Interior Decoration – How to Choose Furniture for Small Spaces

True or false: “I have a small room, so I need small furniture.”
Answer: FAKE.

I call this “dollhouse syndrome.” The truth is, while you want your furniture to be PROPORTIONAL, it doesn’t need to be small per se. You see, your brain plays interesting tricks on you when it comes to proportions. If you have a small room and you fill it with small pieces, your brain says, “Look at these small things… I must be in a very small space.” Conversely, when you put one or two larger pieces in a small room, now your brain says, “Okay! Look at the large pieces we have here! I must be in a big space!”

Keep in mind that the larger your pieces, the less you will have. No matter the ACTUAL size of the room, you need to keep aisles clear and enough breathing space so your furniture isn’t on top of each other.

Living rooms are a great example of this principle. Most homes today have a “formal” living room in the front of the house and the family room in the back. (Occasionally I see these two rooms joined…an unfortunate architectural choice that I’ll never understand, but I’m straying.) More often than not, I see the poor, alienated living room filled with a tiny Chippendale sofa and maybe a loveseat. , two tiny wingback chairs, several undersized tables, miniature lamps, a small upright piano, and some very dated artwork, possibly chosen by someone’s elderly aunt. Yuck! And the owners are frustrated that no one is using the space…go figure!

First, consider how many people you would realistically imagine sitting in this room at the same time. We are not at the beginning of the 20th century, when many friends would gather for afternoon tea. If you have a room that’s maybe 12 x 15, you’re only putting 4-6 people in there before it feels like a can of sardines… So what the hell do you need all those pieces for?

Next, figure out what you want to DO in your small space, and get only as many pieces as you absolutely need. Does she want to be able to curl up with a book while her husband watches the game or his teenage sons evict him from the living room? Get a comfy couch that’s deep enough to curl up on or stretch out on (maybe even nap!) and a big club chair with an ottoman. Secure them with a 6×9 or 8×10 area rug, get a coffee table that’s big enough that you don’t have to reach too far to place the coffee, a good-sized end table or two, and lamps, and voila! It’s over!

Surprisingly, whether it’s a living room or any other room in your home, when you buy pieces that are comfortable, instead of thinking “small, small, small, small,” there’s a good chance you’ll actually find yourself using the square footage you paid for. , and the room will look much more attractive and cozy.

Are there limits to what is acceptable? Of course. In our example living room, you probably don’t want to run into a sectional and wall unit entertainment center. Use some rational judgment, but don’t be afraid of pieces that are a certain size!