Bobby Berk Says This Type Of Furniture Will Weigh Down Your Space

When dealing with limited space, you have to be extra intentional about the pieces you choose and look at them with everything else, instead of individually. Speaking on maximizing a minimal space, interior designer Bobby Berk suggests using "light, clean-lined furniture" instead of heavier pieces. "People think that big, cushy furniture can make a small room more comfortable, but in reality, it weighs down the space and takes up an unnecessary amount of room," he said in an interview with ELLE DECOR.

While hefty furniture can provide a sense of stability and comfort, especially when it's cozy, such pieces tend to make a space feel more cramped because of their size relative to the room's. This can limit the flexibility of your room layout and make it challenging to fit in other items. Light furniture, on the other hand, takes up less physical and visual space, instead creating a sense of visual openness in a room.

Furniture plays a crucial role in opening up a space. This is why choosing furniture that's appropriately scaled to the room is essential. Oversized or bulky furniture can make a space feel crowded, but furniture that's too small can feel sparse. Opting for furniture with a balanced size and scale helps maintain proportion and make the room flow better.

Furniture with open and minimalist designs also contributes to a more spacious feel. Go for couches, tables, and chairs with slim silhouettes, clean lines, and exposed legs, as opposed to heavy details and excessive bulk, as these items will take up less floor area. One design tip that can help when decorating a tight space is to go high instead of wide and capitalize on the wall and overhead space. This is why Bobby Berk also recommends slim shelves and other types of narrow storage solutions.

One more reason to consider light furniture pieces is that they can sometimes be multifunctional. Because some pieces are designed to optimize the use of available space and create a more open environment, they give you the flexibility to use them in various ways, which cuts down on the number of pieces you need in a space. Sofa beds, storage ottomans, and nesting or extendable tables are some examples. Being versatile, they take up space more efficiently and can be used in different rooms or spaces.

Big furniture pieces, on the other hand, don't have this flexibility, and as Bobby Berk noted, they can weigh down your space with their bulk. If you like to frequently switch up your room's layout, the weight of these larger furniture pieces will make it inconvenient and a challenge to move and rearrange. Pieces like sectional sofas, king-sized beds, large wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, work desks, and dining tables are some examples of furniture pieces that you might want to consider scaling down.