Design small house interior: Small room ideas and small space design – small house ideas

How do you style a small house? 11 ploys interior designers use

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(Image credit: Emma Green Design Photograph: Chris Snook Photography / Future/Polly Wreford / Corine Maggio / CM Natural Designs)

Styling a small house can seem challenging, but it needn’t be. You can adopt many of the same strategies you do when styling a larger house, paying attention to proportion, allied with tactics that keep it feeling spacious.

The key to styling a small house is avoiding overcrowding the space while still creating interiors rich in interest. And great styling in a small home will mean it doesn’t feel compact but open and airy as well as super chic.

Whether you’re curating small room ideas for a living space, bedroom, or another part of your home, these interior design tips will give you the knowhow you need to style a small house.

How do you style a small house?

Editing is key to styling any interior, but especially when it comes to a small house, and one key aim with your styling is always going to be to make a small room look bigger. 

‘Avoid making a small house feel overwhelmed with too many accessories and “objets” to keep the space feeling open and more spacious,’ says Jessica Hubner, founder of Hubner Studio . ‘Instead, carefully select certain memorabilia that complement your interiors scheme to curate a more considered approach when decorating open shelving or arranging artwork.’

Discover how to style a small house successfully with this advice from designers.

1. Plan a color thread

(Image credit: Emma Green Design Photograph: Chris Snook Photography)

Styling a small house successfully should make it feel open and spacious, and the careful use of room color ideas can be a way to help achieve this goal.

‘Use a general color thread through the house,’ advises BIID registered interior designer Emma Green . ‘Not the same color in every room, but a thread that links all the rooms to provide a cohesive overall look and feel creating the feeling of space and flow.’

In the home pictured above, Emma used a common thread of various blues, punctuated with different reds and burgundies. 

2. Make an impact with standout furniture

(Image credit: Katharine Pooley)

Both decor and furniture still need to make an impression in a compact home.

‘For styling a small house it’s all about a choosing a handful of impactful, striking, details,’ says interior designer Katharine Pooley . ‘Too much and the space is overwhelmed, too little and it risks being non-descript.’

This can work whether you are looking for small bedroom ideas or hope to make a small bedroom look bigger.

‘I love a four-poster bed in a small bedroom, it adds impact and interest, and if you go for a clean-lined contemporary design it actually makes the space feel larger. I had a bespoke oak design made for my Lake District cottage (above) and then added some pretty handcrafted ceramic flowers to the wall behind for a pretty additional detail. ’

3. Be bold with wallpaper

(Image credit: Sanderson)

You can choose striking patterned wallpaper ideas to style a small house.

‘A big mistake many homeowners make is playing it safe when it comes to their wallpaper selection, especially in smaller spaces but walls and even ceilings are the perfect place to add some designer flair and make a statement – so don’t ignore them,’ says Avalana Simpson of Avalana Design .

‘Homeowners are easily swayed into going plain and light in cottages, small apartments and cozy kitchens but don’t be confined to going for clinical white or greige paint as it doesn’t always create the illusion of space,’ she continues.

You can use this technique in your search for small kitchen ideas

‘In fact, using darker tones on kitchen cabinets and tiling for example and opting for a contrasting statement wallpaper can draw the eye; it also helps to blur the harsh lines and edges of the room to add depth and shadows.’ Not to mention these tricks will make a small kitchen look bigger.

4. Incorporate soft textures

(Image credit: Juliettes Interiors)

Think about using texture in interior design as well as the color selection to create interest in a small house.

 ‘I’d recommend a soothing color palette with soft textures and fabrics such as bouclé and velvet to allow for a cohesive scheme that flows from room to room, paired with beautiful pieces of stylish yet functional furniture,’ says Juliette Thomas, founder and director, Juliettes Interiors .

‘You can then have fun with your accessories and lighting, for example, without the finished look being overpowering.’

(Image credit: Katharine Pooley)

To style a small house, you may need to change your approach to pendant lighting. 

‘A small home can’t take a chandelier, in fact it would look quite wrong, and that is when interior lanterns can look very smart and stylish,’ says Katharine Pooley.

‘I recently hung a pair of clover-shaped lanterns in the orangery of a mews house. They add lots of light for the evenings and their clean lines suit a smaller space. 

‘Similarly, consider an open-faced lantern for a smaller kitchen: polished nickel works well, adds a sculptural sense of “wow” but doesn’t fill the space or block the light.’  

6. Cocoon in color

(Image credit: Article Design Studio)

You definitely don’t need to rule out cocooning color when you’re styling a small house.

‘Do not be afraid of rich colors to give each modest space an identity and warmth,’ says BIID registered interior designer Katy Manolescue, director, Article Design Studio .

This works particularly well in small living rooms, and although this technique won’t make a small living look bigger, it will make it feel cozy.

‘In this north-facing living room we chose Farrow & Ball Inchrya Blue and paired it with ochre and wine-colored upholsteries resulting in a warm, enveloping space to relax and entertain in.’

‘Color drenching’, as it is known, is a simple way to make a small living room look nice.  

7. Conjure up a slimline headboard

(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford)

Thoughtful solutions can be required to include headboard ideas in a small house. 

‘Upholstered, paneled headboards create a statement of pattern and allow a large-scale item while still keeping an insignificant footprint in a bedroom as compared to a whole bed with frame and footboard,’ says Kristin Kong of K Kong Designs . 

But if there’s insufficient room for one of these, there is still an answer. ‘In a condo with a tiny bedroom, we even hung a drapery panel from the ceiling to create height where a headboard would take up too much real estate,’ says Kristin.

8. Choose a floor mirror

(Image credit: Graham & Green)

That decorating with mirrors can visually expand space is well known but, when using them in styling a small house, try sizing up.

‘The most effective of all is an oversized mirror as it will inevitably make your room feel larger,’ says Jon Sharpe, chief creative officer of LuxDeco’s Interior Design Studio .  

‘Try a floor-length mirror behind a piece of furniture (it needs to be roughly the same width or it will look like it’s just been placed there to be out of the way rather than being a considered design choice) if your space is limited.’

9. Create a gallery wall

(Image credit: Corine Maggio / CM Natural Designs)

Gallery wall ideas aren’t just for large homes. As well as adding individuality in a small home, one of these can perform a neat visual trick.

‘By covering a large portion of the wall it will help to open up a space and draw the eye up,’ explains Freya Reed, senior interior designer from Vesta . ‘It will make the space feel expansive whilst displaying personal mementoes and photographs.’

10. Enjoy chic storage

(Image credit: Neatsmith)

Walk-in closet ideas can undoubtedly be stylish, and living in a small house definitely needn’t mean missing out on the chic way to organize clothes, store shoes, and bags.

But how to introduce it? Take inspiration from Philipp Nagel, director at Neatsmith . ‘We are creating more mini walk-ins than ever before. These are created within alcove spaces and while they look like a fitted closet from the outside, when the doors are open, they reveal a space you can step inside, often with double clothes rails, drawers and illuminated beautifully by LEDs.’

11. Lead the eye

(Image credit: Kersaint Cobb)

Decorating with stripes is a technique worth making use of to style a small home. Not only are they enduringly on trend, as well as smart, but they can also allow you to play with the proportions of the space. Using line in interior design in conjunction with stripes is incredibly powerful in helping you create perfectly proportioned spaces, too.

‘Using stripe designs in your flooring can stretch the dimensions of the room by drawing the eye to the direction of the stripe,’ says Jon Flannigan of Kersaint Cobb . 

Opt for wood flooring and you can achieve a similar effect lengthening or widening a room according to the direction in which you lay the boards.

How do you make a small house look bigger?

To make a small house look bigger, decluttering should be your number one priority. This doesn’t just mean daily clutter but also superfluous or tall furniture; low-slung, glass, mirrored or wall-hung furniture will all stretch space visually. Paint walls pale colors, choosing a ceiling finish that’s two shades lighter and decorate with subtle stripes to create visual tricks. Ensure your storage ideas are they best they can be – fitted furniture is more space-efficient than freestanding. Hang light-colored wall decor or large mirrors, clear windowsills and ensure window treatment ideas let in as much light as possible; artificial lighting should be optimized to mimic daylight where possible and to create softer, warmer pools of light, too. 

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator. 

Interior Designers Reveal 8 Small Space Mistakes

Design: Katie Hodges Design, Photo: Amy Bartlam

While we love decorating small spaces, we’re a little less keen on the challenges they typically present. The lack of square footage can make you susceptible to committing a small space faux pas, including ill-placed lighting, unflattering color schemes, and disproportionate furniture. In our opinion, though, learning from our mistakes makes the process worthwhile. After all, perfection is overrated, right?

If you’re feeling down on your small space’s interior design, take comfort in knowing that even the pros make mistakes. We asked eight interior designers to reveal their biggest small space decorating mishaps. However, they turned their errors into feats, and you can too. If you have a great idea that you’ve been putting off because you’re worried it may not turn out the way you imagined, give it a shot. You can always try again if it doesn’t work.

01
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Dekar Design

Signature Style: “Our style is layered with timeless elements and an eclectic perspective. We aim for each space to not feel overly designed, but rather collected and layered over the years to be as authentic as possible.”

The Small Space Mistake: “Since our work is mostly in New York, we have become pros at small space hacks that make a room feel bigger. Once, we were in the middle of renovating a loft in Tribeca and uncovered an old fireplace in one of the walls—that was definitely unexpected and not in our original plans!”

The Fix: “After thinking on it, we saw it as the perfect opportunity for a built-in bookshelf using reclaimed wood. It actually became one of our favorite small moments in the apartment.”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Don’t immediately assume that a small space issue is a bad thing; it can be an opportunity for a great design moment. In small spaces, storage is key, so make that a priority.”

02
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The Urban Electric Co

Signature Style: “As a lighting designer, my style incorporates classic lines and silhouettes, with a big focus on details and scale. I aim to create pieces with a balance between fashion sensibility and classical form, and I am especially drawn to clean lines and simplicity.”

The Small Space Mistake: “One problem my clients and I continually struggle with in small spaces (especially in tiny powder rooms) is finding the perfect lighting for the vanity. When there’s only a skinny patch of wall, the mistake is forgoing a sconce altogether and only having overhead lighting, which can be harsh and overpowering. In some cases, it can even make the space feel smaller.”

The Fix: “I designed an entire collection around the small space dilemma. When you need to add a sconce but don’t have abundant wall real estate to install a fixture, opt for a slim sconce that uses tubular or cigarette shapes. The added layered lighting adds a glow to the room that makes it feel larger.”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Incorporating a sconce with overhead lighting, lamps, and natural light will offer a sense of balance and make the room feel open and inviting.”

03
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Amy Bartlam ; DESIGN: Katie Hodges Design

Signature Style: “Deeply rooted in the California lifestyle, my style is best described as comfortable and organic. I like to balance modern and traditional design elements, too.”

The Small Space Mistake: “I specified a location for sconces above my bed that ended up being way too high.”

The Fix: “Once I realized the mistake, my lighting game plan changed completely. Instead of searching for a reading light, I redirected my efforts to something that would hang lower and hide the negative space I created. This was not an easy solution, and after a few weeks of relentless hunting and sleepless nights on Pinterest, I took matters into my own hands and designed a sconce with Worley’s Lighting!”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Try to have your lighting selected (or even better, in hand) before doing any permanent electrical work. It’s costly to fix, and you can avoid a whole lotta headache.”

04
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Studio DB

Signature Style: “Our style is classically modern with an unexpected twist. There’s always a little cheekiness or whimsy to keep things interesting.”

The Small Space Mistake: “A small space’s potential can be easily overlooked—especially if you’re focused on a larger project. Cozy bedrooms offer opportunities to experiment with color and pattern. In our home, I made the mistake of starting with plain white walls for our son’s tiny bedroom, hoping they would enlarge the space. In reality, they emphasized the room’s lack of light and made it feel unfinished.”

The Fix: “We decided to paint the entire room a beautiful teal blue, including the ceiling, which made the walls recede and the furniture pop. We also added a huge vintage map, which filled a wall. It was so much more dynamic!”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Consider painting a low ceiling the same color as the walls, especially if there are uneven ceilings or obtrusive ductwork. Also, play with the scale of furniture and artwork. A larger rug will expand the footprint of the room, for instance. Don’t be afraid of bold color or pattern, either.”

05
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Tessa Neustadt

Signature Style: “My style employs a blend of contemporary, custom, and vintage pieces from various periods. I like to create a layered feel that’s rich in texture, yet functional and elegantly effortless. We draw influence first and foremost from context and surroundings. We’re inspired by the way that our clients live or want to live.”

The Small Space Mistake: “Using heavier, darker, traditional furniture when it was more popular. I think that was the worst thing for small spaces.”

The Fix: “Small spaces, like hallways, will feel larger and more open if you use pieces with a lighter visual profile: slim lines for legs on tables and an open basket for canes and umbrellas.”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Keep the lines clean and simple, and the styling really edited. Keep items you love out and stow away everything else so that it doesn’t feel cluttered. Also, adding greenery instantly makes spaces instantly brighter and more open, making it seem larger.”

06
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Studio McGee

Signature Style: “We are bright and airy, collected, approachable, and unstuffy.”

The Small Space Mistake: “I think that one of the mistakes I made early on was going small in a small space. Now, I find that a few large items make a significant impact in small spaces.”

The Fix: “Instead of doing two small lamps in the space, why not try one large lamp to anchor the corner?”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Being intentional with scale is something I learned the hard way, but it makes a big difference!”

07
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Anne Hepfer Designs

Signature Style: “I love working in a range of different styles, from eclectic city to country chic, to beachy, to modern rustic. I’m constantly looking, evolving, and shopping for cool finds on my global travels.”

The Small Space Mistake: “I painted our foyer walls high-gloss brown, which was a little dark and moody. The stair runner was also light wool, which didn’t wear well, so that had to be swapped out for printed, more durable carpet.”

The Fix: “I’ve since changed to white lacquer, and it makes my consoles pop. The whole space is now bright and clean.”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Choose your paint colors carefully. But if you paint a wall and realize you don’t like the color, it’s such an easy fix.”

08
of 08

Anna Routh for Local Foreigner

Signature Style: “I would describe my style as site-specific: It changes depending on the architectural bones, the geographic location, and the moment in time.”

The Small Space Mistake: “Feeling like it’s too small to make a bold decoration statement.”

The Fix: “Don’t be afraid to take a risk! I worked on an office project that had an uninspiring, small kitchen. Instead of just trying to forget it existed, we concealed the lackluster cabinetry with gorgeous banana-palm draperies. The worst room instantly became my favorite in the office.”

How to Troubleshoot in Your Own Home: “Look at a lot of precedent imagery and get inspired. It also helps to paint a swatch of color on a wall and look at fabrics swatches in the space.”

The One Thing a Designer Would Never Do in a Small Space

How to Decorate Your Home – Real Estate Guides

By Tim McKeough

Header photography by Yasu + Junko; styled by Elizabeth Press

Moving into a new home can be one of life’s great joys, but it can also be a time of uncertainty, especially when it comes to decorating. How do you make your space look its best while reflecting your personal sense of style? Do it well and you’ll end up with a comfortable, happy home. Do it poorly and you’ll end up with a hodge-podge of furniture, fabrics and paint colors that never congeal into a pleasing whole. With a little planning, and by following the same steps used by professional interior designers, you’ll have a much greater chance of success.  

Interior Decoration: Laying the Groundwork

To reach the finish line, you first have to know where you’re going. 

Don’t Start in the Furniture Store

Many have heard the advice to avoid grocery shopping when you’re hungry, because it leads to poor choices. The same holds true for furniture stores – don’t go shopping in a panic, just because you have an empty home. Yes, you need a sofa. But if you pick the pink-striped sectional just because you like it in the store, without taking measurements or thinking about the rest of the room, you’re stuck with it. The rest of the room will have to be built around that sofa, and if it’s too large for the space it will look forever awkward. 

Start in the room you’re looking to furnish, armed with a measuring tape and a notepad. 

Know Your Measurements

Matching the scale of furniture to the scale of a room is critical. A deep sectional sofa can easily overpower a small room and svelte chairs can get lost in a wide-open loft. Before you start designing, measure the length and width of each room you intend to decorate, along with the ceiling height and elements that could get in the way – stairs, columns, radiators and other obstructions. It’s also a good idea to measure window openings, along with the wall space below, above and to the sides of each one, to get ready for window coverings.  

“The first mistake most people make is that they buy things that are the wrong size – sofas that don’t fit in the room, sofas that don’t fit through doorways, tables that are too small, desks that are too big, nightstands that hang into the doorway,” said David Kleinberg, founder of the New York interior design firm David Kleinberg Design Associates. Carefully measuring your space can help avoid such problems.  

Create a Floorplan

Once you have the measurements of your room, it’s time to put them to use with a floor plan that gives you a bird’s eye view of the entire home. “Every job should start with a floor plan,” said Alexa Hampton, the president of Mark Hampton, the New York interior design firm founded by her father. “You need to know the space.” 

One option is to draw a floor plan the old-fashioned way, with paper, a pencil and a ruler. However, most professional designers use drafting software like AutoCAD. In between those two extremes are apps that aim to make it easy for homeowners to create simple floor plans (some even automate measurements with your smartphone’s camera, but double-check those numbers), including Magicplan, Floor Plan Creator and RoomScan Pro.

Once you have the outline of the space, start experimenting with the placement of furniture, making sure that the footprint of each piece is scaled to match the size of the drawing. 

Decide How You Want to Live

This is the tricky part, and there are no right or wrong answers. Rooms can be traditional or modern, formal or relaxed, and visually warm or cool. “To the best of your ability, you have to try to discern how you would like to live in a given space,” said Ms. Hampton. “What will you be doing? How many people live there? Are there children? What are your ambitions for how you would like to live?” 

The decoration of a home for someone who regularly hosts large dinner parties, for instance, should be different from a home for someone who eats out at restaurants every night. The person who plans to host lavish fundraisers should have a different living room than the person who dreams only of crashing in front of the TV. 

Copy the Pros

Look in design books and magazines, as well as at online resources like Houzz, Pinterest and Instagram to sharpen your personal style. “Figure out the style that you respond to most,” said Brad Ford, an interior designer in New York City, and develop a dossier of favorite images. 

Once you have images you like, study the details, advised Mr. Kleinberg. “See where pattern is used versus where solids are used, and where color can be used successfully or not,” he said. It will also help inform everything from the type of furniture you might like to a potential strategy for window coverings.  

Tape It Out

To take ideas on a floor plan one step farther, use painter’s tape in the real space to outline where furniture will be placed on floors and against walls. 

“We use blue tape on the floor to box out different elements,” said Anne Maxwell Foster, an owner of the New York interior design firm Tilton Fenwick. “Where will the rug be? Does it need to be cut? How far is the coffee table coming out? Even though we have everything down to a sixteenth of an inch on a furniture plan, there’s something helpful about visualizing it in the space, and being able to walk around. ”

Develop a Budget

There’s no getting around the math: If you splurge on an unexpectedly expensive chair, you’ll have less money available for the rest of the home. “You want to make sure you’re being strategic about how you spend your money,” said Mr. Ford. “A budget gives you a roadmap for how to divide the costs of things between rooms.” You can still make an exception if you find a one-of-a-kind dining table, he noted, but in order to pay for it you have be thoughtful about where else you can cut back. 

Plan the Phases

Finishing drywall, refinishing hardwood floors and painting ceilings is all messy work. If at all possible, it’s better to have this type of work completed before moving any furniture or accessories into the space. 

If it can’t be avoided, seal large furniture under plastic drop cloths and accessories in boxes with tape to protect them. 

Read More About Planning Your Decor

Entryway Ideas

The foyer or entrance hall creates the first impression, so make it count.  

Make a Statement

Don’t hold back. “That room is the power moment when somebody walks into your home,” said Suysel dePedro Cunningham, an owner of the interior design firm Tilton Fenwick. “It can say so much about your personality and design taste.” 

For that reason, a wall finish that might seem like too much for a living room or bedroom may be ideal in a foyer. “It’s a place where you can do a bold color, a lacquer or a wallpaper for a ‘Wow’ moment that you might be scared of in a large living room,” she said.

An added benefit? Statement-making wall coverings and finishes tend to be expensive, but because foyers are usually small, these products can often be installed without breaking the bank. 

Design to Your Routine

With a few key furniture pieces and accessories, you can make your daily arrival and departure sequence a breeze. “Typically, it’s not a huge space, so you’re working with a limited number of pieces,” said Mr. Ford. If you’re the kind of person who likes to drop everything when you walk in the door, “a console with drawers is great, because it’s a nice place to hide your keys and mail,” Mr. Ford said. Or, in the absence of drawers, a bowl, tray or other sculptural container can serve as a catchall to help keep things organized. 

A bench or a stool or two that slide under the console can provide a place to sit while lacing up shoes while taking up minimal floor space. 

Another helpful element is a wall-mounted mirror, said Mr. Ford. “It gives you one last chance to check yourself before you walk out the door.” 

Plan for the Weather

As the first space people enter when coming from outside, the foyer has to deal with a lot – ice, snow, rainwater, mud and whatever else Mother Nature decides to deliver. To avoid having these things creep into the rest of the home, you need to deal with them at the front door. 

The effort begins even before you cross the threshold. “I like to have a mat outside the door, so people can wipe off their feet before even stepping inside,” said Mr. Ford. 

Inside, you can follow up with an indoor-outdoor rug. An umbrella stand not only keeps umbrellas handy, but also prevents wet ones from draining on the floor. Storage bins or baskets, which can be stowed under a console (if the space isn’t taken by stools), can contain soggy hats and mitts. If your foyer doesn’t have a closet, buy coat hooks or a rack. These are all functional pieces that can serve double-duty as decorative elements as well. 

Dining and Living Room Decor Ideas

The main living areas, whether they are separate rooms or combined in an open-concept space, set the stage for life with family and friends. 

Create the Palette

You can see colors, patterns and metal finishes online, but digital images are mere approximations of what the real things look like. Wherever possible, order color chips, fabric swatches and material samples to be sure finished products will meet your expectations. “You can order samples from most vendors, and it’s always best,” said Mr. Kleinberg. “Some colors blend together,” when viewed on a screen, he added, and it can be difficult to differentiate cool and warm tones. 

Don’t just look at the samples in isolation. Pin them to a board or put them in a tray to see how well they work together. “All greens play nicely together,” said Mr. Kleinberg. “All blues fight.” Putting samples side by side is the way to see if different colors and patterns will live in harmony or tension. 

Ms. Hampton sometimes goes one step farther. “When we’re working on a fabric scheme, we’ll put the fabric on the copier, reduce it, cut it into the right shape for the floor plan and paste it down,” she said, “so we can see how the various fabrics spread through the room.”

Treat the Walls

Paint colors are notorious for appearing different hues in different light conditions (and seeming to change between the paint store to home). This effect is only amplified once you slather it on four walls. For that reason, it’s never a good idea to commit to a paint color when you first see the chip in a store. Look at the largest chip you can get in the room you plan to paint, at a minimum. Better yet, paint large sample patches on walls or on boards that can be moved around and view them at different times of day. 

Note: As long as you test the color before painting the entire room, there’s no reason to be scared of bold, saturated colors. 

Once you have a color selected, choose the sheen. Matte or flat paints offer a pleasant gauzy appearance that also hides wall imperfections, but can be difficult to maintain, clean and touch up. “I tend not to do matte walls, in general,” said Ms. Hampton, who prefers paint with an eggshell or satin finish that is just slightly glossier and easier to scrub. 

Baseboards, moldings, doors and other trim can be painted the same color as the room to make them visually recede, or a contrasting color — usually an off-white in a room with colored walls — to make them more of a feature. Trim can also be painted with a different sheen than the walls. A semi-gloss sheen will bring more attention to moldings while adding durability. 

You should also decide how you want to treat the ceiling. You can paint it white for a crisp feel, or the same color as the walls for a cocooning feel. It’s safe to use a matte or flat sheen because the ceiling is rarely touched by dirty fingers or smudge-creating objects. If the surface is perfectly smooth, it can also be painted with a glossy finish as a design feature that reflects light down into the living space. (If your ceilings aren’t smooth, don’t do it — the glossy sheen will only highlight imperfections.) 

For something unexpected, consider looking beyond paint. Manufacturers offer a multitude of alternatives, including patterned wallpaper, grass cloth, upholstery fabrics, wood paneling and even stone and brick veneer. 

Choose the Furniture

Working from your floor plan and inspiration images, choose the specific pieces of furniture — the sofas, chairs and tables — that will make the space livable. Depending on the desired vibe, you can go in wildly different directions. 

For a traditional room, focusing on a symmetrical layout often helps — for instance, installing a sofa and coffee table centered on a fireplace, with matching armchairs on either side. “A very symmetrical space can be beautiful and formal,” said Ms. Hampton. On the other hand, “if you choose a sectional sofa, it’s probably going to be a less formal space,” she said, with an asymmetrical layout. 

Seat height is also important. Sofas and lounge chairs in the same room should have seats that are at similar heights to avoid some people sitting much higher than others. In general, lower seats offer a casual, laidback feel, and higher seats come off as more formal. 

Whether the space is casual or formal, there is a rule of thumb to keep in mind: The number of dining chairs should roughly match the number of spaces for lounging. “That’s an old truth my father shared with me,” said Ms. Hampton. “If you’re planning to have 12 people at a dining room table, you should have 12 seats in the living room,” for entertaining before and after the meal. 

How Things Flow

No living room sofa or chair should be an island of its own. When people sit down, they almost always need a place to put a drink or book, as well as light to read by. Place a coffee table or end table within easy reach of each seat, along with a table or floor lamp. 

No one wants to stub a toe on a chair leg, so you’ll also want to ensure there are clear walking paths through the living room, and that no furniture blocks part of a doorway or makes it necessary to squeeze by. 

Will your living room have a TV? If so, plan for a wall mount or a media unit to hold it, as well as a path for cables that won’t be unsightly. 

Do you plan to host buffet-style dinners? If so, a credenza or sideboard near the dining table will allow you to serve in one space rather than having guests traipse through the kitchen.  

Add Rugs

A living room with hardwood floors but no rug looks naked. For visual and literal comfort, add a rug.  

There are three common strategies for doing so:

• A room-filling rug. Install a rug that covers almost the entire floor of the room, leaving a border or just a foot or two at the edges. This usually works best in smaller rooms. 
• Seating area rugs. Break a larger room down into multiple seating areas by using rugs to visually hold each group of furniture together. Or, in an open-concept space, use a rug to hold the living area together, while allowing the dining area to sit directly on the wood floor. 
• Layered rugs. Pile smaller rugs on top of a larger one to create extra visual interest while reinforcing the layout of the room. 

Be generous when selecting sizes. A small rug under the coffee table that doesn’t reach the legs of sofas and chairs will look like a raft lost at sea. The rug should extend about halfway, or fully, under the furniture at its edges. 

Finish With Art and Accessories

The last step to finishing any room is to add art and accessories, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach. In a minimalist space, it might be just a few objects; in a maximalist space, it could involve displaying entire collections and layers of objets d’art. 

Go back to your original inspirational images and study the way those rooms are accessorized. Do they mix candles, boxes, bowls and books together, or is there just one vase on a table? Is there a single artwork above the sofa, or a freeform gallery wall? 

Be sure to consider your functional needs. A tray on an ottoman can contain remote controls. Throw pillows provide extra back support for deep sofas and chairs. A magazine rack can keep reading materials out of the way. Attractive baskets are ideal for tidying up children’s toys in a hurry. 

Bedroom Decor Ideas

Designed correctly, a bedroom can serve as your nightly sanctuary.  

Plan the Furniture

It’s called a bedroom for a reason: the bed is the key piece of furniture. As such, it should be given pride of place in the room, most likely with the headboard positioned against one wall and paths for walking on both sides.  

“Don’t shove a bed in the corner,” if at all possible, said Nick Olsen, a New York City interior designer. “They’re impossible to make, and uncomfortable for two people to use.” 

One exception: children’s bunk beds. Because they already have safety rails that usually only allow access from one side, there’s no reason not to have one in a corner. 

If there’s space, install nightstands on both sides of an adult bed for convenience. They could be simple small tabletops, tables with a single drawer for storing essentials, or something larger. “Consider whether you need extra storage space,” said Mr. Olsen. “You can use two dressers for nightstands,” to provide space for folded clothing. 

Do you like to watch TV in bed? If so, you’ll want a dresser, cabinet or console table near the foot of the bed that can hold the TV while providing additional storage (unless you plan to mount it on the wall or spring for a motorized stand).  

Many designers also like to put a single chair in the corner of a bedroom, not only as a place to rest but also as a landing pad for tossed clothing and personal accessories when you’re in a hurry. 

Make It Soft

Because the goal is to create a space that feels calm and inviting, a bedroom is probably not the place to use bold colors or graphic wallpaper. “I would avoid anything that feels aggressive,” Mr. Olsen said. “Even though I like bold colors in my decorating, I like paler tones in the bedrooms: gentle blues, greens and yellows.” 

Some designers even upholster bedrooms walls for a literal soft touch.

Underfoot, Mr. Olsen advocates adding some kind of textile to warm up cold, hard floors – either wall-to-wall carpeting, a large rug that extends underneath the bed or smaller rugs on either side of the bed, and perhaps at the foot of the bed. 

Make the Bed

There are many different ways to make a bed, and the subject of whether or not you should use a top sheet has been the subject of fierce debate in recent years. Much comes down to personal preference and whether you desire a bedroom that feels casual or formal. 

It’s possible to make a bed with nothing more than a fitted sheet over the mattress, a nice duvet and a couple of pillows. But for something a little more formal, you need more layers. 

Mr. Olsen has a very specific way of making a bed, which he says was passed down to him from the designer Miles Redd, who learned it from the doyenne of decorating, Bunny Williams. “I do a fitted sheet, a top sheet, and some kind of blanket, which varies in weight based on the season – a cotton blanket for summer or a wool blanket for winter,” said Mr. Olsen. “Then, four standard-sized pillows, usually down, which I stack. Then a decorative pillow stacked against the standard ones. Then, I do a down duvet with a cover folded at the foot of the bed.”

Mr. Olsen recommended keeping the sheets simple – perhaps hotel-style white linens with a subtle embroidery detail at the edge – and bringing in color and pattern with the top two pillow shams and decorative pillow.  

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The Best Sheets

L.L.Bean 280-Thread-Count Pima Cotton Percale Sheet Set

If you like a cool, crisp feel to your sheets, these are comfortable, very breathable, and reasonably priced.

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The Best Bed Pillows

Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Pillow

Moldable and adjustable, with excellent support for back-, side-, and some stomach-sleepers, this is also one of the most affordable pillows we tested.

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The Best Comforter

L.L.Bean Baffle-Box Stitch Down Comforter, Warm

Sleeping under this comforter was a delight: It felt lofty and warm, but breathable and includes L.L.Bean’s excellent satisfaction guarantee.

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Control the Light

The ability to control light – both natural and artificial – is important.  

If you’re sensitive to sunlight when sleeping, you want to have the ability to eliminate it completely. The best way to do so is with a blackout roller shade or a Roman shade with a blackout lining. However, sunlight will still usually leak into the room at the edges of the shade. To block it, add curtains with a blackout lining. 

At night, it’s helpful to have layers of lighting. An overhead light allows you to illuminate the whole room quickly, but may not do much to set the right mood. 

A pair of lamps on bedside tables usually offers a more appealing glow. Many designers use table lamps as well as wall-mounted lamps, either hardwired or plugged into an outlet, on either side of the bed. The table lamps provide an ambient glow, and the wall-mounted lamps provide directional light for reading. “It’s nice to have both, but they shouldn’t compete for attention,” said Mr. Ford. “You want a super simple table lamp and a really decorative sconce, or vice versa.” 

In terms of control, “Every light should be on a dimmer,” said Mr. Olsen – good advice for every room of the home.  

Kitchens and Bathrooms

Customizing these spaces can add personality without requiring a gut renovation. 

Evaluate Cabinets and Counters

Changing kitchen counters is no small undertaking, but switching from an inexpensive material, like laminate, to a luxurious one, like marble, granite or quartzite, can significantly change the overall appearance of a kitchen or bathroom.

The kitchen backsplash is another area ripe with opportunity. Even if you leave the existing counters in place, you can add or replace an existing backsplash using a favorite tile made from ceramic, glass, metal or cement. 

If kitchen cabinets and the bathroom vanity cabinet are simple and in good shape, it’s often possible to paint them a new color for a different look. If the cabinet doors have a design that looks dated, you can sometimes keep the existing cabinets carcasses, and replace the doors only.  

In the case of a cheap bathroom vanity, it’s often economical to replace the whole thing. Many companies offer prefabricated vanities, complete with matching tops and sinks. 

Focus on Things You Touch

Simply replacing cabinet pulls with new hardware can significantly change the look of a kitchen or bathroom. The kitchen and bathroom faucets are also no place to skimp – you touch them every day, so choose models that not only look good, but also have handles that feel reassuring when you turn them, and heads that offer the functionality you desire. 

In a bathroom, this line of thinking extends to accessories as well – quality towel bars, robe hooks and toilet roll holders can all give the room an upgraded appearance at minimal cost. 

Refresh With Textiles

There’s no point in having nice towel bars if they’re holding frayed or mismatched towels. Recycle your old ones and buy new towels and washcloths in a single solid color (you deserve it). For a decorative accent, add patterned hand towels. 

If there’s a mildewed shower curtain around the tub, replace it with one made from a pleasing material like linen, or a glass panel. 

If the bathroom or kitchen floor leaves something to be desired, but you don’t want to go to the trouble or expense of tearing it out, you can cover it with a large woven vinyl rug or mat from a company like Chilewich or Bolon. 

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The Best Bath Towel

Frontgate Resort Cotton Bath Towel

This is the softest towel we tested—it feels like a plush towel from a luxury hotel and comes in a wider variety of sumptuous colors than any other we found.

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Don’t Forget the Powder Room

Because it’s so small and used infrequently, a powder room is the perfect place to let your inner decorator run wild with bold colors and wall coverings.  

“If you entertain, it’s so much fun to make it an unexpected, cool element,” that will surprise guests, said Mr. Olsen, who has designed powder rooms with wild wallpaper and mirrored wall panels. 

That sentiment was echoed by Ms. Maxwell Foster: “Find a wall treatment you love, and just go for it.” 

Finally, remember that decorating should be fun. By starting out with a plan, and following the same steps used by the pros, you’ll make the experience significantly less stressful that going at it in a haphazard fashion. And, hopefully, you’ll end up with the ultimate prize: the home of your dreams. 

7 Interior Design Styles Perfect For Smaller Homes

Smaller homes can leave you frustrated with your décor. A closed floor plan makes it even harder to balance function and aesthetics. There are, however, plenty of ways to maximize the look and practicality of a smaller home. Despite the lack of square footage, your home can go from cramped to comfy just by making a few simple choices.

The interior design experts at Ron Nathan Interiors are here to help. Check out our top tips for making the most out of your home’s space.

Common Small-Space Interior Design Challenges

Common issues with smaller homes are usually due to lack of space or an awkward floor plan. These make a small home more difficult to decorate. Smaller rooms can become overcrowded, forcing you to choose between storage and style.

Furniture overload can lead to even less floor space, making your home feel cramped. Working remotely can also be difficult if a workspace is a must in your smaller home. Scale is everything when selecting furniture, and furniture placement can also prove challenging.

Smaller homes sometimes lack storage space, which can be daunting. The challenges of smaller spaces can also come from a lack of proper lighting. Light and color play especially important roles from the viewpoint of interior designers. Despite these challenges, it’s possible to have an eye-pleasing, functional home.

The Benefits Of Smarter Interior Design In Smaller Homes

There are endless benefits to smart interior design for smaller homes. You can transform a small room into one that feels much bigger. You’ll achieve your aesthetic goals and enjoy functional use of the spaces in your home.

Living in a cramped home, full of oversized furniture and clutter, isn’t comfortable, especially when it comes to having company over. But, with the right layout, entertaining in a small space no longer has to be a chore. Imagine being able to transform a practical space into one you’ll want to share with friends and family.

Our Top 7 Tips For Making The Most Of Your Small Space

It takes special attention to detail to create a functional layout in a smaller home. Light, color, style, purpose, and cost are all important factors to consider when making small home design decisions. Wondering how you can get around these challenges? You’ll have to rethink how you light, choose color schemes, furnish, and decorate your smaller home. The following will help get you started.

1. Lighting For Smaller Houses

Light is one of the most effective ways to create the appearance that a space is larger than it actually is. Color and light go hand in hand when designing for smaller spaces. Natural light is always ideal. In rooms without it, lighting fixtures hung from the wall or ceiling can reduce clutter by freeing up valuable floor space better used for displaying other stylish accents or as space for other functional items.

2. Color Choices In Smaller Homes

The colors you choose for walls, furnishings, and flooring will impact the final appearance of any room. Emphasis on lighter colors is best in smaller spaces. Dark walls can make a room look smaller, whereas lighter colors can make it appear larger. You can always accent your space with darker colors if you like. This is especially effective when there’s plenty of light in the room.

3. Furniture For Small Spaces

It’s important to consider the size and purpose of each piece of furniture you bring into a smaller home. Having too much furniture in one room can make the space feel overcrowded, as happens when furniture intended for larger spaces is placed in smaller rooms. Avoiding those mistakes is key, regardless of your style choices. Select furniture that makes your smaller space function and looks like a larger room. Keep an eye out for pieces that can serve many purposes, like couches or chairs with storage underneath.

Consider using an ottoman with beverage trays instead of a coffee table. This way, the ottoman can serve as both seating and surface space. Also, a sofa or loveseat with legs will give the appearance of more floor space. A glass coffee or end table is also a great way to add surface space while giving the illusion of more size. No guest room available? Opt for a futon instead of a traditional sofa.

Expandable furniture is also a great small space asset. You can replace a larger dining room table with a smaller one that expands. Then, keep extra foldable seating available for company. This will prevent your dining room from seeming overpowered by a large dining set.

Bunk beds are great for kids’ rooms, especially if you have the option to incorporate built-in storage. Anytime you can add storage fixtures to your home via building work, it will reduce the amount of floorspace taken up by bookshelves or tables. Many smaller homes feature built-in seating, shelving, and drop-down desks. The latter attach to a wall and fold down for easy use. They can fold up when not in use to free up more space in any room. Fold-down beds are helpful as well to keep furniture out of sight, except when needed. Anytime you can hide a large object, you’ll be opening up a room’s floor space.

4. Decorating In Small Spaces

Take advantage of every nook and cranny your small space has to offer, but be careful not to overdecorate. Choosing what’s most important to show your style while keeping the things you use daily within reach requires balance. Keep in mind that you can use decorations to make space appear larger as well.

Window treatments are a great place to start. Hanging them higher above the windows, and using long drapes, can give the appearance of larger windows. Dressing the windows with light colors will also help.

Consider going vertical with your décor as well. Strategically placed shelving and other wall-mounted fixtures can reduce the need for bookshelves altogether. These accents can help you achieve the aesthetic you want without the need for large pieces of furniture.

5. Function And Storage In Smaller Homes

Don’t be afraid to use every available surface in a room. Use them with discretion, placing things you love all around you without forgetting the practical. Taking advantage of floor space under and behind larger pieces of furniture can be useful for hiding extra belongings. Specialty totes and bins are available for these spaces. Vacuum-seal storage bags can help, too.

6. Upcycling And Repurposing

Upcycling and repurposing are all the rage right now. Upcycling is the process of giving older pieces of furniture new life. This could mean reupholstery of an old chaise or a clock made from a vintage record. Nothing gives a room more character than unique upcycled pieces.

Repurposing is similar, using items for a purpose other than originally intended. Stacked vintage leather luggage makes a timeless end table. Using your old coffee mug as a pencil holder on your desk is another example, but the possibilities are infinite. 

There are tons of do-it-yourself tutorials available online. For interior design on a smaller budget, these can be especially useful. You can create the ambiance and look you want using materials that are already available in your home by upcycling or repurposing items.

7. Multi-Purpose Spaces

You can also assign multiple purposes to a room to increase the available space in other areas of the home. Consider designing a home office that folds away quickly to make a guestroom for visitors. Drop-down desks and fold-down beds are great ways to create a bedroom that converts to free space. A home gym, crafting area, or playroom could all hide a foldaway desk or bed.

Cohesive Style Is Ideal In Smaller Homes

A smaller home can look much bigger if the interior design is cohesive. Lighting and colors should blend from room to room. This gives the impression that the floorplan is more open, even if it isn’t. Stick with appropriately sized furniture, moderate decorations, and smart storage options. This will maximize the beauty and function of every room.

The Bottom Line

Big things really do come in small packages. While you may feel overwhelmed trying to style your smaller home, there are many solutions. You’ve got the vision, and with extra attention to the lighting, colors, furnishing, and decoration of your home, you’re sure to find the perfect balance. A smaller home can feel positively huge when it serves all your needs and pleases your eye.

Our Design Team Can Help

You may be the do-it-yourself type or a busy professional who doesn’t even have time to shop. Regardless, working with an interior designer can help perfect your home. An interior designer will strive to find the perfect pieces to fit your vision.

Among the most trusted interior design firms in Wyckoff, NJ, our team has over forty years of experience. To take your smaller home style to the next level, contact us today through our website or by calling 201-666-8185.

 

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House Interior Design Ideas to Fit Your Home’s Architectural Style –

July 30, 2020

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Did you know that certain house interior design styles just suit some architectural styles better than others? You can certainly adapt any interior to match your personality. However, when you start to consider the structure of your home, one interior design style may be better suited to the architecture of your home than another. Read on as we look at the top house interior design ideas for every style of home.

Beautify Your House Interior Design

Elegant house bedroom interior design by Decorilla designer, Corine M.

Do you find yourself wondering “how do I make my house beautiful?” With so many interior design trends flooding social media platforms and homemakers’ magazines, feeling inspired comes naturally. But consolidating what you like into a design style that suits your home is challenging at best. Fortunately, following a guide is a tremendous help.

Quick Tips to Get Started on Your House Interior Design

Modern rustic house interior design, by Decorilla designer, Tamna E.

• Choose a Main Style

You can mix and match to your heart’s desire but settle on a base style first. See it as an ultimate guiding force that can help you stay on track if you feel lost with your house interior. Have a look at the most popular decorating styles to find your favorite.

• Set a Plan and Stick to it

Plan which rooms you want to transform, when this will happen, and what you need. Do you need furniture, paint, help from contractors, or an interior designer’s expertise? Pin it all down, and then keep to it as closely as possible.

• Take Step-by-Step

Work methodically. It’s easy to get swept up by a passing trend or impulse buys. But resist. Visualize the space you want and hold it at the forefront of your mind. Also, remember that the transformation will take time before everything is as you want it to be. There may be times where your home is a mess but just take a breath. It will all come together.

Want to transform your house interior design but not sure where to start? Then schedule your free interior design consultation for personalized tips from top interior designers today!

Victorian House Interior Design Ideas

Picture-perfect Victorian houses are doll-like in appearance. Bricks, balconies, curlicue trim, and fireplaces give these 19th-century buildings a decidedly stately look. But large stairways, windows, and curved walls make them an interesting design conundrum. Curvy traditional antique and quirky design pieces could be just what your Victorian home needs.

Styles for a Victorian House Interior

Eclectic

Eclectic house interior design by Decorilla interior designer

As one of the trending interior design styles, eclectic interior design is all about merging styles from different eras. In this sophisticated mix, a contrast of colors and textures can make a home turn heads. It’s certainly easy to fall in love with the uniqueness of an eclectic home. These arty homes flow naturally and are so well put together thanks to meticulous planning.

Transitional

Transitional house living room interior by Decorilla designer, Corine M.

As a bridge between past and present, transitional interior design has something for every taste. This style merges contemporary furniture and décor design with traditional favorites. Typically, a transitional interior has the following elements present: straight lines, rounded furniture, rugs, wooden floors, and a neutral color palette.

Beach House Interior Design Ideas

Airy and casual, a beach house interior is characteristically peaceful. When done right, these home exude holiday vibes and memories of sun-kissed days. You don’t need to live by the coast to have a beach house interior, fortunately, but it won’t hurt.

Styles for a Beach House Interior

Contemporary

Bright and white contemporary house interior design by Decorilla designer, Robiel H.

Sleek, sumptuous, and ever-changing, contemporary interior design is unlike any other. As designers, architects, and artists create what was previously unimaginable, you can make your home as wild or reserved as you want. And this free and playful side of contemporary design is right at home within a beach house interior.

Coastal

Light and airy coastal house interior design by Decorilla designer, Corine M.

Nothing matches better with a beach house interior than coastal interior design. These statement homes are full of natural light and calming hues. Layering natural textures like sisal and jute with white linens give the style an earthy look, almost resembling the foamy push and pull of water on the sandy beach.

Farmhouse Interior Design Ideas

An ideal farmhouse is laid-back, relaxed, and surrounded by nature. Although not all these homes are tucked away on a farm, they all have a similar welcoming and cozy atmosphere.

Styles for a Farmhouse Interior

Bohemian

Bohemian house interior design by Decorilla designer, Emma R.

Free-spirited and colorful, the bohemian trend can make any space feel like home. This style encourages playful engagement with your home. Here you can merge global décor with texture to create a house interior that is full of personality. What’s more, pulling off a bohemian style can be easy. Think a multitude of rugs, soft furnishings, eclectic trinkets, and an assortment of furniture from around the world.

Shabby Chic

Worn yet elegant. Shabby chic interior design is all about arranging vintage furniture and soft linens in the most comfortable yet elegant way. Keep the walls neutral and linen light, preferably white and naturally textured. Some glossy decorations in brass, gold, or silver typically add a little oomph to this rustic style.

Modern House Interior Design Ideas

Big windows and open-plan spaces make modern house interior design interesting. These 20th-century marvels bent the mold to bring us a reimagined home. One made for seamless living and reconnection with nature.

Styles for a Modern House Interior

Minimal

Minimalist modern house interior by Decorilla interior designer, Julian F.

These quiet spaces are free from clutter and monochromatic. In their simplistic beautify you can appreciate the pieces that exist within a minimal interior. As a result, a modern house interior is the ideal canvas to practice “less is more” and experience the resulting serenity.

Modern

Modern house interior design by Decorilla interior designer, Lauren A.

Some pairs were made to go together. Modern interior design and modern architecture, for example, make just such a combination. After all, the strong horizontal and vertical lines of modern architecture complement the innovative yet straightforward design of modern furniture and décor.

Small House Interior Design Ideas

Small homes are reemerging, without a doubt. But, although there are compact furniture options, top furniture styles are not compromising size for convenience. Fortunately, some house interior design styles are better for a small house than others.

Styles for a Small House Interior

Scandinavian

Scandinavian bedroom interior by Decorilla designer, Kate S.

Stemming from the modernist era, Scandinavian interiors also have clean and simple lines. However, these interiors are even more minimalist, yet cozy too. The slim-lined furniture, as a result, is ideal for small spaces and present-day house interiors.

Mid-Century Modern

Mid-century modern house interior design by Decorilla designer, Michelle B.

One perk of timeless modernist furniture is that they are compact. That’s undeniably due to the ideologies behind the design of the 20^th century. As a result, furniture can have organic forms, minimal ornamentation, and clean lines. But above all, every piece uses the least amount of materials and occupies very little space.

Need a little extra help deciding which house interior design style fits your home? Schedule a Free Interior Design Consultation and chat with a design pro today!

 

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10 Brilliant Interior Design Ideas for Small Houses in Cities

In This Article

• #1. Slim Entryway Solutions for a Small House Interior Design
• #2. Open Furniture Layout in a Small House Interiors
• #3. Interior Design Ideas for Small Houses to Add Depth
• #4. A Homogenous Colour Scheme for a Small House Interiors
• #5. Exploit as Many Boundaries as You Can
• #6. Every Corner Can be a Hangout Space
• #7. Interior Design Ideas for Small Houses: Create a Flexible Bedroom 
• #8. A Two-Zone Bedroom for a Small House Interiors
• #9. A Job for a Mirror in Small House Interiors
• #10. Aim for Sufficiency in Your Small House Interiors
• How Can Livspace Help You?

Our city flats, as expensive as they may be, are essentially economic solutions to urban population density. These are often 2 and 3 BHKs in less than 800 sqft. and can become especially challenging for large families. But these great interior design ideas for small houses can overcome all these issues and make a small, compact apartment seem large and spacious. So, where do we begin?

#1. Slim Entryway Solutions for a Small House Interior Design

Narrow entrances can be cumbersome to design but apart from the essentials, like your shoe rack and mirror, there are other details that can make these passages aesthetic. For instance, in this Mumbai home, our designer Tanvir Siddiqui framed all the elements, including the mirror, door and pictures, in the same wooden finish as the shoe rack and the main door.

This interior design ideas for small houses offers creative solution for narrow passageway

This makes the objects in the passage come together seamlessly, thus making the space seem less compact than it is. This is one of the easier-to-achieve interior design ideas for small houses on a low budget.

#2. Open Furniture Layout in a Small House Interiors

To put it simply, when it comes to small house interior design, the many obstructions your eyes can count, the smaller the space will seem. Try to push most of the furniture to the wall and design an open floor plan to make your house seem spacious.

An open layout in this small house interiors in Mumbai has made the space appear larger

Shavika, the homeowner of this Livspace-designed home, couldn’t have compromised with less seating, so the extra sofa chairs are put against the wall instead of directly in front of the coffee table. This ensured an open layout with a lot of space for free movement in her small home interior design. 

#3. Interior Design Ideas for Small Houses to Add Depth

There are various silent design details that can manipulate a room frame. In this flat, for example, notice the horizontal lines running across the walls and the wooden panels and the well-placed reflective glass doors of the niche showcase at the room’s end add depth to the room, making it appear larger than it is. 

Horizontal designs on the wall make the room seem elongated

One of the easiest interior design ideas for small houses is to go very subtle on embellishments. 

Light-coloured plain walls, for instance, will add volume to the room and you don’t want to miss on this trick.

#4. A Homogenous Colour Scheme for a Small House Interiors

In all of the elements incorporated in this small home interior design, you will notice that Tanvir has managed to maintain colour homogeneity and balance. The dark wooden furnishings in one corner is balanced by dark furnishings in the other corners. Wall panels are among the interior design ideas for small houses that can be utilised to maximise the aesthetic value of a space. Why let any furnishing idea be vain, especially in a small home interior design.

An elaborate false ceiling design binds the living and dining areas

Be sure to let a lot of light reflect in your small house interiors as light colours are known to make rooms look spacious. 

#5. Exploit as Many Boundaries as You Can

Add storage wherever you can as one of the biggest challenges in small house interiors is space. Tanvir has built storage on all three walls in this kitchen but avoided the loft area. Doing this has allowed the kitchen to be well lit and airy. This will ensure good hygiene and air quality in the kitchen, especially in a Mumbai home. 

Tanvir used all the walls in this U-shaped kitchen to accommodate as much storage as possible

You can implement these interior design ideas for small houses by yourself but it is always recommended that you hire a professional. They can advise you for hygiene and optimum storing conditions of a kitchen and design long-lasting small house interiors.

#6. Every Corner Can be a Hangout Space

Most of us give up on breakfast counter ideas for our small house interiors as finding space for it can be truly challenging. But for this lucky home, Tanvir could reallocate storage spaces inside the kitchen and around the dining area, thus leaving room for this comfortable counter under the kitchen architrave. 

A minimal breakfast counter was added under the kitchen architrave in this small house interiors

To avoid a breakfast counter from crowding the dining area, the furniture here is kept light and minimal. It matches the kitchen and the rest of the small house interior design so that it effortlessly fits into the space. 

#7. Interior Design Ideas for Small Houses: Create a Flexible Bedroom 

Shavika opted to use her guest room as a family room during the day, so she chose to make sure the furniture in the room was multifunctional to serve that purpose 

Shavika’s sofa-cum-bed is an example of flexible interior design ideas for small houses

Although Tanvir used a mirror here to enhance the size of the room, he made sure to limit it to just the back panel. He did this to prevent glare and reflection on the TV screen and for a smooth entertainment experience. A lot of thought went into a small home interior design to make the space comfortable for all the members of the house.

Anti-reflective back panelling behind the TV was added to avoid harsh lights

#8. A Two-Zone Bedroom for a Small House Interiors

Given the pandemic, all of us are either working or schooling from home. There is one bedroom to use and many various activities to do, all in your small home interior design. It can become difficult to concentrate in the same room you just woke up from your sleep. Tanvir’s solution? A dual-toned room with calming blue colour near the bed and an electric red for the study table.

Cool blue colour near the bed to ensure relaxing sleep

Colours can influence your mood so it’s always a good idea to use them well. Red around the study desks is a bright and cheery mood-lifter. It works well with the grey soft board and the open shelving unit to create an interesting study nook.  And the window next to this study area offers great natural light and fresh air. 

Vibrant red in the study corner of the bedroom to help inspire the kids!

This room is a result of Tanvir’s careful and clever implementation of interior design ideas for small houses. He thoroughly understood and analysed the needs of the homeowners and the 16-year-old site as well before working on this small house interior design.

#9. A Job for a Mirror in Small House Interiors

You would have seen many mirrors used very intelligently to optimise this small house interior design. 

A mirror in a smart location can work to enhance the space in size and aesthetics

#10. Aim for Sufficiency in Your Small House Interiors

Niche storage solutions are smart and aesthetic interior design ideas for small houses. They allow undisrupted movement and offer extra storing space in compact spaces. In this bathroom, the vanity could be kept small because niche storage was utilised. 

Creative niche storing units in bathroom

You can read a full before-after story of this 16-year-old Mumbai flat here. 

We hope we have given you many interior design ideas for small houses that you use around your flat as well! 

How Can Livspace Help You?

We hope you found our ideas useful! If you want beautiful interiors for your home, then look no further. Book an online consultation with Livspace today. Delivering safe home interiors has been our No. 1 priority. Click here to find out how interiors are being delivered following all safety protocols.

Interiors of small houses, design of small houses with photos

Usually a country house is not the only dwelling of its owners. A small country house is most often a place of rest. Therefore, you can safely experiment on the interior design of a country house. This is a place for relaxation and creativity.

Fatigue is relieved by variety. Therefore, the style of the interior of a country house should be as different as possible from the style of a city apartment. If an apartment mobilizes internal forces, then a country house is designed to restore these forces, outside the city we draw energy from nature, from the earth and air. Photos of the interiors of country houses on our website demonstrate a variety of styles of country houses. It can be classic style, Bavarian style, minimalism, fusion or Russian manor.

A feature of the interior of a small country house is the struggle with small space. This is a fight for light. For this reason, the window becomes the central design element. Natural light is extremely important for creating volume in a room. The use of impressive chandeliers is undesirable in small rooms. It is better to use local lights. Proper spot lighting will help to give the interior a feeling of comfort. The use of a light palette in the interior also allows you to visually expand the space. However, the dark woody tones of the stain give the room a cosiness. Therefore, balance is important. Furniture should also emphasize the open space of the room. The second source of light and heat in the house is a fireplace or stove. The main metaphysics of a country house is a warm hearth. The source of fire always unites family members around itself. The living room with a fireplace becomes the central room of a country house. Around it, further interior planning is unfolding.

Interior styles of a country house

The idea of ​​warmth and light in the design of a country house is argued by natural materials in the decoration. Even if the design is made in a modern style, the materials are still as close to natural sound as possible. As, for example, this is implemented in our project “House with an openwork partition made of wood.” Soft plastic, textiles, an abundance of wood, the absence of chrome-plated metal, floral decor, an emphasis on natural light create the effect of naturalness and lightness. Meanwhile, the most common styles in country interiors are natural: country, provence, chalet, Norman style, neoclassic, various ethnic options. Recently, the “Russian estate” style has become popular. Our project “Small Wooden House in Russian Style” is a perfect reproduction of this trend. Involvement in interior design of antiques and Russian vintage items creates a unique atmosphere of the Chekhov era. Floral curtains on wide windows, aged tiles, bronze plumbing, an abundance of fresh flowers and drawings recreate a sense of pre-revolutionary serenity.

Natural natural simplicity relaxes. Proximity to the ground relieves urban stress. The abundance of air adjusts in a positive way. Therefore, no matter what style you use, it is these moments that need to be emphasized: naturalness, solidity, in harmony with airiness. Such a natural symphony is ideally obtained when the designer takes part in the design and construction of the house. A lot depends on the layout. If it was not possible to achieve harmony at the planning stage, then finishing takes on the main role. Natural materials (stone, ceramic, wood) can be freely mixed with plastic and laminate. Country style allows you to make such experiments with materials. Country life does not imply strict observance of the canons. The design of a country house is an image of a peaceful and relaxed lifestyle.

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Cottage in Saltykovka for a large family (32 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Small house Total area: 350 sq.m.

Concept

Designer Natalya Maslova built a large family house on a plot near Moscow, which has belonged to her family for several generations, which reminds of the old way of life and brings back to childhood. “The house in Saltykovka is a dacha where my great-grandmother used to live,” recalls the designer. – Since then, a lot has changed: the house was divided into two families and came to a state that could not be restored. And no matter how hard it was, we nevertheless decided to demolish the old wooden house and build a new, brick one, with all modern technical achievements in its place. But to preserve in its appearance the spirit of this place, which I remembered and loved from childhood.

The nostalgic style of the house was also influenced by its location: the house is located in the countryside and is surrounded by old summer cottages – a classic summer cottage settlement with streets named after great Russian composers. During construction, the designer tried to preserve the old trees and the general, familiar layout of the site as much as possible. The old apple tree, planted at the beginning of the century, remained, and a cherry alley was added to it, which leads to the wing-workshop of Natalya’s father, a famous artist and sculpture. They are complemented by lush lilacs, peonies and phloxes – traditional “country” flowers.

Built of brick, with brick internal partitions, it looks solid, and although the owners themselves affectionately call it a dacha, it is intended for permanent residence. Natalya’s parents live here all year round, and on weekends and holidays, as before, the whole big family gathers.

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Small house in the forest (19 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Small house Total area: 160 sq.m.

Concept

Designers Natalia Yung and Svetlana Ozerova love to work in the context of history and culture, they have great respect for the Russian heritage, they value antiques and handicrafts. Therefore, when they got to work a small two-story house located on the edge of the forest, they immediately felt its potential. Spruces and pines, harvests of honey mushrooms and porcini mushrooms, large walking forest paths with ferns and hazels, meadows with fragrant herbs and two ponds with geese and swans in the neighborhood – all this reminded them of the works of the famous Russian illustrators of children’s fairy tales: Bilibin and Vasnetsov.

Moreover, the customers dreamed of an interior with a warm and joyful atmosphere, so a little folklore motifs, traditional handicraft items and author’s ceramics made it possible to create a modern space with vivid imagery and make a fairy tale part of the family’s daily life.

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House Deltaplan near Minsk (20 photos)

Type: Private Object: Small house House Dacha Guest house Total area: 160 sq.m.

Concept

The idea of ​​a modern frame house, which can be built in two months, came to architect Alexander Kratovich a long time ago. A one-story compact building with a laconic architecture and plywood walls, which, like shutters, move along monorails along the main and rear facades and unite the house into a continuous volume, inspired Alexander, a regular customer who dreamed of a guest house-dacha in nature, by the lake.

He wanted the building to be used for recreation all year round, and nature and interior to smoothly flow into each other through panoramic windows and open passages. The foundation of the house is simplified – slab-monolithic, which made it possible to speed up work, abandon geology and give a guarantee against any deformations, both ground and structural. The structure is made of plywood frames (to facilitate construction and ease of assembly), which is why during assembly the house looked like a dinosaur skeleton. Facade cladding is made of plywood, plywood panels move on rails, they completely cover the central open courtyard and protect from the sun. The plywood tinting refers to the color of a traditional Belarusian rural house: dark gray with a malachite pattern of wood texture. “We experimented with the color of plywood, looked for color and tone, settled on Remmers anthracite impregnation, no one expected that it would give such a beautiful pattern from the plywood texture, since it looks different on wood, not so interesting,” the architect notes.

Mineral wool boards 300 mm thick are used as insulation, and the house is heated by an electric boiler with a water coolant that distributes heat through the pipes of the heating floor. Everything is simple, logical and maximally functional!

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White house on a hillside (23 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Small house Total area: 280 sq.m.

Concept

For a young family, architects Dmitry and Alexandra Chashchina designed and built a minimalist country house with an outdoor pool on the site. The house is located in the Rostov region, on the edge of a new village, surrounded by picturesque southern fields. The natural landscape of the site with a height difference of 2 meters largely determined the multi-level architecture of the building. At the top level there is a garage and a carport with a canopy, behind which a mini-sports field with a basketball hoop is hidden in the depths.

The residential part of the house is located below the slope. A floating staircase with stone steps leads to the main entrance, and the entrance group itself is marked by a massive canopy with active geometry.

One-story L-shaped house built on a strip foundation of ceramic blocks and is a composition of simple white volumes. The texture of natural wood contrasts with the white walls: thermowood accent finishing of facades, dark slats of voluminous decorative portals. teak deck decking. Behind the house there is a lounge area with an outdoor pool: a barbecue hearth, along with sofas around the perimeter, is “drowned” into the podium and is on the same line with the pool, divided into a swimming pool and a jacuzzi.

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Cozy cottage with a view of the mountains (21 photos)

Type: Private Object: Dacha House Small house Total area: 130 sq.m.

Concept

A married couple from Nizhny Novgorod with three small children and a cat dreamed of a house in Sochi, a kind of dacha where they could spend their holidays and, in the future, retire. For these purposes, the customers chose a small two-story house with stunning natural views. Built into the mountain slope, the modern building with panoramic windows and rustic-style wooden trim was designed by the architect Alexander Podrepny, and the interior design was done by the designer Zhanna Navolotskaya.

Like the clients, she is from Nizhniy Novgorod and she worked on the project remotely. All furniture and finishing materials were ordered remotely, contractors from Sochi were engaged in individual products and construction work, with whom the designer regularly held planning meetings online. But the main difficulty was not even in the distance, but in time: the construction of the house and all the repairs were carried out in 9 months! The foundation was laid in April, and the family already celebrated the New Year in a new house.

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Wooden house with laconic decor (16 photos)

Type: Private Object: Guest house Small house Total area: 266 sq.m.

Concept

A one-story wooden guest house with a sauna complex and large terraces was built in the Odintsovo district according to the project of architect Tatyana Derbilova, a specialist in designing wooden houses made of timber and logs. The interiors of the house, as well as the decoration of the facades and the design of the terraces, were handled by the architect-designer Natalia Suslina. Thanks to the fact that she joined at the construction stage of the building, we managed to create a harmonious interior for family recreation and leisure and meet the record deadlines: three months from a design project to a housewarming party.

The clients, a married couple with two teenage daughters, wanted a modern and trendy interior that was different from the traditional idea of ​​a small wooden house. With the latest materials in decoration, with furniture and sanitary ware from the latest collections. The difficulty was that the guest house was built on a habitable site, in its very depths behind the main house. There were no access roads, and the timber had to be carefully carried and assembled by hand, without the use of special equipment. This feature of the installation was known in advance, so the project was already adapted at the factory for assembly without lifting equipment. Channels for hidden electrical wiring (lighting and sockets) were laid inside the beam with a large margin in quantity, and only on external wooden poles it was necessary to open the wiring. This helped to avoid associations with retro style and create a modern wooden house with laconic decor.

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One-storey house on the bank of the Akhtuba River (21 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Small house Total area: 200 sq.m.

Concept

A modern one-story house with an area of ​​200 meters is located on the banks of the Akhtuba River in the village of Kilyakovka, Volgograd Region. Its owners, a married couple with two children, are adherents of minimalist architecture. They built a house with high ceilings, large spaces and panoramic windows overlooking the water surface according to the author’s design of a local architect, and for interior design they invited architects Ekaterina and Viktor Grunin (Inroom Studio bureau).

The task was clearly formulated: to create a calm, functional space not overloaded with details, where you can relax from the bustle of the city and enjoy the beauty of nature. “The protagonist of this house is nature itself, which changes its appearance depending on the season and penetrates the interior through the panoramic windows. Therefore, when choosing finishing materials, we relied on natural textures – wood, stone, leather. This made it possible to create a modern interior with a relaxing atmosphere that is in complete harmony with the environment outside the window,” the authors of the project note.

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Modern house on the edge of the forest (23 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Small house Total area: 220 sq.m.

Concept

Architect Dmitry Khanin built a two-story house on the edge of the forest, which seamlessly combines architecture, interior and landscape. The house is located in the cottage village “Stanovlyanka”, not far from Yekaterinburg. The customers bought the site closest to the forest and set the task of designing a two-story cottage for the seasonal residence of a family of four. In order to reveal the house to nature as much as possible, the architect suggested using corner glazing.

The corner glass bay window became a continuation of the main square volume and gave dynamics to the look of the house. In support of it, an original solution for the central entrance appeared: a decorative rack structure, located at an angle, performing the function of a visor. The sharp architecture is emphasized by the contrasting finish of the facades with white decorative plaster and tinted thermal board.

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Glulam house with dynamic shapes (16 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Guest house Small house Total area: 185 sq.m.

Concept

One-story house made of glued laminated timber with an area of ​​185 sq. m. The customer of designer Ekaterina Borisova-Shiyan conceived it as a multifunctional space where you can organize a noisy celebration with a lot of friends, accommodate guests who stayed overnight or relax in private company after walking through the forest. He chose a picturesque site: only forest, silence and clean air.

The house itself was built comfortable and environmentally friendly – with large windows that give a lot of light and allow you to admire the natural landscape from any room, a luxurious double-height space and a compact attic. “When developing a design project, we wanted to link the interior with the exterior, emphasize the simplicity and clarity of the architectural appearance of the building, and most importantly, present the materials so that their textures and natural beauty are gradually revealed and create an interesting and quiet visual environment,” says Ekaterina, the author of the project. Borisova-Shiyan.

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Minimalist villa in the Rostov region (19 photos)

Type: Private Object: House Small house Total area: 260 sq. m.

Concept

For regular customers – a young family with three children – architect Alexei Aladashvili designed and decorated a house in the spirit of a minimalist Mediterranean villa. The white two-story building is located in the Rostov region, near the lake, surrounded by picturesque southern nature. The idea to build a house in the style of minimalism came to the customers after they lived in a rented villa with modern architecture in Spain.

They turned to the architect with the task of recreating the atmosphere of the modern Spanish coast. Simple geometry, understandable volumes, white stucco in the facades and minimalist, but filled with color and natural textures, interiors – these were their main wishes.

A two-storey house with a flat roof was built according to a fixed formwork system on a strip foundation. A veranda with a summer kitchen adjoins the main living volume, oriented towards the courtyard. In front of it is designed an outdoor pool with a relaxation area. The architectural rhythm is set by large planes, accentuated by white plaster and dark porcelain stoneware. The windows, including panoramic ones, have an ultraviolet coating that protects from the sun, the frames are made of dark aluminum and well emphasize the expressive plasticity of the facade.

“A huge advantage of the project is its location: the first line, by the lake. We oriented the house to the lake as much as possible, designed the volume so that a wonderful natural view opens from each window,” says the architect.

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The interior of a small private house – 28 photos of the interior design of the rooms in the house

The project of a country cottage is made in a modern style. Rational planning solutions, neutral colors, discreet decor and minimalist design help to create a space that is cozy and functional at the same time. Attention to the original lighting makes the environment sophisticated in a modern way.

Features of the layout of a two-level cottage

The first floor occupies the public part of the interior. A small entrance hall leads to a mini-hall: there is a staircase to the second floor, a door to the bathroom and a passage to the living room-kitchen. The second living room is separate, it can be used as an office. The layout is organized in simple volumes: the rooms are rectangular or square, without a complex pattern of decorative partitions. This brings a visual sense of freedom and spaciousness.

On the second floor, under the slopes of the roof, in the interior of a small house there are two bedrooms and one more bathroom. To equip storage areas in living rooms, take into account the configuration of the flight of stairs and wisely use the area of ​​​​the bathroom – artificial partitions are made here.

Techniques for expanding space

In the design of a country house of a small area, visual aids are in the foreground, which help to push the walls apart. In this project, such solutions were:

• mirror and glossy surfaces,
• white background color for walls and ceilings,
• white interior doors and architraves,
• glossy porcelain floor tiles,
• additional window openings under high ceilings.

Entrance hall

The entrance area has a rectangular layout. This made it possible to place a full-width wardrobe to the left of the entrance, and a compact console with a clothes hanger, a shoe rack and drawers on the opposite side. A narrow metal table for keys is installed along the long wall. Tinted and mirrored wardrobe facades work to increase the volume of the hallway.

Living room-kitchen

The space is divided into halves, the visual boundary is a transverse composition of wooden battens connecting the walls and ceiling. But marble porcelain tile, on the contrary, emphasizes the integrity of the interior of both zones.

The place of rest is organized in front of the panoramic window. The light beige range of sofa upholstery supports the overall color scheme in the design of a small country house. A dark gray carpet and glossy stucco wall in the TV area set off the monochrome interior. The TV panel is built into the hinged structure, under it there is a decorative fireplace.

The design of the white kitchen cabinets looks like a natural extension of the walls, as if growing out of them. The kitchen front has an L-shaped arrangement, which helps to allocate space for the dining area as efficiently as possible. In the dining group there is a square table with a transparent glass top and chairs with wooden legs and backs. Looks sleek and comfortable. The presence of wood in the furniture design echoes the slatted wall cladding.

Original accents in the design of the living room-kitchen

Expressive additions to the restrained interior will be:

• large abstract paintings without frames, in pale gray-blue tones (they barely stand out against the white walls, so they are organically woven into the minimalist surroundings),
• designer lamps: in the living room it is a huge shiny soffit on a tripod, in the dining room – pendant lamps similar to a jug (ceiling soffit lamps are also sustained in techno-style).

Room

The atmosphere is strict in European style, but this is what makes it attractive. A strong color and texture accent is the wall cladding with imitation of rusty metal plates.

Decorating the interiors of a small country house in such a way that it is comfortable here is an exciting task. The compact room has a rest area with a leather sofa and a soft carpet, a TV area, a workplace, storage systems (racks and hanging cabinets). In combination with the yellow-brown upholstery of the sofa, the deep blue color of the carpet, curtains and floor lamp does not look so cold. The modular picture above the seating area brings the entire palette of the room together.

Ground floor bathroom

This tiny room is located next to the stairs. Beige tiles are combined here with gray mosaics, light colors help to forget about crowding. The choice of compact plumbing (monolithic sink and hanging toilet) is dictated by concern for useful square meters.

First bedroom

The large room has received a warmer mood, which is easily read in the design of the upholstered headboard. Wood is actively used in the interior of the bedroom (flooring, wall cladding, decorative backlit panel). The emphasis in the decor is again on the lamps: pendant lamps with lampshades-balls and a fantasy chandelier.

Second bedroom

Designed in loft style. Imitation of rough brickwork, a metal spider chandelier and wall lamps on long legs, aged wood bedside tables, a worn leather egg chair and a faded carpet – all this creates a relaxed and charismatic atmosphere in the interior of the bedroom.

Second floor bathroom

To accommodate a washing machine, you will need to take some space from the adjoining bedroom. A bathtub with a protective screen for the shower is mounted against the far wall. The floor and walls are clad in white and brown mosaics, playing with tone to add depth to the room.

Create a stylish and comfortable interior of a small private house with a white background and light flooring, an open space layout with simple geometry, glossy finishes and laconic decor with a focus on designer lighting.

Interior of a small private house: ideas for creating a cozy home

Tired of noisy cities, people try to buy a small country house for quiet cozy evenings. Some do not tolerate apartments at all and prefer the private sector. For both groups, this information will be useful, especially if repairs are to be made.

• 5.1 See also

Benefits of decorating a private house

If you are still in doubt about whether to buy a country house, consider the advantages of its design and make the appropriate verdict:

1. More space for creativity. Even a small private house exceeds the dimensions of the apartment in terms of square. So, you have more room for action. This especially has a positive effect on the kitchen, since this room in most apartments is small.
2. Freedom of redevelopment. Here you can freely remove any wall, combine rooms and do any manipulations with the layout. The advantage is that in this case it is not required to legitimize the redevelopment.
3. Ceiling height. This factor plays an important role. Most apartments have low or standard ceilings. In a private house, this figure increases significantly, especially if the house has several tiers.

If you are still in doubt, look at the photo of the design of country houses, and see its clear advantages.

Rustic styles are suitable for the interior of a beautiful private house

Nautical theme can be used for interior design

You might want to make a real fireplace

Now to the question of the interior of a private house. Let’s start with planning.

See alsoWhite plinth in the interior: photos, tips

Another advantage of decorating a private house is that you choose the location of the rooms yourself. If you are buying a ready-made option, take the suggested tips into account, if you do redevelopment yourself, then they will become a real find for you. In any case, you can always change the location of the rooms, because this is a private house.

The main thing in the interior design of a country house is a competent organization of space

See alsoChic interior – how should it be?

Single level house

Most small country houses are one-level. They serve as a dacha where the family gathers for gatherings. In this case, you need to correctly use the available space and properly arrange the rooms.

The interior of a small country house of an elongated configuration

The bed is located on the second tier

The narrow kitchen fits everything you need

Important! The bathroom should be located further from the kitchen.

Bathroom of an economy class country house intended only for summer residence

Remember, it is better not to move such rooms as the kitchen, bathroom and toilet, because there are many communications here. For this reason, decide immediately how they will be located relative to each other. It is better that the bathroom is located further from the kitchen, closer to the bedrooms.

Don’t forget that even a small house should have an entrance hall. It can be a long narrow corridor, a square or rectangular small room. Then trace the location of the rooms depending on the shape and location of the hallway.

In the hallway, it is necessary to provide a convenient system for storing clothes and things

See alsoWhite laminate in the interior: materials, photo

Duplex house

If the house is two or one and a half levels, it becomes easier to arrange the rooms, because now we have more space.

The stairs to the second floor are usually located in the living room on the first floor

So, all technical rooms like kitchen, bathroom and pantry should be located on the first floor. Also define a place for the living room here.

The second floor belongs to the bedroom, office (if required) and guest rooms.

Living room on the second floor, in which, in order to save space, the functions of a living room, bedroom and office are combined

Tip! In a two-level house, it is better to have two bathrooms.

The bathroom can be placed under the roof slopes of the attic floor

Another bathroom should also be located on the second floor. It may not be a full bathroom with a toilet, but only a toilet.

Do not forget that in a country house there must be rooms for guests. Their number and size depends on the available free space, but even a small house can fit two small guest rooms.

Guest bedroom interior

Pay special attention to the design of the living room, because such a house often becomes a place for festivities.

See also Color solutions in the interior: tips, photo

To create a quality interior for a small house, you need to make a good foundation. In this case, it is made up of finishing materials. We offer a list of the most common and easy-to-use materials for interior decoration of a house, depending on the functionality of the room.

See also Cozy interior. What should it be?

Kitchen

Zone	Finishes
Floor	Linoleum
Ceiling	Stretch ceiling, wallpaper, painting
Walls	Kitchen apron: tiles, artificial brick, stone, plastic, glass

Provence and country are the most favorite styles among country dwellers

It is worth noting that linoleum is best suited as a floor covering for the kitchen. The tile can be traumatic, as it is slippery when wet; laminate and parquet will warp from spilled water.

For a sufficiently spacious room, you can choose the Scandinavian interior style

Fans of extraordinary solutions can decorate the kitchen in the loft style

In general, choose waterproof, fireproof materials for your kitchen. Pay special attention to the kitchen apron, because this is the most used and dirty place.

See alsoWhite walls in the interior: rules of harmony

Living room

Structural elements	Finish
Floor	Laminate, linoleum, parquet
Ceiling	Stretch, suspended, multi-level plasterboard structures, painting, wallpapering
Walls	Wallpaper, painting

In a small house, it is better to combine the living room with the kitchen and dining room

For the living room, it is better not to use tiles as a floor covering. Here it is inappropriate for technical characteristics and aesthetic reasons.

The fireplace in the living room can be lined with natural stone

The stone can also be used to decorate the walls of the living room

Remember, the color of the ceiling should be light, and the floor, on the contrary, darker by several tones (only if this does not contradict the intended design).

See also The combination of colors in the interior: curtains and wallpaper

Bathroom

Room elements	Finishes
Floor	Tile
Ceiling	Painting
Walls	Tiles, decorative plaster, brick, wood

Good choice of finishing materials and color palette

The ceiling in the bathroom can be sheathed with wood

A special microclimate is formed in the bathroom, which is characterized by high humidity and temperature. In view of this, the choice of materials for finishing is not great here. The main option is tiles. It is suitable for floors and walls. It is desirable to cover the ceiling with a primer and paint it white. The rest of the options will accumulate moisture, and may lead to mold in the bathroom.

See also Empire style in the interior – a luxury worthy of an emperor

Bedroom

In terms of finishing, the interior of the bedroom is similar to the design of the living room. It is appropriate to use the same materials and finishes that were considered for the living room.

Snow-white bedroom in a small country house

Cozy bedroom in trendy French Provence style

Note! For the bedroom, it will be appropriate to use carpet around the entire perimeter or a small rug near the bed.

A small bedroom can be visually enlarged with perspective wall murals

Here are the main options for arranging the interior of a small private house. Now it will be easier for you to choose the right idea.

See alsoDesign of a two-room apartment: space optimization through zoning and redevelopment

Video: interior of a country house

See alsoCombination of green with other colors in interiors of different styles

Photo ideas for decorating rooms in a private house

Interior design of a small house – ideas for your own small cottage (52 photos)

We all dream of a spacious home with many rooms lined with beautiful furniture. But how to create a modern interior in a small house? In spacious mansions it is convenient to receive guests, hold parties and live with a large family. But what if in reality the size of your house is far from ideal, and you are the owner of a small or even small house?

The right choice of furniture, room zoning, planning will help to solve this problem. By combining all the components, you get a home that is not too spacious, but cozy, which has space for various activities in a small area.

Contents

1. Small house interior – general tips
2. Video: interior and exterior of a small house
3. Bedroom design in a small house
4. Kitchen interior in a small house
5. Bathroom and its design in small houses
6. Living room interior for a small cottage
7. Combining living room with kitchen – a solution for small houses
8. Living room and bedroom together in a small house
9. Workspace in the living room to save space in the house
10. Functional furniture for interiors of small houses
11. Multifunctional beds in the design of cottages
12. Storage of things in a small house
13. Zoning in a modern interior of a small house
14. Place under the stairs – we use it properly
15. Photos of the interiors of small and very small houses
16. Photos of the interiors of small wooden houses
17. Interiors of small one-story houses

Interior of a small house – general tips

First, we should understand the general recommendations on how to create a modern interior in a small house so as to fit everything you need for a comfortable life, and at the same time get free, bright and spacious rooms. There are two main principles here:

1. Skip the excess . Do not place in a small house something that you can do without. Let’s say you have to forget about the gym and instead allocate a place in the corner for an exercise bike. Down with bulky walls, huge sofas and other things that only take up space. And get rid of what you have not used for years – you will see for yourself how much more free space you will have.
2. Multipurpose . The same room can be used for different purposes, and for a small house – this is the only possible option. Think in advance about how to combine a kitchen or bedroom with a living room, where to allocate a dining area instead of a separate dining room, where there will be a nursery and how to arrange a workplace so that it takes up a minimum of space. Below are detailed tips for the most popular options.

Video: interior and exterior of a small house