Tips to Select the Best Furniture for Small Houses

T here may be a number of reasons why someone may buy a small house. If you are one of these people and are wondering how to pick your furniture, don’t worry. Here, we have listed some tips to select furniture for small houses that will trick your mind into thinking that your small house looks bigger.

Zahira Cury, an Architect and Lighting Designer, says that “Good design is not about beauty, it’s the clever play between your space and each object.” She states that “the whole composition,” that is, all the individual furnishings together, decide how one perceives and feels inside a room.

So, here are some tips and tricks to improve your composition.

Understand Visual Weight

The most important part about furnishing a small home is making it look more spacious and less crowded. In order to do that, you must first understand what visual weight is. If I put a 20 kg dumbbell in front of you, and 20 kg of crumpled tissue paper, which one will look heavier to your eyes? One of these will look composed and meaningful, while the other one looks messy and all over the place.

Similarly, if I place a large, chunky vintage chair with foam cushions in a small study room, versus if I put a compact, transparent chair in the same room, which one will make the room look airy and open?

That’s what visual weight refers to. How much does a piece of furniture weigh visually? When you are furnishing a small house, look for pieces with minimal visual weight so as much of the room is visible as possible, especially the floor.

1. The Bigger Pieces (Sofas and Beds)

Choose your bigger pieces such as your sofas and beds first. As for the color, stick to neutral tones and shades. Select a simple pattern or a solid color if possible. Add texture and a pop of color by smaller pieces such as pillows or vases.

When you are selecting your bigger piece, analyze its visual weight. Maintain the proportions between the sofa or the bed and the space you have available, making sure it doesn’t take too much of the space. One other very important factor is to select furniture with legs so that your floor is visible. Your eyes will perceive the visible floor as empty space and thus feel the room is bigger and roomier.

2. The Chairs

When selecting chairs, especially accent chairs, look for something light. Avoid anything that’s heavy, solid, or dark, as these factors will make your chair look huge in the room relative to its size.

One of the common, stylish chairs used by interior designers for small houses are transparent chairs. If you make use of acrylic or glass, your brain will perceive these transparent objects as a non-obstruction, your eyes will view more of the space, and your mind will be tricked into thinking the space is bigger than it actually is, because their visual weight is close to zero.

3. The Rugs

Choose a large rug, because larger rugs make rooms feel bigger. Smaller rugs visually “break” the floor into multiple pieces, making our brain perceive less space than there is. Use one big rug instead of using several small rugs, as more rugs will make the room look overcrowded and thus smaller. If you do not have a big rug, don’t put out any rugs.

Use a light colored rug to allow the room to appear more spacious and bright. Pastels, neutrals, and off-whites are the best choices. Also, use plain colored rugs rather than patterned rugs, because patterns can create the illusion of clutter.

4. The Curtains

Use long and high curtains to accentuate tall windows. Curtains hung way above add airiness and height to a small room. Keep the design basic but use a lot of fabric in order to add fullness.

5. The Tables

Find something transparent and preferably in acrylic or glass, so the table is almost disappearing, thus having no visual weight. If you want a solid table, look for clean lines and legs.

You can buy a multipurpose table to save space, for example, a table with ottoman storage underneath it.

Extra Tips

Put large mirrors in front of your windows, so they reflect light and give the illusion of expansion.

Put plants in corners, or use hanging plants to save floor space and utilize some ceiling space.

These tips and tricks for small houses and how to furnish them should surely help you select the best furniture for small houses. Happy designing!

• This post is tagged in:

• interior design
• decoration
• small house
• furniture
• furnishing
• architecture