Taking into account that today’s living rooms are much smaller and much more inclusive than our formal living rooms of the past, furniture design has adapted quite nicely to provide pieces to suit even our smallest spaces. Organizing a small living room space can be intimidating; however, it is quite simple when you break it down to form and function.
Consider the overall feel you want your room to have, usage of your space and the flow between rooms when selecting furnishings and accent pieces.
First, decide what you want your overall feel to be. Are you a cozy, curl up with a book on the sofa type or are you much more interested in a clean, sleek look?
Do your guests consist of your grandchildren with their sippy cups, crayons and games or are you entertaining a much more sophisticated audience? Does your living room adjoin other spaces? Does the space flow openly for entertainment or is it closed off to other rooms? Can you take advantage of natural sunlight or are you in need of artificial lighting? What will your focal point be? What colors compliment your style and the adjoining rooms? These colors may not always introduce themselves as paint, but may come in to play as window treatments, upholstery or a quick splash here and there.
It is important to note that we can throw out the age old adage that small rooms need to be painted white. Small rooms can be painted any color you desire, just be aware to add furnishings that compliment your color pallet. Always reflect on the overall feel of your room throughout the project. Not wavering from your original vision will keep you from settling for something other than perfection.
When organizing a small living room space, start by taking the measurements of your room. Be sure to make note of ceiling height, windows, doorways, doors and entrances and exits to and from other rooms. This will be the shell of your design as you begin layering inward and upward. Just as a floral designer starts with an arrangement’s “foundation or fluff”, organizing a small living room space is best approached with layering; starting with the walls and working your way in, then up.
Take advantage of wall space, first and foremost, using book cases for storage that are easily accessed. Depending upon your overall look, both painted bookcases and natural wood bookcases will give your room a strong presence. It is important to remember that the new bookcases should match/compliment all existing baseboards, door trim and any crown molding as to add a strong foundational presence and cut down on any unneeded visual noise. Also take into account that incorporating the bookcase around an existing window or door on the same wall will add visual square footage to your design. In the case of organizing a small living room space, consider installing bookcases that are shallow, yet deep enough for interesting art pieces, favorite books and containers in which to store toys, games or last minute “tuck aways” when unannounced guests arrive. Steer clear of cabinet doors as the functioning footprint will leave an undesired void in your overall design.
Keeping both traffic flow and comfort in mind, introduce a small loveseat opposite the bookcase wall, one or two upholstered chairs ( depending upon your space) in front of the bookcase and a storage ottoman that doubles as a coffee table. Add a stylish tray on the ottoman for drinks or floral arrangements that can be removed when the ottoman triples as extra seating. Overlook recliners when shopping for seating as they can not be afforded the space needed to recline. Remember, when organizing a small living room space, the rule of clearance between pieces can be over-looked when placing furnishings in front of the bookcase. Once your staple pieces are in place, add small accent pieces such as a side table that doubles as a dry bar or stereo cabinet.
If adding a television to your living room, consider a TV lift cabinet that keeps the TV hidden when not in use. Consider the functionality and desirability of a wall mounted fireplace to add to the ambience of your room. Wall mounted fireplaces are a great solution to a bare wall. When shopping for a wall mounted fireplace, remember that some are manufactured for heating and others are just decorative with no elemental change. Consider adding several wall mounted vases in either a tidy horizontal, vertical row or dedicate an entire wall to a checkerboard of vases. The most important part to adding several like pieces as an installation in a small room is that they are made of the same material as not to distract the eye. Lastly, when addressing your walls, the most obvious way to “expand” a small space visually would be to play with multiple sized mirrors throughout.
Now that we have your main furnishings in place, let’s talk lighting. Lighting comes in every shape and size to accommodate every space possible. When considering lighting, determine if your design needs a stylish light that has a presence, several small lights or a mix of both. Lighting is not only a necessity, but another opportunity to put your signature on your room. If you are considering a large statement piece like a chandelier in the center of the room, be sure that you and your guests can move freely underneath the light. Standard guideline for hanging a chandelier- if you have standard eight- or nine- foot ceilings, the bottom of your chandelier should fall roughly 84” from the floor. For tall ceilings, add three inch to this number for every extra foot of ceiling height past nine feet. Introducing tall thin floor lamps work well in a small space as well. Table lamps are a possibility, but be sure that they are worthy of the space they are taking up in the overall design.
As always, when shopping for living room furniture in South San Francisco, visit our friends at Giorgi Brothers. They have been in the business since 1933!
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