The challenge of designing a small room can seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. You can turn it into a fun and interesting project and end up with a room that you’ll enjoy for years. With the help of just a few basic guidelines you’ll be having fun and loving your small space.

The overall message is to use monochromatic tones and then add a vibrant accent color or colors. This creates a seamless room with little areas of fun and interesting details for your eyes enjoy. Think of a landscaped yard where the overall color is green (the grass, trees, and bushes) and the eye is able to sweep across with a fluid motion. Then add a few areas (preferably an odd amount like 3) with seasonal color. The eye is able to stop for a second and take in the brighter colors and then return to sweeping the entire space. When this same concept is used in a small room you create motion and interest that doesn’t focus on the room measurements.

The Paint

In order to truly maximize the monochromatic benefits, paint the walls and the ceiling the same color. A good example would be a beige, taupe, or tan color from most paint lines. These are colors that usually fall in the middle of the light to dark spectrum color cards. If the room has crown, either remove it or paint it one shade lighter from the same color family. This way you have gently accented the crown but not divided the space with it. Stay away from white. It can be stark and cause difficulty when attempting to add and blend other pieces.

The Flooring

The colors suggested above should work with most carpet and/or hardwood flooring shades. If the carpet color is loud and can’t be changed, consider a rug in a solid color as close to the wall color as possible that fills up most of the floor. Then when determining accessories (more about that below), use the carpet color (not the rug color) in your choice for accent pieces. This will help blend the entire room together.

The Windows

Hopefully the room has windows (if not, we’ll tackle it in the lighting category). Especially in a small space, windows provide for light and a feeling of openness and have the potential to bring the outside in. Opt for 2” faux wood blinds in a mid range, natural wood shade and leave them open as often as possible. Curtains might chop up the space while the blinds feel fresh and light and invite the eye to look beyond the room. If the room doesn’t overlook nature, consider adding plants in a window box outside or a floor to ceiling potted tree (which brings the eye up to emphasize height) in the room.

The Furniture

Go with a few mid size pieces rather than too many small pieces. For example a queen size bed and tall corner dresser or a love seat, chair and coffee table. When the pieces are too small, it reminds us that the room is small. Medium size pieces say that the room can handle more substantial furniture. Also, avoid boxy furniture and instead include open or curved pieces that are solid in color or include well blended neutral colors (as with the carpet, if you cannot change a bright or bold piece of furniture, then use those colors in your accent pieces). This will keep the eye moving throughout the room and not focused on one heavy or busy item. Arrange the furniture with a logical traffic pattern in and out of the room.

The Lighting

Include more than the usual one overhead light and add a dimmer switch (always keeping its brightness at mid way or less if the bulb is 60 watts or more) to the outlet to help create a softer, more blended light source. The idea here is to blanket the room in soft light (in a room without windows, lighting becomes even more critical and the light sources should come from all around the room to compensate for the lack of natural light). Add one to two more table/standing lamps with low wattage bulbs and one to two areas of three clustered candles of varying heights. When everything is turned on and lit, the room becomes bathed in gently glistening hues of comforting light (use all the same types of light, i.e. natural, daylight, etc. to keep the hues consistent). The room invites you in and seems to radiate beyond the limitations of its measurements.

The Accessories

This is where your personal flare can shine and you can really have some fun. In this one category, go bold rather than subtle. Chose an odd number of accent pieces (three, five, etc.) with one to two of the same colors in them. This could be pillows and a wall mirror (mirrors are great in small spaces) or wall art and vases. Sometimes it helps to start with one favorite piece and add other pieces to match its color/s. Go with varying sizes from small to large. Gather accessories you may already have or buy new ones but make sure they are exciting colors and position them throughout the room so the eye can easily move around without interruption. Accessories present a relatively inexpensive way to re-do the room when the mood strikes without changing the whole space.

Now, that once small space has been transformed into an inviting and exciting environment where size doesn’t matter. An overall neutral palette with exciting bursts of color refocuses attention from limitations to possibilities. With just a few basic guidelines and a little imagination, your small space can become one of the most enjoyable rooms in the house.

Also, check out the article on balance, it will help when choosing and positioning your furniture and accessories.