No matter how much your home might have once seemed spacious, whether you like it or not, the time will come when you will feel like the walls are collapsing on you and that you do not have as much space as you thought you did.
Whatever the reason, in those moments your room seems much smaller than it really is. The good news is that with minimal cost and little effort you can make your living space seem larger and a more comfortable place. Here are tips that can help you do this.
Fool your Perception Senses
Just like how striped pants make your legs look longer, a striped floor will make your room seem much larger, says interior designer Kelly Edwards. If you want to double this effect, you can take advantage of a large mirror. Transparent furniture, such as a tea-table, will also fool your perception without having to physically take down walls and increase the room. Also, furniture that is the same color as your wall (or a shade or two different) apparently takes up less space.
Clear the Clutter!
This is the simplest and cheapest thing you can do for your home and the well-being of your living space. Reduce the gigantic clusters of completely unnecessary things and it will be much easier to maintain a tidy room. Supply each cabinet with hanging container for shoes in which your magazines, toys and supplies for embellishment can fit. Everything that you don’t use and you want to keep the store in one of the storage facilities nearby so that you can take whenever you want. (Find your nearest storage facility location on New Zealand or in USA)
Make use of Color
The brighter your walls are the better. While darker colors make the room look comfortable, they also provide the illusion of a crowded space. This is because brighter colors reflect light, so it is recommended to use creamiest shades of beige, light gray-blue and lavender.
Edit your Collection
Less really is more. You simply cannot show everything you own and love. Instead of showing your entire collection of ceramic vases, separate the vases into collections of four groups and each season change the set that is on display. Also, it is better to display piece that are a little bigger than several small ones.
Furniture with Storage Option
Furniture with dual functions creates more space and increases the usability of each space. A cabinet at the entrance to the apartment or house will ‘hide’ your shoes, but also all the other stuff that you normally forget when leaving the apartment, like canvas bags for grocery shopping or seasonal accessories, like an umbrella.
Create an unexpected Furniture Arrangement
Do not be afraid to break the rules – rearrange furniture to make it look different. For example, you do not have to have a sofa and a loveseat in the living room because we all have it. Instead select four comfortable armchairs. If the bed in your room looks best in that position in which it covers half of the window, so be it. The aim is to make the space more functional.
Lighten the Room
Counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom surfaces in bright colors definitely make the space seem larger. Even if you’re not ready to completely transform a room, such a surface can be changed over the weekend. The darker the area is, the smaller the room will look.
Put away Big Furniture when you have Guests
Of course, you will need more space when guests are visiting, but there is no need to overcrowd everyday space with additional and unnecessary tables. Use small, foldable pieces that will transform the room into a room with enough space for a table in no time.
Work on Lights
Do not rely on fixed and existing lighting that focuses light in one direction and on one point. Try to have a few lamps throughout the room. Besides the fact that they are appealing, they are creating seemingly more space. Bulbs in colors like creamy pink will give the room a certain amount of warm-look, which is recommended. To fully take advantage of daylight, stay away from large, draped curtains.
Take Advantage of Vertical Space
If you have a few bucks surplus, invest them into mounting wall shelves that will ensure that you have a space to store all those little things that are ‘stretched’ all over the house and you just do not have the heart to throw out. The same is true for books you amass everywhere – shelves that take up an entire wall will give you the needed extra space, and in this way you will get a small private library.