Designing your living space is one of the best parts of living on your own. You have the freedom to do whatever you like and create gorgeous designs. For some people, though, that’s easier said than done.
Each design choice you make will impact how the entire room functions. If you’re wondering where to start, look to guidance used by design professionals around the world.
Read on to learn six steps to take toward creating a tailored interior for small spaces. Even if your living area feels cramped, you can make it into something showstopping. When everything in your home has a purpose, your tailored interior will be complete.
1. Take Your Time
Even if you’ve been waiting for months, weeks or years to take control of your interior design, take your time with your decisions. The wrong move could leave you with a permanent design choice, like terrible flooring or outdated cabinets.
Take a deep breath before considering anything for your home. Talk with professionals about all your options, and take home paint samples. Seeing how different shades look over a few days will help you buy the perfect shade for your space, especially when you see them in different lighting.
Save online inspiration, make a physical mood board or collect magazines to discover your interior design tastes. Once you get in touch with your design skills, you’ll have a better idea of what your next steps will look like.
2. Decide on a Tying Theme
While you can choose different designs for every room, your living space should have a central theme. The fine detail in the design process brings home the tailored feel of everything, so think about design details that work best for you. Gold accent pieces, navy throw pillows or a repeating pattern are all examples of tiny accessories that make a big impact.
3. Consider Tailored or Built-in Furniture
If you’ve bought your own home, you have a little more freedom to work with compared to someone in an apartment. You can make more substantial changes to your home’s structure, like adding built-in furniture.
When done correctly, built-in or custom furniture adds value to your home and make it easier to sell in the future. Focus on a popular area of the house, and order customized furniture pieces like kitchen islands and appliances that personalize your home and make the room more accessible.
Try to find furniture that will appeal to a wide range of people and age groups — for example, a custom entertainment center will remain useful much longer than a built-in bunk bed for your kids. Add pieces to your home that will work with your lifestyle both now and in the future.
4. Find Multifunction Pieces
Next, consider what furniture you need — and what you don’t. In your limited space, you’ll need to get straight to the point with their furniture. Keep only the pieces that serve a purpose.
Multifunctional furniture is a different story. Browse through different kinds to see what you like and what you would use every day. Funiture that converts into something else or folds into tiny spaces will make every room bigger and save you money.
5. Designate a Purpose
If you’re left wondering what design would best serve a room, you can resolve your lack of direction by giving each area a purpose. Maybe you meant to convert the room toted as a second office into a guest room, but it currently serves as the storage area for odds and ends. Instead, give it a purpose. Think about what you need in your home and if that room could meet that need. After you decide on a plan for each space, you’ll better know how to tailor its interior.
6. Find Your Balance
One of the last things you should keep in mind while making your interior design work for each room in your home is to incorporate numerous styles, materials and colors. While you might love your velvet bedspread, lampshades and rugs, it’s possible to have too much of a single thing.
It’s time to find the balance of shades, fabrics and textures. Removing a bit of a single color or replacing it with something striking can do the trick. You might balance gold with a dark metal centerpiece or a dark table runner with pastel dishware. When your design leans on multiple complementary elements, the entire look comes together.
Appreciate Your Space
If you approach interior design with a heart of content towards your living space, you can fall in love with any sized home. Appreciate the space you have to realize its full potential. Embrace your small rooms, low ceilings and minimal storage space. When you do, you’ll have an open mind to future possibilities.
Follow these steps to create a tailored interior for your small space. With time, patience and a focus on what you want, you’ll transform your home into the dream space you desire.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
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