Small Space Design: Why small homes feel hard to design
Many people struggle when it comes to small space design. This is not because they have a small home, but because they don’t know how to make the right choices to help maximise the space. Design decisions hold much more weight in a small room, so when one element of the design feels off, it can have a huge impact on the room as a whole. This can leave your room feeling unbalanced. The good thing here though, is you are not alone. So many people have the same struggle on how to design a small room. Keep reading to see what you need to do to finally feel at home in your space.
Why Designing a Small Space Feels Overwhelming
When your space feels limited, one wrong choice can throw the whole room off which causes the room to feel dark, cluttered or just not quite right. I know this can feel overwhelming and frustrating, it most probably leads you to say but how can I fix it? Well let me give you an insight from the perspective of a Certified Interior Designer.
The issue is not you, your space, or a lack of ideas and know how. It is not a lack of structure or lack of space to work with. Good interior design; that works for those of us with everyday, busy functional homes, is not about following trends or copying what we see on Pinterest. It is about how your individual space works and making choices that suit how your space works. These choices should be intentional and well thought out in a way that will improve your room.
Principles That Make a Small Room Feel Bigger
Here are three principles that should be considered when you are trying to make your space feel bigger:
Light - This is a principle that is majorly overlooked when it comes to designing a small space, as it has such a huge impact on how spacious a room feels. Not only does a lack of light naturally make the room darker, it can create the illusion of the space being smaller too. The size of your windows is not the issue, is how the windows are dressed, and other factors in the room as a whole. Light can be blocked due to heavy window dressings, colours (whether that be the walls or large pieces of furniture) that absorb the light rather than reflect it. Light can be easily manipulated to bounce around the room; when this is done strategically with intention, it creates the illusion of a bigger bright space.
Flow - When we talk about flow, it is is not just how we move through the room physically; it is important to take into consideration how our eyes move around the room too. Both of these are equally important when considering the overall flow of a space. If you have a room that is full of too much oversized bulky furniture or a huge coffee table, it makes the room hard to physically move around in as there is limited space to manoeuvre. In addition to this, having lots of clutter or too much ‘stuff’ laying around can be overstimulating to the eyes creating visual interruption. When both physical and visual flow is limited, this can even make bigger spaces look cramped, overstimulating and smaller than its potential; this is even more of an issue when the room is already small.
Furniture Scale - This is something that a lot of people unintentionally get a little wrong; many people struggle to find the balance, especially with larger items. For example, you have a small living room that its a bit of an odd shape so you are limited on the placement. A sofa that is too big has an impact on the flow, and can be overwhelming to the eye however, a sofa that is too small looks out of place and may not be functional. So how do you get it right? Scale is not just about size, you have to take into consideration, proportion, visual weight and spacing. When trying to find the perfect size furniture, you need to consider the room as a whole not just the space the furniture will sit in.
Whether you have a basic understanding of these principles in theory or not; most people tend to struggle still. The issue arises when it is time to apply these ideas to create consistency across your home. This is when most people hit a wall, they feel stuck, overwhelmed and even the simple decisions feel impossible to make. It is important to know you are not alone and you are more capable than you think, you just needs the right tools to help you along your way.
This is why I decided to create my ‘Interior Design Guide for Small Spaces’, for people just like you. For those who would like guidance and clarity on how, without following fast trends, by taking away the guesswork, and providing you with practical advice that is easy to apply. My guide walks you through the basic principles that many designers use and explains the how and why it works. The guidance is simple and easy to apply in your own space without expensive renovation or dramatic changes. It is designed to help you feel more confident making decision, that fit you and your lifestyle.
There is no ‘perfect’ result, only what works best for you and your home. I designed the guide to help you understand why these principles work so you can feel more confident adding them to your home. If you feel ready to begin making confident changes, the guide is available here. If you still feel stuck, or you would prefer to have private 1:1 advice that is personalised to your specific space and needs, book in a consultation with me.
