Actor Aditi Rao Hydari’s home is proof that a small space can also be a spacious one

Hydari’s home, particularly her living area, is a crisp yet warm space. Decorated with the lightest of touches and impressive restraint, it is a good source of inspiration for creating a living room that may be small in size but big on style. Here’s how you can get it done.

A jali screen that demarcates the two zones, or a slight elevation as Hydari has in her home (where the dining area is a step up from the living) adds an element of interest and helps segregate spaces. You can also add a rug under the living room furniture to anchor the space and serve as a soft sectioning off in your open layout.
 

Don’t Underestimate the Power of White

It is that ultimate forever-in-vogue shade that is at the heart of a minimal aesthetic. Neutrals, greys, muted hues and pastels are as relevant but there is a certain element of restraint in a pristine white interior that simply calls out to the minimalist in us. It’s versatile enough to be a backdrop for absolutely any kind of drama or style you’d want to express. It also has the added benefit of creating that illusion of breadth and makes your space look sharp. Hydari’s living room channels the white look to create a wonderfully airy and light space.
 

Incorporate a Scandinavian Aesthetic

There’s the cool minimalism that can tend to verge on the impersonal and then there’s the Scandinavian minimalism that’s all about warm colours, natural textures, lots of light and the predominance of wood. So if you have a small living room and are worried about minimalism making your space lack warmth, the Scandinavian aesthetic is the answer to your prayers. Hydari’s wooden flooring, warm-hued furnishings and décor accents, not to mention, a living room that receives bountiful beautiful daylight, achieve that effortlessly. 

Draw the Eye Upwards

Long curtains that extend from the ceiling right down to the floor gives the illusion of length, as your eye gets drawn upwards. Curtains that are light coloured, sheers or even those with smaller prints, are the way to get this look right. And while we’re on the topic, use your walls well by adding open shelves where you can display accessories so that your floor is left free and wall sconces instead of table or floor lamps.

Be Generous with Daylight

Nothing works quite as well as a space flooded with natural light to make a compact room seem bigger than it is. Hydari went so far as to only opt for sheers in her space. “I had this in my head that I wanted sheers. There’s a kind of lightness and a lot is happening with the furniture over here. But it was an instinctive decision,” she says. If only sheers aren’t your thing, lighter curtains, in weight and colour, are a good compromise between letting in all the light and blocking it all out. But be sure your small living room has generous windows and openings for daylight to pour in.