Small and cozy family rooms

You don’t need a mini bar to create a family room. A small room –carefully planed- can be a snug gathering place for family and friends.

It’s a challenge to design the interior of a small room so it doesn’t look crowded and stuffy like a Victorian parlor. A small room gives few options for storage and furniture arrangement, but there are ways to create the illusion of spaciousness.

Windows can do much to open up room. Make the most of a window, especially if it provides a view. The seating area can face the window so the room doesn’t turn in on itself. If it’s possible to add windows, consider floor to ceiling vertical ones to make the room seem taller, or unbroken line of horizontal windows to make it seem wider. A greenhouse type window or bay window can extend a room and give you space for a window seat. If you can’t add windows, remember that mirrors too, can increase the sense of space.

Furniture in a small area probably will have to be arranging along the walls, but try to avoid the waiting room look by planning several small, intimate seating areas instead of a continuous row of chairs. The size of the furniture should be scaled to the room. A massive overstuffed couch can dwarf a small area. Built in seating can be effectives, especially with under cushion storage.

Color should be selected with care. The more contrasting, bright color or busy prints you use on the walls or for upholstery, the smaller and more cluttered the room will seem. Lighter colors make a room seem larger; darker colors make the walls close in.

A focal point is just as important in a small room as in a large room. If there’s no natural focal point such as a fireplace or a window with a view, a floor to ceiling storage system can be a good substitute. Vary the shelving so you have space for art object or collectibles. The wall unit should complement the architecture and the general décor without overpowering the room.

This entry was posted on January 5, 2010 at January 5, 2010 and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.