As with big spaces, it is just as essential to decorate small spaces with items you love. While this may seem more challenging in a small space, by using a few basic tricks you can decorate a room that is completely yours and entirely functional. The ultimate goal is to make the room both lovely and purposeful at its current size, rather than turn it into an office/ storage/ what-else-can-I-fit-in-here room.

First things first, go lightly! When choosing wall color for a small living space always, always select a light palette. Using a bold color on the wall will make the room appear even more undersized. Alternatively, a lighter color will bring light into the space and make the entire room feel more airy. Save the bold colors for the throw pillows, pictures, and accessories. If your favorite color is red, paint the walls a soft color and opt for the red table lamp you’ve been eyeing at your local home décor store.

Another trick to adding space to a small room is to use the lighting to your advantage. Any room will appear larger with the right type of lighting (and also the reason lighter walls are so beneficial!). If a small space has a source of natural light, take advantage of it by using neutral colored sheer curtains or roman shades. If natural light is limited or nonexistent, it is imperative that you find and incorporate a mixture of fantastic table lamps and overhead lights.

Next, it is essential to use organizational tools to help you utilize the footage available. Start by choosing furniture that serves dual or multiple purposes. For example, in a small living room a trunk or woven basket with lids may double as a coffee table, allowing you to stow away items such as blankets and magazines that would otherwise clutter the room. Be clever with your furniture—you will realize that many pieces you already own can serve multiple functionalities. A chest with drawers may be your new media cabinet with ample storage.

Finally, put your stamp on a small space by paying attention to the details. Use a small space to draw a focus to collectibles. Shelves, glass topped cabinets, and picture frames can be used to showcase your favorite items, like old photographs, seashells from your family trip to the beach, and even child hood keepsakes are more significant in a small space. With these special details, your space will echo who you are and how your guests perceive you.

In the end, it isn’t about a small space; it’s about your space, perfected.

Mary Beth Carter is a graduate from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Liberal Arts. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC and works at Pottery Barn assisting with visuals and bridal registries. She is a fan of SEC football, cooking, and taking walks with her lovingly spontaneous Brittany spaniel, Annie.

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Jena Hall describes the four new collections debuting at the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market. The four collections are based on coastal looks, woodlands, urban chic, and fresh suburban looks. As seen on Home Fashion Report, hosted by Ellen Gefen.

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Ellen gives a great overview of new products she saw at the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market, as well as new showroom spaces. She discusses new finishes, styles, designs, fabrics, and accessories in this comprehensive video segment. As seen on Home Fashion Report.

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In that same vein, at the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market, I saw lots of bent wood, either as new takes on previously seen styles, or in new looks as an interesting feature. This look was especially found in chairs, with arms, backs of chairs, or the seats….all with fabulous details to spice up simple designs.

To some, it’s a Scandinavian look, and to others it’s modern….whatever it is to you, enjoy reminiscing and bringing this era back into your home. Once a look that was so modern for its time, is again a look that fits the style of today! Be on the lookout for these great chairs on retail floors!

Manufacturer Credits: (Listed from top left): American Leather, Cabeen Originals, Four Hands, Hancock & Moore, Hancock & Moore, Lexington Home Brands, Lexington Home Brands, Scott Thomas, Modloft, Nuevo, Selva Philipp, Thayer Coggin, Theodore Alexander, Directional.

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Sam Moore debuted new sofas for the first time at the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market. Check out this segment from Home Fashion Report about Hooker Furniture’s debut of this new collection. Michael Delgatti, President of Hooker Upholstery, discussed this logical decision, their unique finishes and colorful fabrics.

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Compass points

Direction and time of day are two factors which have great effect on sunlight. While there isn’t much you can do about the time of day, you can consider what effects sunlight from each direction will have, and change your décor to complement it.

North facing rooms get a lot of indirect sunlight, which tends to be bluer and colder than light from other windows. Artists often use north facing rooms because this light is both consistent and allows the artist to see colors better. These rooms are often utilitarian, like bathrooms, but will benefit from bright colors to offset the cool light.

South facing rooms in contrast get much more intense sunlight for longer periods of time; this means that these rooms are usually both warm and brighter. The disadvantage is that strong colors can be overwhelming in these rooms; cool blues and pastels work well to calm these rooms down.

East facing rooms get intense sunlight early in the day and reflected sunlight after midday. This means they will be the bright and warm during the morning, but will get colder as the day goes on. Warm colors work well to make them feel welcoming in the morning and to stay bright as the sun moves away.

West facing rooms get indirect light in the morning, but they get a lot of direct sunlight from mid-afternoon onwards, meaning that they get warmer and brighter as the day goes on. Cool colors will help make the room relaxing in the evening, and will reflect light in a cooler temperature.

Magic Mirrors

Mirrors and light shelves can be positioned to reflect light deeper into a room, and can also make your room seem larger. Rooms can avoid a ‘cave effect’ caused by the contrast of bright light near the windows and dark light near the back of the room with these tricks of the trade.

A similar effect can be achieved by painting a room with light or reflective colors to increase the percentage of light reflected by the walls and ceilings. In general, the more you can do to disperse sunlight into your house the more effective it will be. You can also help this process by either removing objects blocking the light, or using them to reflect it to where you want it to go.

Daniel Frank is a UK blogger who is interested in a variety of green design issues.  He is currently writing on behalf of Wooden Blinds Direct, specialist provider of wooden Venetian blinds.

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Moore Councill talks to Ellen during his interview on Home Fashion Report about the different materials and styles that make up their showroom at the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market.

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At the Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market, Jeremy Hoff of ART* spoke with Home Fashion Report about their goal of being a ‘whole home resource.’  They are introducing 10 new collections at the market, and any piece seen in their showroom can be mixed and matched. They are using new fabrics and lavishly upholstering their pieces!

*Spring 2012 Sponsor

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I love to see furniture manufacturers re-use waste materials to make something beautiful! Here at market, I came across a beautiful, colorful sofa by Salmagundi. Using discarded fabric samples and scraps, salvaged furniture pieces become one-of-a-kind creations. In addition to the sofa, I saw a traditional chair frame with a rainbow of patchwork, as well as some fun ottomans that looked like kaleidoscope tortoise backs! Creative, fun and eco-friendly.

Four Hands created an eco-conscious collection of furniture using reclaimed South American hardwoods, and a chair we saw at market is upholstered with leftover tent fabric from the Korean War! They’ve used reclaimed teak, elm and mango, as well as recycled aluminum in some of their other pieces. Some of their collections use certified 100% recycled wood (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.) It’s great to see a company with high social and ecological priorities!

Another company that inspired us on Earth Day is Woodbrooke. Their collection of tables is gorgeous, their designers having used a variety of woods in odd shapes, sizes, and styles, including a teak orb coffee table that I love! It has an earthy feel to it and brings nature into the home. The odd shape of it may have been considered a discarded piece of wood by any other company, but Woodbrooke masterfully created a table that blends function with design.

Every day should be Earth Day, and there are a growing number of furniture manufacturers who are catching on. These are just a few of the companies that we saw that have worked upcycling into their core values!

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We love the Sunshine collection because it has pieces that can be added to any room for a pop of color. We recruited a couple of students from High Point University who enjoyed working under an iconic showroom designer, and along with Connie, whipped up a beautiful, chic look that seamlessly tied in fashion with home furnishings. The goal of the display is simply to bring inspiration for designers and retailers who might come by and take a look. It’s amazing how changing something so simple as a window can have such an impact on a storefront!

We plan on making our window designs a staple feature at our offices in the future! We’d love to see windows in High Point decorated with inspired looks, so as designers and retailers are in High Point (even during market off-season!), our streets look like New York at Christmas! You know they’ll be inspired by our cool window displays. Feel free to take a drive by our window on Church Avenue (between Main St. and Elm St.) to be inspired yourself!

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