There are so many small homes out there that are packed with personality. When space is a valuable commodity, each and every design decision carries extra weight. Choosing the right layout and color palette can transform an otherwise compact space into a more polished room that feels both welcoming and modern. However, be conscious that a couple of small mistakes can quickly have the opposite effect, and before you know it, your smaller space will soon feel like a cramped, chaotic hellhole.
That’s why today, I want to take you through some of the biggest design mistakes that can help prevent your small home from descending into catastrophe. So, without any further ado, let’s dive in.
Mistake #1: Choosing Furniture That’s Too Big
Yes, that sofa looks amazing in the showroom. Perfect. And its color will really complement your walls. But please, don’t buy it. It’s far too big for your modestly-sized living room. If you buy it and take it home, you’ll quickly discover that it dominates the space and leaves basically no breathing room for anything else.
Instead, try choosing pieces that have slimmer profiles, with raised legs and proportions that actually fit into the room. To get started, narrow your options to compact sofas and a narrow armchair, before expanding your search to a coffee table that allows for enough leg room from the sofa. Make sure you measure absolutely everything before shopping – that includes doorways.
Mistake #2: Failing to Consider Storage
I can’t really blame you for this one, as I’ve fallen prey to it myself (multiple times). Clutter has a talent for multiplying when all of your surfaces are also displays. If you live in a smaller home, then your storage will have to work a lot harder, while also hiding in smaller spaces.
My first piece of advice is always the same. Look up! Before exhausting all of your much-needed floor space, make the most of tall shelves and cupboards, so you can maximise the lesser-needed square footage first. Once that’s done, if you’re still buying furniture, try to go for tables, wardrobes, and cabinets that can give you some extra storage options, even if it’s just a couple of drawers.
A tidy room will always feel more spacious, and its design will sing more without clutter around to detract from it.
Mistake #3: Using Too Many Competing Colors
Using too many colors, or colors that clash, can easily overcrowd a room before a single person sets foot inside. But there is a way around it. Just start with a clear, cohesive base, then add a bit of extra personality with bits and pieces of artwork, textiles, and other accessories.
But if you want your space to look a bit more upmarket and sophisticated, you can find plenty of paint colors that look expensive and premium, like warm whites and muted greens that match earthy, more naturalistic tones.
For a bit of extra continuity, try carrying one color through several spaces. This will give your home an extra layer of finesse by pulling together rooms that might otherwise feel disjointed, and making it stand out that bit more.
Mistake #5: Forgetting About Lighting
Relying solely on a ceiling fixture and one or two lamps will rarely do a room justice, because lighting should ideally create multiple different layers in any given room. Try mixing in wall lights and floor lamps where possible, and make the most of mirrors. When they’re placed by windows, they can make a huge difference by bouncing natural light all over a room.
Conclusion
When it comes to interior design, playing in a smaller sandbox can create a high-risk, high-reward dynamic in which each and every change could either potentially revive a room or throw it off the rails. Hopefully, with some of the tips shared in this article, you will know exactly which traps to avoid and be able to decorate more confidently.