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Smart Furniture Choices for Smaller Home

The process of choosing the right pieces of furniture to furnish your home can be stressful, especially for a small home where decorating requires that many pieces perform more than one task and the size of your furniture is always a concern. The first determining factor in choosing your furniture should be its function, and then select the style of decorating that suits your preference.  Here are some furniture choices that work well in small spaces.

• Modular shelving and bookcases.  These pieces are standard issue for every home.  Bookcases and shelving units don’t just serve as places to house your things; they can become focal points in a room, a visual reference to how the room lives and works.  Choose whether the stuff on the shelves should be seen or hidden, close at hand or behind doors.  Then determine if the cabinets should be built-in or freestanding, and mix and match from the options available.

• Daybed.  The daybed can be used for seating most of the time, but can serve as a guest bed when needed.  Look for a style from simple to sophisticated to suits your décor in a rainbow of upholstery choices.  Put it in the middle of the room to let conversation go both directions.

• Armchair.  Select classic armchairs that are versatile enough to be used in a conversation group, as an extra seat at the dining room table, and look right in an office area.  The lightweight style comes from the exposed legs.  For an even cleaner look, choose a chair with open, padded arms.

• Armoire.  The armoire is always a focal point in the room because of its size.  It can be used as an entertainment center, a hideaway office, an extra closet, or a library.  Use the armoire to balance a dominant focal point such as a fireplace or a stairway.  To reduce the visual impact, look for a lower, three-quarter-high version.  Good armoire choices can be new or antique pieces.

• Ottoman.  The ottoman, also called footstool or pouf, is the ultimate multi-task furnishing.    It can be used as an extra seating, place to prop your feet up, serve as a place for setting books, or an impromptu coffee table.  Choose one that the seat comes open for extra storage.  If you plan to regularly move it from one place to another, consider its weight.

• Love seat.  A short, two-seater sofa is more useful and comfortable in a conversation group than the long three-seat sofa.  A pair of love seats is good for a conversation in a small setting.  Pull up chairs for larger gathering.  Find a pull-out model to make room for sleepover guest.

• Parsons chair.  The upholstered, armless chair is sometimes called a slipper chair.  The look inspired by a 1930s designer at Parsons School of Design in Paris.  Its flexibility is the main small-house advantage.  These small chairs can be used in living room, dining room, and bedroom.  Simple lines of straight-back Parson’s chairs make them adaptable to every decoration style.  For a more formal look, clothe the chair with pleated to the floor slipcovers.

• Round table.  Round shape softens rooms, frees up space, and eases the traffic flow through any room with its circle and gentle curves.  Choose round table for dining room table, coffee table, side table, or end table.  It is a welcome contrast to the angular edges of most furniture pieces.

• Console table.  A console that is slightly lower than the back of a sofa or a pair of chairs can serve as a room divider; define the boundaries of a living area.  It can be used in the dining room as a buffet or in the hall to provide a landing spot for mail, keys or other items that need to remain in sight.  To get the maximum use from the console table, choose one with plenty of storage below the table top.  Add a lamp to bring light to the conversation group.

• Three-quarter chest.  Three-quarter-high chest gives an extra storage space without over bearing and looking like it will topple over.  It can be used as a bedside table as well as stand-alone dresser.  Select the piece with slim lines to minimize visual clutter.  Pieces that sit up on short legs feel more open.

• Folding screen.  Folding screens are perfect for many decorating options; they divide spaces-offer a visual buffer between two areas, hide unattractive features or block views, display artworks, and create a focal point.  Look for a model with solid footing.

These furnishings can help shape your home into a place of comfort, function, and ease.  To make the most out of your small home and selected furnishings, experiment with furniture arrangements, organization strategies, and mix and match until you find a combination that works for you.  The possibilities know no bounds.