The ‘L’ shaped living and dining room. It’s a challenge to say the least. The issue is that there’s always going to be an awkward corner that bends at 90 degrees. That corner makes this shared space difficult to layout because it feels like separate spaces even though it’s not. There’s no wall or architectural feature to show where one room ends and the other begins. Got a room like this? Let me show you what I learned.
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Image Courtesy of Pixabay
Small Space Ideas From Around The World
It’s been somewhat remarkable to witness the rise of small-space living over the years. It can partially be chalked up to our ever-more-crowded cities, and the simple fact that most people in big urban areas sacrifice space for location. It may not always be an ideal situation, but the idea of making the most of it, and turning a small space into a delightful one, can bring a certain charm to it.
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How to Arrange An Awkward 10 x 12 Living Room with a Corner Fireplace and a TV
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8 Ways to Maximize a Small Galley Kitchen
Galley kitchens can be super efficient and charming but in most, the charm can be overshadowed by a lack of storage, feeling cramped, and not having entertaining space. Here’s 8 ways to maximize a small galley kitchen so you can make it feel 5 times bigger.
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What’s it Like to Live in just over 200 square feet? How to layout a 12’ x 19’ New York City Studio Apartment.
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That big empty wall above the bed is taunting you like a blank question mark hoovering over your head and it’s ruining that vibe you’re going for. Here’s 15 fast and creative ways to finish up that space so your bedroom can feel like the oasis you want it to be.
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14 Thrift Store Finds You Should Never Pass Up
The staples of home décor are waiting for you at the thrift store. From baskets to buffets and lamps to large art, whatever finishing touch your home needs, you’ll find it thrifting. Shopping second hand is a combination of excellent prices and adventure! The next “big thing” in home décor is at the thrift store.
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Source: Pottery Barn
Knowing These 4 Secrets Will Make Your Small Living Room Look Expensive!
If you want your small living room to look expensive, it’s more about what you don’t do. Don’t pack it with clutter. Don’t over furnish, don’t forget balance and symmetry and Don’t spend money you don’t have to.
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We learn early on that you can’t fit a square shape into a round hole. Small Living rooms often have the same kind of restraints. Unlike a child’s puzzle, real rooms have more leeway for furniture placement, but that can still make things tough. Planning your furnishings carefully is the key to multiple layout options.
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Source: krakenimages
17 Decorating Mistakes to Avoid in Small Spaces
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Source: Анна Хазова, Pexels
8 Impactful and Easy Ways to Create that Wow Factor in Any Room
If we dissect what the wow factor is, it becomes clear that what we’re actually after is something surprising. This surprise is the secret weapon that designers rely on to knock our clients socks off. It takes planning and execution to make that kind of impact but, there’s a few easy tricks anyone can do. Here’s how.
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Source: Wayfiar and Living Spaces for Michael Helwig Interiors
Got a Room with Opposite Focal Points? Here’s How to Arrange it!
If you don’t have a gravitational pull towards something in a room with opposite and competing focal points, you have a room that feels out of place and unfocused. You don’t know where to look or how to position your furniture.
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Source: Pottery Barn for Michael Helwig Interiors
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Few or no internal walls. Some might think, heck yeah that sounds amazing! Others might think, no way, that’s like being stuck in the same room all the time! Is open concept living still right for life in a post 2020 world? Find out.
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Source: David Pisnoy, Unsplash
Don’t Forget About Your Walls When Renovating a Room
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You Want a Christmas Tree in a Small Room? Here’s 7 Tips to Find the Perfect Spot Fast!
Like most decorating projects, finding the right spot for the Christmas tree is often the first step in the holiday décor planning process.
Having a large room, or a dedicated Christmas tree room, is great but, what if you have a small house and floor space is limited?
Does that mean you can’t have a tree?
No Way!
Sure, a large room with high ceilings, decked out for the holidays is impressive, but you can absolutely make a beautiful impact and have a stunning Christmas tree display even if your room is small.
I’ve got 7 easy and impact filled tips for finding the perfect spot for the tree and how you can make it look just as amazing as any Hallmark movie set!
Plan a Focal Point
When you’re thinking about your focal point, think about how you will use the immediate area.
Will you have enough room for gifts under the tree or close by?
Source: Taisiia Shestopal, Unsplash
Can you change out the wall décor to enhance your theme or reinforce colors?
Do you want other décor like figurines or special decorations as part of the scene?
As you plan, remember to not obstruct walkways, doors or pathways through your room.
Source: NeONBRAND, Unsplash
You don’t want to squeeze around the tree in order to enter or exit the room and you don’t want the tree blocking seating areas or the main functions of the room.
For example, if you’re placing a tree in the family room and the main function in that space is watching TV, don’t block the TV.
You also don’t want to put a tree in front of windows if you have to squeeze around it to get through the room.
Source: Pixabay
If you have a fireplace, you certainly don’t want a tree in front of it. That would be a fire hazard and would obstruct the view.
A better spot would be off the side of the fireplace.
Ultimately, For small rooms, placing the tree in the corner will work best.
They’re out of the way but you can still enjoy them.
You might have to get a little creative with your furniture arrangement, but the tree will only be in the space for a short time.
That brings me to my second tip:
Move or Remove Furniture
It may be necessary to bring your furniture in closer together so that you can accommodate a Christmas tree in a small room.
You may need to shift furniture pieces over to create more space.
I did this for the first two years in my small house.
I have a long sideboard that sits below two windows at the far end of my living room.
When I put the tree up, I had to shift the sideboard toward one corner and remove a large potted plant to make the placement work.
You may have a similar scenario in your small room.
Sometimes you’ll have to borrow an inch here or there to make it work.
Go Tall, Not Wide
Whether you go with a live tree or an artificial one, you’ll want to consider the amount of space you have to work with before you bring a tree home.
Measure how much space you have from one corner to any obstruction: doorways, fireplace, built-in units, radiators or any object that cannot move.
For example, I’m planning on putting a tree in my foyer this year and there’s only one spot for it to go.
I have to consider the space between the corner and my front door and the opposite wall to my radiator.
I also need to know the distance from the corner of the wall out to the swing of my front door so I know how wide the tree can be.
The last consideration I have is the height of the ceiling because my ceiling slants down almost 1 foot.
I can’t fit a wide tree in this space, but I’m shooting for the fullest tree I can find.
The way you determine the best size tree is to always have a measuring tape with you when shopping for it.
Bring your space measurements with you and measure the width of any tree you’re considering at it’s widest point.
If you’re getting an artificial tree, many big box stores have the measurements of the trees right on their websites.
Source: Michael’s
Say you found one you like and it’s 32” wide. You have to account for it being 32” deep as well.
Think about the tree as a circle in your space.
If you have 29” from one corner the next before you hit an obstruction, a 32” tree will not fit.
If you can’t accommodate a wide tree, get a tall one.
In other words, don’t put a short, dinky tree in a small space because it will only highlight how small the space is.
Source: Michael’s
Instead, go for the tallest tree that will fit.
If you have a ceiling like mine, you’ll have to negotiate both height and width so that the tree doesn’t stick out too far.
Get a Rotating Tree Base
If you’ve been around as long as me, you probably have a lot of special ornaments you’ve collected over the years.
How do you enjoy as many as possible?
The best way I’ve found is to get a rotating Christmas tree base.
Source: Wayfair
These awesome devices let you decorate the entire tree, front to back, so you have the chance to see all your treasures as it slowly spins around.
Rotating bases work great for trees in corners and small spaces because you don’t have to pick and choose which ornaments to put out, you can have as many as possible because you can use the entire tree instead of just the half that faces out.
Repurpose an Accent Table
Another great way to get height on a smaller tree is to place it on top of a table.
Source: Wayfair
Say you have a round table in the corner. Instead of removing the table for the holiday season, why not use it to add height to a small tabletop height tree?
A 4’ or 5’ tree will look great perched on top of an accent table that is around 28 “to 30” tall.
Using the table where it is will save you from storing it in another room or trying to find another spot for it. That’s more convenient, right?
Go With Multiple Small Trees Instead of One Big Tree
Sometimes a few smaller trees, spread out in a room or in different areas of your home, is the answer to small space challenges.
You might not have a large, open space for a grand Christmas tree, but you might have a few corners or a couple of tables that would fit small trees.
This option gives you the chance to spread out your décor and treasured ornaments in a few different spots as opposed to all in one concentrated area.
Instead of one main tree, you could bring in multiple small trees to decorate.
You could also have a garlands, wreaths, swags, or sprays as the main décor pieces in place of a tree.
Source: Wayfair
Each of these things can give you the chance to spread your décor around and really create a complete holiday home transformation.
Coordinate Color Schemes
Once you’ve got a plan for where the tree or trees will go, it’s time to coordinate your holiday color scheme.
This is the fun part.
I love to use one element as the inspiration for a holiday color scheme.
Source: Wayfair
The easiest way to do this is by using what you already have.
If you have a patterned rug that stays in the room all year, that is a great place to draw inspiration from.
Take the colors for your holiday décor right from the rug. Get fabrics, ribbons, filler ornaments and other décor with those colors to tie it all together.
Source: Wayfair & Michael’s
Keep your palate to 3 colors.
Don’t try to force colors that are outside of the palate because it won’t look pulled together.
For example, if your color scheme is pink and gray bringing in a ton of red and green Christmas décor will not look great.
Source: Ilya Shakir, Pexels, Michaels
Instead build on your color theme with additional pink and gray décor.
Source: Ilya Shakir, Pexels, Michaels
Last, bring in one additional color like white or turquoise to add a little more interest.
Source: Ilya Shakir, Pexels, Michaels & Wayfair
Keep your palate consistent throughout the house and you’ll have a beautiful and thoughtful decorating plan.
There you have it, you’re one step closer to the perfect Christmas tree display for your small room.
To recap,
Plan a Focal Point
Move or Remove Furniture
Go Tall, Not Wide
Get a Rotating Tree Base
Repurpose an Accent Table
Go With Multiple Small Trees Instead of One Big Tree
Coordinate color schemes
How about you?
What are some of your favorite tips, tricks and hacks to make a Christmas tree work in a small space?
I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.
Join the Fun!
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You can subscribe by downloading my 11 Secrets Only Designers Know to Make Your Space Rock. If you’re curious about how decorators and designers make a home look magazine ready, you’ll love taking a gander at these 11 secrets. You’ll learn how to style your room from the floor up and it will work for ANY space you have.
I write about small space design and decorating, sustainable furniture options, positive self care and a variety of do-it-yourself home décor.
I’d love to connect with you!
“This man is a plant shaman. He not only designs beautiful rooms, he’s got a green thumb that works like magic! My peace palm never looked better.”
“Michael Helped me to get my home office in magazine ready form. Thank you a million times for helping me figure this room out. It’s now my favorite room!”
Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.
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Do you ever have one of those projects that are way more complicated than you’d expect?
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