Posts Tagged ottomans
Interior Design Tricks to Make Your Bedroom Look Bigger
The idea of a sprawling bedroom is appealing to some people, but many of us have only a small space to work with. Luckily, with a few interior design tricks, you can maximize the space in your bedroom. Here are 7 quick tips for making your small bedroom look bigger.
Tip 1: Clean, Clean, Clean. When space is at a premium, you don’t want your lovely bedroom furniture to compete with scattered collections of books, shoes, and clothing. Keep your open spaces clear and orderly by using clever ways to hide the clutter. Keep your closet closed. Look for shelves and armoires that can be drawn shut to keep contents out of sight. Table and bed skirts are also great ways to make the room look tidier.
Tip 2: Keep Open Spaces Open. Don’t close off your precious floor space with too-big furniture or too many pieces. Opt for smaller furnishings with clean, simple designs. Modern furniture is a great choice. Chaise loungers and ottomans leave more open space than heavily cushioned couches. Shove your furniture up against the walls to make the most of your space, and always leave a clear walkway through the bedroom.
Tip 3: Lighten Up!. You might have heard that dark colors are slimming. That’s true for interior decorating, too. If you fill your room with dark furniture, dark carpeting, and dark walls, you’ll make it look smaller than it really is. To get the opposite effect, use light-colored neutrals or pastels to open up the room.
Tip 4: Keep it in the Family. The color family, that is. For example, if you’ve decided on a blue color palette for your bedroom, use a variety of pale blue hues that complement each other on your fabrics and upholstery. This will give the room a monochromatic look that’s anything but boring. It will also make the bedroom appear wider and more open.
Tip 5: Match it Up. If you have bedroom furniture, drapes, and sheets all in contrasting colors or busy patterns, you’re breaking up the natural continuity of the bedroom and making it appear fragmented and small. Instead, match the furniture to the walls and the drapes. You don’t have to use the exact same color on everything, but keep the tones similar.
Tip 6: Let There be Light. Nothing brightens up a room like ambient light, be it natural or artificial. Be creative with your use of luminosity. Hang wall sconces and use drop-down ceiling lights that don’t take up floor space. Opt for sheer curtains, and place candle arrangements in front of mirrors for a sense of depth and space.
Tip 7: Bigger is Better. It might seem counterintuitive, but a few quality pieces of large furniture in a small bedroom look less crowded than several smaller pieces. Choose your bedroom furniture with care. Only select pieces that harmonize well with your color scheme, and look for ottomans and tables with hidden storage spaces.
These interior design tips can be put to good use by anyone with a small space they want to enlarge. With a few subtle changes, you’ll soon have an attractive bedroom that’s comfortable enough to relax in – and that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
Tags: armoire, armoires, bedroom, bedroom furniture, carpeting, chaise, chaise lounge, color scheme, couches, curtains, decor, decorating, design, furniture, interior, interior decor, interior decorating, interior design, interior design tips, mirrors, modern furniture, ottomans, room furniture, signs, table, tablesRelated posts
Get Kids to Design Their Own Spaces
When designing, and decorating, think long term. Themes are great, but be wary of age-specific trends. Sure, you can always paint over the cartoon character wall stencils next year, but if you’ve gone all out with furniture and bedding that match the theme, that gets expensive, not to mention wasteful. It is best to stick with themes that can evolve as your child ages. If you child is really set on a particular fad you think they’ll hate in a year, compromise. Instead of an entire bed set in that theme, just choose a couple of pillows that reflect it, and go with a more neutral overall theme. Instead of cartoon wallpaper, how about a poster of their favorite cartoon that can be easily removed at any time?
It is your job to be the responsible adult, but be very careful not to impose your own dreams on your children. After all, the point is obviously to let the kids have some input into their own rooms, and perhaps the overall house and yard designs. So listening and asking them questions about what they want is the most important thing. But having a few ideas of your own will come in handy if their ideas are a little too immature, over budget, or if they just can’t make up their minds. Besides, in the process of brainstorming, you may realize there’s a few childhood fantasies you just might like to integrate into your own bedroom or other areas in the home. In the meantime, here’s a few practical tips:
While there is a tendency to put kids into the smaller bedrooms, it might not be the best idea. Having larger rooms can mean them keeping all their toys and other possessions in there, not spread around the house. Do you plan on living in this home when your kids are teens? If so, having enough of their own space for friends to hang out in could mean the difference between no knowing where your teen is on a Friday night, to knowing for certain that they are home safe, and having fun.
Think the same way when it comes to a bed, and, if possible, choose one that will last until your child is a young adult.
Also, consider an en suite bathroom for kids. The practicality of this may be determined by how many kids you have. While cleaning three kids bathrooms might not be appealing, think again of the future. As teenagers, children with their own bathroom won’t be fighting with each other for space in front of the mirror in the morning. Especially if you have children of different genders, they will appreciate a private bathroom as they grow up. Plus, with some guidance from you, taking care of their bathroom space will also give them a jump on realistic adult housekeeping responsibilities.
When it comes to decorating, a really classy thing I’ve seen is to get some of the kids artwork framed. Framing can make things look so professional, and it’s an ego boost for your kids to see their artwork framed. Also, think storage, and choose furniture that can do double duty. Bench seats with toy storage under them are excellent buys. Some ottomans are designed to open into storage boxes, and they are a great size for fun seats for kids.
Most important of all is to have fun talking with your kids. Even if you can’t build everything their heart desires, you will probably come away from the conversation knowing them a little better.
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