[Kristin]

By: Abe Abbas

Source: http://smalllivingroomideasdesign.blogspot.co.id

Any small space poses a challenge, and a small living room is no exception. A smaller living room needs to be functional, organized, and flexible, especially if it is going to be used often, and by more than one person.


Choose Multipurpose Furniture

To furnish a small space functional, you need to use furniture that can perform several functions. For instance, an ottoman can serve as a storage piece, extra seating or take the place of a coffee table.

A coffee table can have hidden storage for books, magazines or tablets and remotes. It can also hide cubes that can be pulled out for extra seating.


Use Wall Space

Walls are often wasted space in a room. But they can serve many purposes. Wall mounted shelves can also store frames, accessories, or books. Use floating shelves or wrap them around the room depending on your storage needs.

A television set mounted on the wall also saves precious space that an entertainment center might take up otherwise.

Source: www.drawhome.com

Furnish with Smaller Scaled Furniture

It is easy to find small scaled furniture today that performs the same function, looks great but takes up much less space. Many manufacturers have come out with smaller scaled furniture for today's smaller spaces.

Smaller sofas, chairs and even recliners serve the same purpose but are scaled to fit a small living room.


Single Out the Right Shapes

While scale is important, you will find that certain shapes are more useful for smaller rooms. Narrow rectangles can play an important role. A long, narrow coffee table will be serve a better purpose and free up more floor space. Narrow sofas and benches work well too.

Triangles are great for a small living room. For instance, triangle shaped corner units can be used for storage, and take up much less room. Triangle end tables that are bunched together to form squares when not in use can be taken apart and scattered when needed.


Use Fewer Furniture Pieces

Don't crowd the room, just use enough furniture for your everyday use. There should be room to move around freely without bumping into things. Use chairs from other rooms when entertaining. Bring garden stools in for tables or even seating for guests. All of this means that you furnish the rest of the home with a plan to do this, so that everything still looks put together.


See-through Furniture Helps

See through furniture of all kinds helps a smaller room feel bigger.
- Use chairs and sofas with legs, so that they float above the ground and you can see more of the room through the legs.
- Acrylic or glass furniture can vanish visually while performing full functionality.
- Mirrored furniture while not see through, will reflect the surroundings and make a room feel bigger.


Use Color Wisely

Color can have a big influence on a how large a space feels. Neutral colors are great for creating an expansive feeling, but that doesn't mean you should stay away from color altogether. A smaller living room can use splashes of color in accessories, pillows, lamps, and on the artwork on the wall.

Use a boldly colored sofa, with more neutral colored surrounding furniture. Stay away from too many clashing colors that chop up the space, so that even if you decide to stay away from neutral colors, look into choosing a largely monochromatic color scheme.

While it would be good to use textures instead of color to create interest, stay away from too many patterns. Too many patterns can also make the space look overly busy.


Light the Room

Lighting has the power to make a space appear larger or smaller. Floor lamps serve a purpose in a smaller room as they take up less space, or use light sconces or suspended lights that don't use up precious surfaces that you may need for other purposes.

Make use of natural light in the room by using light drapes, and that can make the space appear larger too. Strategically placed mirrors can also reflect the light and help open up the room.


Sumber Artikel: http://furniture.about.com/