Top 5 Space Saving Tips for New Furniture

Space can be at a premium. From car parking space outside your home to garden space and space in individual rooms. Not having space can mean we feel hemmed in, and that the space is full and cluttered.

But with these ‘space-saving’ tips you can have the stylish and open feel to a room. It is all about colour and choosing furniture carefully so that blends and works together.

#1 Lighter Impact Furniture

This may be a phrase you have not come across before but it is a concept that is all around you. To maximise space in a room, you need to show as much floor space as possible. And this means choosing furniture that is not block like, but lighter on its impact on and in the room.

For example, consider the wingback chair, iconic in shape and style. But you may think the wings may make it feel big and cumbersome in a smaller living room. But it doesn’t and that is because there is a gap between the floor and the underside of the seat. It lightens the appeal on the eye because it does not close down the floor space. Simple when you think about it – try it!

#2 Neutral tones and colours

A small space may not be the place to experiment with dark, moody colours and tones (but we take a look at this concept in a moment…) and so if you crave space and light, then the answer lay in lighter, neutral tones throughout.

That includes the walls and the ceiling, and the floor. Avoiding dark colours means light is not absorbed by the room but reflected within it.

And this goes for furniture too. It doesn’t mean, however, that patterns are out of the question. But use darker colours sparingly in the fabric, keeping fabric choices light and airy, perfect for making a room feel and look bigger.

#3 A dash of dark colour

Interior trends come and go. And when trends dictate darker colours, it can be hard to ignore. But small spaces and dark colours are not natural bedfellows: dark colours soak up light, leaving precious little for the remainder of the room. It can draw a wall or ceiling into the space and unless that is the look you are opting for, it is not a welcome effect of using dark colours.

However, when you want to add a pop of colour, use it sparingly. For example, in the bedroom, opt for a large, dark coloured fabric headboard and offset this with the rest of the room in light, neutral but complementing tones.

In the living room, you could add a dark coloured armchair or two, or maybe add a pop of colour with a rug. Think smaller portions of dark colour than a whole feature wall.

#4 Clever furniture choices

It’s already been hinted at that furniture choices plays a large part in how well-dressed a room looks. Not opting for block armchairs and sofas that meet at floor helps the feeling of space by maximising the floor space.

Choosing low impact furniture helps the sense of space too but this can mean that there are practical issues that need to be taken care of. In a small space, wall-to-wall furniture seems to ‘just happen’ because, after all, you need storage space.

Be clever in your choices of furniture and opt for ones in which there is storage included. For example, forsake the sideboard for hiding away clutter with an ottoman coffee table.

And when you do choose additional furniture such as shelving units, keep the overall design ‘open’ so that it doesn’t feel like it is closing down the space.

#5 Think vertical

A room feels cluttered when the eye line feels cluttered. A room feels small when the ceiling feels not too far from the top of your head. The feeling of space in a room comes from vision, not necessarily from the physical dimensions of the room.

That means tricking the eye into thinking there is more space than what there is. And that means magnifying and emphasising the height of a room. There are many ways of doing this but the traditional design ideas still hold water;

• Light colours on ceilings
  Stick with brilliant, clean and crisp white if you can or if that feels too stark, use a light shade of cream but no darker.
• Hang curtain poles just below the ceiling
  The long swathes of fabric will give the instant appeal of the room being tall and the room spacious.
• Vertical stripes may seem obvious, but they work
  Choose a muted striped pattern for wallpaper and if you don’t think it will work throughout the room, use it on one wall for a striking effect.

Space saving and space maximising tips are all well and good, but which ones can you live with?

Sloane & Sons have a range of chairs that give any room, large or small, massive appeal. Traditional and iconic, the winged chair is a piece used in modern interior designs too and ideal for use in a small living room or bedroom.

Disclaimer: This post is a pre-written guest post published on behalf of the team at Sloane & Sons.