1. Large Accent Pieces
Accent pieces are usually statement-making items that draw attention to them, so having one too many makes a space look noisy and cluttered.
2. Opaque Coloured Furniture
Opaque and dark-coloured pieces like dark wood furniture can make a space appear smaller. Translucent materials like acrylic or glass furniture give your space a sense of airiness.
3. Skirted Sofas
They may be pretty to look at but skirted sofas look boxy and take up a lot of space. Instead, keep a lookout for elevated sofas with legs that lift the furniture from the floor. The negative space between the sofa and the floor gives the illusion of bigger space.
4. Floor-to-Ceiling Bookcases
Despite how fabulous they look in a spacious house, these bookcases have a large footprint and occupy much space in smaller apartments.
5. Doors
If you’ve got several doors or walls that segment the house, it might make the space look smaller. Doors tend to block out light and make a room seem stuffy too.
6. Patterned Sofas and Furniture
Heavily patterned furniture tend to stand more and make a space look smaller too. Opt for a textured sofa that is neutral coloured to keep things interesting while maintaining the illusion of spaciousness.
7. Light Absorbing Furniture
Filling a house with dark furniture that absorb light can also make a space seem smaller because of the dimming effect it has within a space.
8. One-Use Furniture Items
Furniture pieces that are built to serve just one purpose do nothing for small spaces.
9. Disproportionate Furniture
An oversized chair or table can make a room look miniscule. The general rule of thumb is to make sure all your furniture pieces are similar in size and complement the room well.
10. Two of a kind
Having side tables at both ends of the sofa takes up a lot unnecessary space. An alternative for cramped homes would be a wheeled table that can be moved around from corner to corner.
This article was originally published by The Singapore Women's Weekly.