You love your new apartment or small home but you are quickly realizing that your furniture from your last home is too large for this cozy new abode. Whether the problem is your small home has not enough room or that your old furniture consumes the entire room, either way you will need to choose new seating and tables that will fit comfortably and will still welcome guests. If buying furniture challenges you, here are a few tips that will help. Before you buy pieces that don’t fit, look to these ideas for guidance.

Keep your interiors light for smaller rooms

Measure and measure again:

Regardless of the color, pattern or style of your furniture if your piece is too large it will be disastrous once it gets to your small home. Before making buying decisions walk through your home and draw out the dimensions of each room and allow space for walking comfortably around furniture. Consider only furniture pieces that are essential, if you fill your interiors with too many items it will have the same effect as buying over-sized furniture. Use these dimensions when choosing furniture online or at your favorite furniture retail store.

Measure out your room before buying furniture

Make use of built-ins and dual function areas:

If you have spare closets or niches inside your dining room, consider building an office in a closet, or a window seat inside of a window niche. Built-in solutions are perfect because they reduce the need to buy furniture and they use existing space rather than wasting on a bulky piece of furniture. A closet desk can enable you to build shelving and a countertop surface directly at the wall and saving space in multiple ways. A dining room that uses banquette seating or a window seat will reduce the need for many dining room chairs and in-turn will save valuable space.

Make use of mufti-purpose areas like a closet officeWindow seats are a great way to save space in a small dining room

Keep furnishings visually light:

Once you have chosen furniture that physically fits in your space, now consider the upholstery and color. Lighter colors are visually more forgiving in small spaces and allow the eye to skim the entire room for a spacious feel. Dark colored sofas and dark wood furniture in a small home can swallow up the space and in turn make your room feel cramped and uninviting. While a few dark pieces will work, try to remember this rule. If your room has a natural source of light, then darker furniture will work better than a closed off room that is dark and dreary.

Banquette seating and lighter colors keep your small interiors light and airy

Choosing furniture for your small home just got a little easier with these helpful ideas. First, measure out your current space and before you fall in love with vintage furniture at your local flea market, carry a measuring tape with you! Once you get home, consider built-ins and do it yourself projects that utilize hidden niches in your interiors. Lastly, ensure your furnishings are visually light and airy to give your entire small home a cozy feeling that you will love to entertain in and live in for years into the future.

Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.