at the time of decorate a small room there are a number of rules that will help you visually enlarge the space. In this article you will see how I have applied them to renovate and decorate my small living room.
11 years ago when we moved into my current residence, I spent quite a few hours pondering how to create two different environments inside my living room of less than 19 m2:
- On the one hand I wanted a dining area with storage space.
- I also wanted a relaxation area with a couple of sofas (an essential condition that my boy imposed on me).
Finally, I opted for the distribution that I currently maintain, since I consider that it is the one that best takes advantage of both its rectangular floor plan and the gaps between the different pillars that exist.
Less is more
When it comes to furnishing the dining room there are a number of essentials, but this does not mean that you should distribute the furniture with a shoehorn. For example:
- If two sofas do not fit, put one.
- Take advantage of the walls for storage.
- If a table for 8 people does not fit, choose an extendable one for 4.
- It dispenses with all furniture that hinders the passage in a fluid way…
A small room will always seem bigger if the furniture is distributed on the wallsleaving the central area clear.
In my particular case, I placed the two sofas in an “L” shape, which is the most suitable layout for rectangular living rooms. However, I did without a coffee table to give a feeling of spaciousness. When I need a side table I use the ones I have distributed on the sides.
Custom-made living room furniture
I spent a lot of time searching modular furniture tailored to the space available in the classroom:
- I looked for a sideboard that would fit between the two pillars on one of the walls.
- The TV cabinet occupies just enough so that there is ample space between it and the dining room table.
- I placed shelves and a bookcase in another of the gaps between pillars.
Currently there is a wide range of furniture that will allow you to find a small piece of furniture that adapts to your living room.
Other tricks to decorate a small living room
In addition to those indicated above, these tricks will be very useful when it comes to decorate a small living room:
- The bright spaces give a feeling of spaciousness. Make the most of the natural light in your living room by using light, neutral or pastel colours.
- Do not saturate the bookcases and shelves with objects, they will provide a feeling of heaviness.
- For the windows, choose Japanese panels and roller blinds made of fabrics that do not add volume.
- In the decoration he uses glass and metal objects that are visually lighter.
- Avoid painting the walls with bright colors. In case you do, choose the smaller wall and combine it with light colors.
Practical case: how to renew the decoration of a small living room
My living room had barely changed in the last 10 years, so I decided it was time to get down to it in collaboration with Grupo Pyma. Although it has not been a great reform, I consider that all the modifications made have contributed to its updating and to expand the visual space a little more.
White I love you white
11 years ago we painted the walls broken white. Over the years, the color was yellowing so the first thing we did was Paint the walls.
For this I chose the ecological paint Aire Sano by Xylazel in Snow White. This paint is recommended for people with allergies and asthma, as is my case. It is also highly washable, an essential feature on such white walls.
You already know that a good paint is not everything, but you have to apply it with the right tool to get the best finish (you can find more information about painting tools at this link). I used the Nespoli Teflon roller for smooth walls, which I had previously used to paint the wall of my office (you can see it at this link).
Decorate with wallpaper
Another change I made was to place wallpaper on the orange wall. For this I selected a wallpaper model Catriel de Saint Honoré. As soon as I saw it I fell in love with it, it has a vintage style that I loved and that combined perfectly with the tones of my living room.
This paper is made of non-woven fabric (you can see a guide on types of paper at this link) and is highly resistant and washable. Soon I will do a more in-depth tutorial on its characteristics and placement.
How to renew a painting
After putting up the wallpaper I had to find a new location for the painting I had on the sideboard. The first thing I did was remove the display case that was on the side wall. With the table in front of it, it was awkward to access it and it had already caused a bump on my head.
I also decided “repaint” the picture so that it would combine with the tones of the wallpaper on the wall and the table that had been renovated with lasur (you can see the step by step in this link).
First, I applied a chalk paint base and then I painted the relief parts with metallic acrylic paints, as you can see in the following image.
After the renovation, it had a more up-to-date appearance in keeping with the rest of the decoration.
light and color
Another change I made was replace japanese panel of two colors for one monochrome of screen fabric. In this way, it not only visually enlarged the window area, but also protected the room from the effects of the sun’s rays.
To add a touch of color between so much light and whiteness, I placed a couple of picture shelves on one of the sofas. In them I distributed collection of paintings about cats that my sister had made for me, and that I love for the joy they transmit.
Small details
Finally, they could not miss those DIY decorative details that will help you personalize any environment.
For example, this painting made with corrugated paper and washi tape (you can see the step by step in this link).
A Decorative vinile on the ceiling to simulate the hooking of the pendant lamp on the dining room table.
Some bottles of cologne spray-painted turquoise to break the white uniformity of the display case and the wall.
Or a custom-made table for the sofa (you can see the step-by-step at this link).
Summarizing…
if you are looking for solutions to decorate a small living roomThese are the keys that you should keep in mind:
- Do not clutter the space.
- Choose small furniture.
- Distribute the furniture on the walls.
- Seek the light before all things.
- Choose predominantly light and neutral tones.
- Do not overload the decoration.
I hope that both the advice and the practical case of the renovation of my living room will help you when decorating a small living room.
If you liked this post, you can see many more inspiring ideas and DIY projects at .
