Today is December first! For many people, the end of this past weekend also marked the day when they put up their holiday decor. The other night, I stopped by the home of a friend who'd proudly put up her tree. Despite the small footprint of her living room, the addition felt homey rather than crowded. If you're determined to put up a full-sized tree, here's a few ideas to make sure that you and your decor can coexist in peace!
- Pick a tall, narrow tree rather then a short, full one. The tree will have a small footprint and be able to fit into the room more easily. Plus, the height of the tree will, oddly enough, make the room feel bigger, because it draws the eye upward, at the same time as it's taking up space.
- Put the tree in a corner. With corners being the least used areas in a room, it's often easier to move a few pieces to put the tree here rather than anyplace else. For added impact, put it by the window. Not only does it look pretty, with the ligths reflected in the glass, but the openness of the window and the slight illusion of the doubling of the room, make the room feel bigger and less claustrophobic.
- Bring the furniture in closer. Although it may crowd the room a little, cheat your layout by bringing the furniture in closer to the tree. After all, that's kind of the focus for the next few weeks. Two chairs that normally sit slightly askew with a small table in between them can be brought close together and the small table moved to one side or another. You're aiming for a mock L-shaped configuration.
- Move a chair to the corner spot. Although it'll only be in the spot temporarily, make the spot where you move the furniture to temporarily feel less awkward and like you did it deliberately by styling it a little. A pile of books becomes a temporary side table for a cup of tea, orient the chair so that anyone who sits there becomes part of the conversation, tuck a throw over the arm or a textured pillow and it may become a favorite spot rather than just a temporary eyesore.
- Repurpose the coffee table. Our friends haven't yet purchased a coffee table so they didn't encounter this problem but if moving your furniture will just makes the space feel like a furniture store on close out, instead of moving the coffee table away, why not put it to use and put the tree on top of the coffee table? You'll be able to buy a smaller tree and save a few dollars, and any gifts can be tucked under the table rather than being spread out over the floor. Plus, the height makes it feel majestic and, as with any tall piece in a small room, actually makes the room feel bigger. Make sure it's sturdy enough to hold the weight of your tree then cover it with a sheet of plastic and a tree skirt.
What tricks do you use to fit your full-sized tree into your small-sized space?
Image: Beth Zeigler
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We put ours up this weekend, and did exactly what you've stated here! It's in the corner of the living room, by a window. The reflection really does help make the room feel much bigger. Makes me wish we had a tree every day of the year...
Ours is in a corner by a window too. It's a 6 tree in an apartment and I love it!
My wife and I put ours up this weekend as well. I noticed that by moving the bookcase temporarily into our bedroom (that was where we decided to put the tree) the room actually feels bigger. The 1 to 1 swap in the living room has kept it from feeling cramped!
When I lived in my small condo, years ago, I used to get a small (<4 ft) tree. To help it feel not as puny, I crafted a large box, wrapped in Christmas paper and a bow, and placed the tree on top of it. It made the little tree feel more impressive, added a cute decorative element to the display, and kept from having to buy a tree that felt ridiculously over-sized for my small space.
I encountered this problem many years ago when I lived in my first apartment. My brother-in-law, who at the time was in grad school for architecture, also suggested I put it in the corner.... but upside down and suspended from the ceiling :) I didn't follow his advice and I put it in my bedroom, which was nice to sleep next to. Though this past summer I was in a Christmas store in Gatlinberg, TN and they did have an upside down tree suspended from the ceiling. It was kinda neat, but I'm definitely a Christmas traditionalist.
I have taken to leaving off a large portion of my fake tree's branches so that it takes up less space. Omitting some of the back and lower branches cuts down on the tree's footprint and does not detract from its beauty.
I put my 4ft tree on top of a waist-high shelving unit instead of the lamp that's usually there. The tree lights give off nearly as much light as the lamp would so it's functional as well. (I stash the lamp in a wardrobe)
In one of my apartments we had a small round dining table in the bay window of the living/dining area that wasn't used a whole lot. Instead of trying to find a place to stash the table or cramming the furniture off to one side of the high-ceilinged but narrow room, I came up with solutions to incorporate the table. One year I covered the table with dark green cloth and bought a 4' "apartment-sized" tree that was almost the width of the table. I put the tree on the table and draped lights all the way down the whole thing, tree & table. The only other thing I put on it was big satin bows (on both tree and table skirt), which kind of tied the two together.
The second year, I draped the table with ivory cloth and swirled ivory netting in big layers all over it. I worked white lights into the netting and used them on the tabletop tree, which looked like it was floating in a cloud. I added ivory bows and metallic ornaments; it was really reflective and sparkly, especially with the windows around it. The table didn't detract, it actually kind of worked as part of the display (plus gave me a good spot to stash presents under, so we wouldn't be tripping over them constantly).
Note: when repurposing your coffee table as an impromptu tree stand, make sure said coffee table does not also do double duty for all the electronic equipment (Wii, receiver, PS3, etc.) OR make sure that the tree is a fake. Because leaky tree stands + expensive electronics = sad husband for Christmas.