Many of us are spending ever more time at home, what with the national lockdown and being encouraged to working from home wherever possible. Spending so much time within the confines of the same 4 walls can be a little restrictive and you might be thinking that you need more space or you might be wishing you had a bigger house. Adding an extension, knocking down walls or even moving to a new house is not always an option, so in this article, we will look at ways of making your home feel bigger than it is without the need for extensive building works.
Remove Clutter
We all have ornaments or books or other items throughout our homes which add to that feeling of it being our personal space. The problem is, though, that they can build up and instead of giving us a warm homely feeling they can instead start to make us feel a little crowded. Have a good sort out, does everything need to be on display or should some mementos be packed away in a special box or drawer? This article from Ideal Home will give you some fantastic storage ideas from creating an under stairs utility to a clever headboard that helps you to hide your bedside must haves.
Try swapping smaller items for larger statement pieces. You will still keep that element of your personality, but fewer items will make your home look less crowded and give you a sense of more space.
Clean the Windows
Now this might seem like a bit of an odd suggestion, but even small amounts of dirt on the windows can significantly affect the amount of light being let into the room. We need light, a brightly lit room increases the perception of space. By cleaning the windows your home will look much brighter and less gloomy.
Use Mirrors
Mirrors are a great way of creating space. Placed opposite a window, they will reflect light into the room giving it a bright and airy feel, but mirrors will also give the impression that the room is larger than it really is, especially if you use a large feature mirror. Take a look at some of the ideas in this article from Sonoma Magazine, they have some great ideas how to use mirrors to create more light and space!
Swap Your Internal Doors
If you have adjoining rooms and privacy isn’t a big issue, then swap your solid doors for French doors. The glass panels will make the room feel more spacious as it will flow visually into the adjoining room to create the feeling of a much larger room.
Use Light Colours
Dark colours, whilst often very fashionable, have the tendency to shrink a room and make it look and feel smaller. This is great if you are after a cosy and comfortable snug, but if you want a room to look spacious then use lighter colours. Don’t be afraid to lighten your floors too to give your room a wider and higher feel. If you can, it makes sense to match some of your furniture to your colour choice as the furniture will then blend into the walls and floors essentially camouflaging them giving the impression of a large open space.
Use Lighting Effectively
Having one main light can create shadows in the corners and hidden areas. Using multiple light sources, such as the main light along with strategically placed secondary lighting will open up the room and remove those shadows to give view to the whole room.
Use Your Walls
Walls are often overlooked as far as storage space is concerned. Try using floor to ceiling shelves to store items which are currently on other items of furniture and remove those items of furniture if they are not needed. Hang your TV on the wall and put your tech on shelves. This will give you another foot or two of space which will go a long way when creating a spacious feel.
Furniture
Bulky furniture can often take up the lots of space, the clever use of space saving furniture can help you create more space. The first thing to look at is scaling down your furniture to suit the size of the room it is in. A huge sofa, whilst it might be very comfortable, will dominate a small room and make the room look crowded. Another option is to swap out bulky furniture, like items with robust solid wood frames for furniture with a smaller profile such as a sofa with exposes legs or a table with metal legs and a glass top. Finally, why not use space saving furniture which can fold up or be hidden out of sight when not in use? For some fabulous space saving ideas take a look at this blog from vurni.com
Although you might feel that your home is creeping in on you a little, these useful hints and tips will go a long way to create a true sense of airiness and space in your home without having to carry out major structural works.
