Home Decorating For Smaller Spaces

"Big Things Come In Small Packages" We're all familiar with this quote, it's normally associated with gifts not home decorating, but it should be.

A one or two bedroom house, apartment, condo or townhouse can be just as impressive and grand as something with fifteen bathrooms, Wow, imaging having to clean all those, I have enough trouble with two.

One interesting things I have found from past experience is that decorating a smaller place is actually easier, not to mention less expensive.

Whether your currently living in a small space or downsizing ? that's another one of those trendy "buzz" words, which simply means your moving into something smaller ? planning how your going to decorate or redecorate is a good idea.

You may think because it's smaller, having large pieces is out of the question. Not true, having oversized furniture is not going to make your rooms appear smaller, what it will do is give a warm inviting feeling. Of course the layout and size of a room will determine how many pieces can comfortably go into it. After all, you may be looking for drama and comfort, but you still need to be able to maneuver around.

This also applies to accessories; it's better to have a few large dramatic pieces as opposed to a lot of small items, which can tend to turn into clutter and dust collectors. The exception to this would be with collections. But again you want to have places to showcase them like glass front hutches, cabinets, bookcases or shelves.

Another decorating challenge can be in warming up your new place. This normally can easily be achieved by adding color with paint. Now that's all fine and good unless you happen to be renting and your landlord say's "Paint, oh no". That's ok; color can be added in a number of other ways. Several examples:

• Window treatments

• Furniture fabric

• Accent pillows

• Area rugs

• Wall art

• Plants & Flowers

Storage can be another issue in a smaller space, there just never seems to be enough. If you're buying new furniture or deciding on which pieces to bring from your current home, look for ones that can perform double duty.

For example:

• Instead of the standard coffee table, look for one with a flip top or shelves underneath. Cedar chests, blanket chests or trunks can also be substituted.

• Place an armoire intended for the bedroom in the living room it's the perfect storage place for remotes, magazines, extra bedding, kitchen linen or any of those pesky little things you just can't seem to find a place for.

• A small floor cabinet you might have used in a bathroom can become an end table. Most of these come with drawers, shelves or both.

• Decorative stacking boxes or even old suitcases not only make for great storage, but the also become terrific accessories.

• Plastic storage boxes come in a variety of sizes, colors and are inexpensive. They can be stacked on shelves in a closet or cabinet, even into drawers. Clear smaller sizes are perfect storage for shoes, winter gloves, pictures or how about extension cords, nails, packages of hooks or hand tools. Larger sizes can keep extra winter coats, blankets, odd season clothes or seasonal decorations neat and in one place.

• Baskets and hampers are another option.

• Kids rooms are always in need of extra places for all their treasures, plastic milk crates are perfect for them. They come in many bright brilliant colors. One suggestion, if you are planning on stacking the crates and have small children it would be beneficial to secure them to the wall.

• Plastic shelving units, which can be found in most discount stores, are perfect for mounting on the backs of doors or on the wall in closets. These come in especially handy in the kitchen for holding extra soda bottles, canned goods, paper towel etc.

Well, I think you've gotten the idea, look around and use your imagination; you will be surprised with what you can come up with.

Moving into and decorating a small space can be challenging, but with a little planning it can be just a beautiful as any large house. And in the end size really doesn't matter, if it's filled with the people and things you love, then you have successfully created a home.

This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright � 2004 Bonnie Carrier

About The Author

Bonnie P. Carrier is the creator of Savvy Home Decorating. She is the mother to two grown daughters and a very spoiled 4yr old Blue Merle Sheltie named Toby. Having been a homemaker for over 23yrs has provided years of experience in budget decorating and organization. Stop by Savvy Home Decorating - www.savvy-home-decorating.com - for ideas and tips on budget decorating: bonnie@savvy-home-decorating.com

---

Creative Ways to Decorate Your Walls

Moving into a new house can sometimes cause a quandry.... Read More

Embossed Votive Holder Shade

Create the look of a Stained Glass Votive HolderSupplies Needed:Most... Read More

How to Kickstart a Good Bedroom Design Project?

Dear friends,Any room in your home is primarily a space... Read More

Do You Need An Interior Designer?

All of us want our homes to be places of... Read More

Decorating? Then Make a Smart Flooring Choice!

Set the stage for your beautiful room decor with a... Read More

Gourmet Fruit Gift Baskets

Gourmet fruit baskets quickly emerged as a way to deliver... Read More

Granite Countertop Colors

Granite, like marble and other stones, is as old as... Read More

A Review of Popular Water Softener Products

With so many types and brands of water softeners to... Read More

Interior Decorating With Picture Frames

There are many ways to decorate the interior of your... Read More

A Look at Wooden Bunk Beds

Wooden bunk beds are a very popular type of bunk... Read More

Making The Most Of Your Smart Decision To Hire An Interior Designer

So you've decided to hire an Interior Designer-good move! Now... Read More

Why Posters are Great Gifts

Posters make great gifts. They are large but easy to... Read More

Shabby Chic Bedding Can Add An Elegant Vintage Touch to Your Room!

Shabby Chic bedding is definitely the answer if you are... Read More

Incentives for Proper Home Theater Lighting

One of the most crucial elements to consider in building... Read More

Traditional Lighting - What Is It?

For those considering what kind of lighting style to use... Read More

Installing Granite Countertops

Granite is not only the hardest material available for countertops;... Read More

An Introduction to Adjustable Beds

Adjustable beds, also known as Semi-Fowler beds, can be adjusted... Read More

Baby Quilts ? Traditional Or With A Twist

I am not a quilter in the typical sense, but... Read More

Feng Shui Interprets Exposed Beams

What constitutes a balanced room according to feng shui theory... Read More

What Should You Know About House Flooring

Having a nice house is everyone dreams. In fact, everybody... Read More

The Power of Candlelight

In this day and age, everything is about health and... Read More

Interior Decorating and Home Decor With Native American Indian Art

Since there has been a trend in recent years towards... Read More

Decorating Frugally

The trend these days is to discover extremely innovative ways... Read More

Preserved Flower Candles

Putting flowers in your candle will add a unique look,... Read More

Buying a Bakers Rack

Bakers racks are a perfect enhancement to any kitchen, whether... Read More

Fruit Basket Delivery

Probably the single most important component responsible for making the... Read More

The Effect of Scent on Moods

When we talk about scents it could refer to a... Read More

How to Make Roman Shades

Roman shades are a simple and elegant window treatment to... Read More

Bar and Wine Cabinets: Entertain in Style

Do you love to entertain in your home? Do you... Read More

The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors

Exotic hardwood floors are made up of solid exotic wood... Read More

Fireplace Candelabras - The Easy Alternative To Burning Wood

It wasn't that long ago that the fireplace was the... Read More

Finding a Color Scheme - Decorating with What you Have

If you feel helpless when it comes to picking and... Read More

A Look at Edible Fruit Baskets

By their very nature, all fruit baskets, especially the original... Read More