It is no-brainer that half the residents in Nairobi are cramped up in small living rooms.
For some Kenyans, that is all they can afford and they are grateful for it.
For others, small is beautiful. It is cozy and warm.
No matter your reason for a small living room, you don’t have to live in a dingy environment. With minimal adjustments, your small living room could turn out to be really big without moving any walls.
Paint with light hues
Dark colours are design- friendly, but in small spaces, they crowd a room.
Lighter tones like white, cream, pale grays and blues are a better alternative to making a room airy and open. They also give the impression that a room is big.
For Curtains and seats, also pick shades that are in the same monochromatic family. For instance, cream seats will go well with pale blue curtains as opposed to cream on green.
Don’t crowd the window
No matter how small the room appears to be, do not block the natural light. Any room will look larger if it’s well-lit by sunshine.
If you stay in one of those small units in an apartment directly facing another tall apartment as is the norm in Nairobi’s Pipeline area, worry not. You can get a bright bulb and light up the room KPLC bills notwithstanding.
Heavy fabrics are a no-go-zone in small spaces
Sheer fabrics are the best way possible to let light in. You are encouraged to stick to plain colours but if that is too bland for your liking, floral prints and striped fabrics are an absolute win.
Less is more
Select a few pieces of furniture and arrange them in the room spacing them evenly. This is the time to ditch your full set of seats, if you had one.
Several small pieces of furniture make a small living room cluttered.
Embrace see-through
This is the perfect time to buy a glass table.
A clear glass table will come in handy when it comes to making the small room look bigger. Also, they comes in various shapes and sizes which gives you the freedom to pick what suits your fancy.
Mirror that small room away….
To add dimension to your small room, buy a mirror and place it across the largest wall in the room.
Mirrors reflect light from doors and windows making a room seem larger than it actually is.
How bright is your ceiling?
Whilst the walls and furniture need subtle colours, try painting the ceiling in a bright colour. Not only will it attract attention upwards but it will also create an illusion of height.