A small matter

Increasing the sense of space in rooms that are small in stature is a design issue everyone wants to solve – we spoke to a few of our favourite interiors people to find out their solutions

- KATE BURNETT

Living rooms

Ways to enhance the feeling of space and character

CHOOSING FURNISHINGS

‘Furnishings play an essential role in how a space is received. When working with less spacious living rooms, we recommend a considered curation of essential pieces – spreading a large rug as an anchor for the scheme and then building out from there, picking out tones from the rug and embellishing these throughout the room. A central table can create a focal point in a smaller room, best framed by inward facing armchairs which help create depth and volume.’

JAMES THURSTAN WATERWORTH, founder, Thurstan

‘Getting the furniture right in a living room is one of the biggest challenges in design. This needs to be a practical space, whether for watching TV or creating good conversation. What you choose needs to be stylish and contribute to the personality and harmony of the space. Inevitably, I find people often graduate to the smaller rooms of a house as they are more intimate and cosier, whereas big rooms can make you feel small and uncomfortable. Be bold with your little space and use large-scale furniture sparingly to give the illusion that the room is grander than it is.’

MIKE FISHER, creative director and founder, Studio Indigo

‘People often assume they should buy small-scale furniture for small rooms, but that actually makes a space feel smaller. Don’t be afraid to fill the room - get a rug that fully sits under all your furniture, and don’t buy a love seat if you can actually fit a three-seater sofa in the room. Not only will buying larger scale furniture look better, it will also make your experience of the space so much more comfortable: win-win!’