#LAYOUT FOR SMALL LIVING ROOM FULL#

'Look at all the different surfaces in the room and think about using spaces that you don’t often notice,' says Ruth.

Instead, consider, for example, a wall-mounted basin and towel rail and bedside tables that are built into a headboard. In compact bathrooms and bedrooms in particular, Ruth's advice is to keep as much off the floor as possible as a clear floor creates the idea of space. You may lose a few centimetres of floor space to create a panel behind a built-in bed but you gain space when you’re using it and have a bedside table built in, rather than one taking up floor space'. With this kind of approach – of which there are many stylish examples in the gallery below – Ruth advises you have to 'lose space to gain space. MAY WE SUGGEST: Christmas decoration ideas For example, make a dining nook with banquette seating (with storage underneath) that goes the width of a room, or build a box bed into the length of the room, making space for niches and cupboards.' You might think this would cause the room to feel smaller, but as everything will then have a set place, it achieves the opposite effect and keeps it organised at the same time. Instead, think about using built-in furniture to fit everything in properly. 'Furniture floats more in a small room, because any gap between it and the wall is awkward and small. 'Eliminate awkward gaps with purposeful joinery,' she advises as a first step. MAY WE SUGGEST: Small living room ideas to copy How do you design a small room?

#LAYOUT FOR SMALL LIVING ROOM FULL#

Luckily, our Decoration Editor Ruth Sleightholme is full of knowledge for small room ideas, having worked on spaces of all shapes and sizes over her career to date. Granted, a small room does require more thought in the decoration than bigger rooms tend to and finding the right solution for the space can take a little know-how and a lot of research to find that you may not have considered before. There is something about small room ideas that tends to send people into a panic.

Layout for small living room