accessible shelves for everyday items such as tea or coffee, the sugar bowl, salt and pepper shakers, and dishes. These useful tips will help you organize everything in your kitchen cupboards neatly and effectively: Keep your basic ingredients together like sugar, flour, salt, pepper, baking supplies. Make sure they’re stored in airtight containers to avoid attracting pests. Keep all your snacks, cookies, cereal in the same cupboard with the side of the box facing out. Invest in some new airtight containers to store rice, pasta, and other dry goods. Lazy susans come in many sizes and are great for organizing canned goods, boxes or even dishes. Most cans and jars now come with an expiry date. If you have more than one of the same item, place the older one within reach so it gets used first. Buy a spice rack or create your own by sectioning off part of your cupboard. This will prevent a build-up of little jars and bags of spices from getting lost in the cupboards. Alphabetize to make things easy to find. Try to stack your pots, pans, and lids inside each other to conserve space. Keep...
It is possible to spruce up any room when on a low budget. There are many things that can be done without having to spend a lot of money. Many of the items that can be purchased for a cheap price to liven up a room, no matter is it the living room, bathroom, kitchen or a bedroom.
Paint
White walls can be very boring, in any apartment or home. If you want to liven up your apartment something have to be done. And painting the walls, ceilings, or woodwork can really make a big difference in any room. Some people like to paint the walls with a sponge to add texture to the walls. Now, finding the right paint can create a mood in the room you are looking for that is pleasurable and calming. Choose neutral pastel colors to add warmth. Add a bold striking color to one wall such as a chimney breast to make an impact. Paintings and Photos Adding a painting or large color photo to a wall makes a statement. Cheap artwork can be found in auction houses and charity stores. Find a piece that says about you and a piece that you will enjoy hanging in your home. You may like to add a painting to a wall to create a focal point in a room, and this does work well. It may well surprise you the massive difference a picture or a painting will make in a room. Rugs
Adding a nice colorful rug to a drab room will make another huge difference with the look and feel of a room....
If you are just going to college for the first time, the idea of decorating your dorm room can be exciting as you have complete freedom and control over how you want your room to look. You definitely have the freedom to decorate according to your tastes and personality. You want your dorm room to be a true reflection of you, such that people will be able to walk in and know a little thing about you without asking a single question. You will definitely need great ideas for college dorm room decorating? These ideas for college dorm room decorating will not only liven up your living space but are a fun way to express your personality to all your new friends. Supplies and accouterments abound when it comes to dorm room style but the key point is to express who you are and create the welcoming atmosphere that will carry you through your college career with success. Here are unique ideas for decorating.
Make Beaded Curtains
Glass beads are beautiful and cheap. You can find hundreds of different pattern ideas and thousands of colors and types of glass beads to use to create your very own beaded window curtains. When the light glows through your uniquely created beaded masterpiece, it creates a wonderfully warm and soothing lighting effect that screams out style and personality. Create a Wall Scrapbook
Scrapbooking your memory is hugely popular, fun and easy to do. There is no need to confine your photos to just a book though. Consider opting out of wallpaper and creating a wall of scrapbooking memories either of your past or...
If you’ve got a bedroom so tiny that you feel claustrophobic in a small space, don’t worry. There are ways of making it appear larger so that you have more room to walk around the room without banging into anything. Here are a few of those ways which can help enlarge your room:
Use mirrors
Mirrors are great for not just reflecting light and openness into a room but also giving it a sense of space. You can use a large mirror in your room across a window so that it brings in more light and gives the room an airy appearance.
Alternatively, you can opt for mirrored closet doors. This will make your bedroom look double its size. So, get mirrors put onto your doors from floor to ceiling and all across your wall. Paint your walls in light colors This is a great idea for small spaces as it gives an illusion of space. Remember to use the same color on the walls and ceiling. If your walls and ceiling are off the same color, you can’t tell where the room starts and ends, which, according to Southern Home Services LLC, gives it a larger dimension of space. Sit on armless furniture
Such furniture gives an empty space to your bedroom. So, invest in slipper chairs and sofa. Go in for pendant lighting
Bulky lamps occupy too much space in a small bedroom, so ditch them for hanging pendant lighting. This space-saving idea will give you more focused lighting while also providing task lighting on either side of the bed. How about inbuilt shelves?
Do away with that nightstand that’s taking up so...
All you need to do when you design small kitchen spaces is to stay open minded and use your imagination. There are many small kitchen design ideas that can be incorporated fairly easy without having to spend a fortune on professional help or materials. These 5 unique ideas can help you turn your kitchen into a modern and spacious area, regardless of its size limitations. Letís look into your options. Play with different colors and patterns Bright colors have the power of making a room look visually bigger. In other words, when you design small kitchen spaces you should paint your walls in soft and neutral colors and create an illusion of a spacious room. To avoid making your small kitchen look dull you can accentuate the central wall with bolder, strong colors. In addition, you can make contrast by adding darker floors or counter tops. Make sure to choose only one option, as you might end up shrinking the room instead of making it bigger. Utilize every corner When you design small kitchen spaces you have to remember that every inch counts. Therefore you have to make sure you utilize every single corner and turn it into a convenient storage space. The main problem with having a small kitchen is that it lacks room for the many pots and pans, glasses, and silverware that are used on daily basis. The last thing you want to have is a cluttered small kitchen that looks like a mess. Corner drawers, hidden shelves, and pull out vertical pantries can be a great way to organize your kitchen and maximize the space....
