Decor slip-ups and solutions to fix them

In a small space, every inch counts — and every mistake can have big consequences. We asked five designers for their go-to remedies:

The mistake: Hanging heavy window treatments

“I’ve walked into countless small spaces and discovered heavy, dark drapery that devours the space and makes it smaller,” said Trystin Kier Francis of Trystin Kier Co.

The solution: Use lightweight treatments that let in more light, Francis said. Try silk (which works in any season, Francis said), cotton or linen.

The mistake: Buying (or accepting hand-me-down) furniture that is too big

“Scale in small places is critical,” said Sandra Hambley of Decor And You DC.

The solution: Look for pieces that have straight lines, Hambley said. “No sofas with big rolled arms or big cosy chairs meant for more than one person.”

For a living room, Hambley suggests considering a sofa that is no more than about two metres long and 66 centimetres in depth. And look for multipurpose furniture; try coffee tables with storage underneath, storage ottomans, sleeper sofas and sleeper ottomans.

The mistake: Choosing a furniture set

“Stores package furnishings in sets because it makes it easy to quickly furnish a space without having to put a lot of thought into it,” said Ebonee Bachman of Moonlight Interiors.

“Besides being really generic and uncreative, they are usually too big for small spaces.”

The solution: Stop and measure before you buy. Determine what furniture you will need, Bachman said, and make sure it is scaled to size for the space.

“A good tip for determining the amount of furnishings you need is to define what your specific needs are and how you will use each item you are considering,” Bachman said. “Ask yourself, ‘Will I use that piece of furniture every day, or is it there to make the room look nice?’”

The mistake: Painting a base moulding in a different shade than the walls

“It’s usually a very light white,” said Brenton Bacari of Bacari Design. “This brings attention to the small perimeter of the room.”

The solution: Paint the base moulding (and crown if you have it) the same colour as the walls. “Try to also have the same sheen as the walls,” Bacari said, for a seamless look that will draw less attention to the size of the space.

The mistake: Using too many colours

“You can add colour to make things cosier, but you don’t want the eye to gravitate to too much busyness,” said Dennese Guadeloupe-Rojas of Interiors by Design.

The solution: Pick a neutral colour you gravitate toward and stick to it, Guadeloupe-Rojas said. Then add a brighter accent you can also carry throughout.