In the year of a Global Pandemic and many more of us spending more time at home, I have seen a shift in the way people perceive their spaces. A lot of homeowners are now finding themselves wanting to make huge changes to reflect the transition in their lifestyles. Recently I covered how you can create a minimalistic home office and make the most of any spare space that you do have to support those who are working from home. Also with many entertainment outlets being closed due to the pandemic that is also making more of us stay at home in a bid to make the most of activities that can be done in the house.
Today I want to examine some of the steps you can take to help make your rooms feel bigger. Living rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms are all key spaces that can easily be made to feel much larger than they really are. As we are spending more time at home we need to feel as if there is more space for us and our family without making any drastic renovation or additions.
Ready to find out how you can make a room feel bigger? Read on!
Avoid Clutter
Clutter around the home instantly makes a space appear smaller. Having too much “stuff” on show all the time can be quite unsightly and distracting. As we are at home more these days it’s a fantastic opportunity to go through possessions and donate things that aren’t needed anymore. This could be magazines, books, DVDs, clothes, or even dated decorative objects that hold no interest anymore.
Instead of clutter hanging around on surfaces, consider more intentional styling. Decorative books with small dishes or candles on top help to create a minimal look that can reinforce some of the following additional points on making a room feel bigger.
If you’re struggling to find an enclosed place for your belongings, it may be time to invest in furniture pieces with storage. This could be a sideboard, storage ottomans, or bookshelves.
Keeping clutter to a minimum helps to clear surfaces which leads to a space feeling much bigger!
Decorating Tricks
There are some key decorating tricks that can also help your rooms to feel bigger.
The first one (that I’m sure won’t be a huge shock for you!) is to use light colors. Not only for the decorating itself but for accessories and key furniture too if possible. Using lighter colors in smaller rooms helps to make them appear much bigger as the light will more redily be reflected around the space. Try to keep darker colors to much larger rooms if making the space feel bigger is a concern.
Painting the trim and woodwork in a lighter color also helps to make the room appear bigger too. Often darker trim or original stained woodwork can bring the room in and make it feel enclosed.
This bedroom is a perfect example of using lighter colors to make a room feel bigger. The white walls and bedding will help to keep the space bright.
Furniture Hacks
Aside from the decorating and clutter clearing, there are some tips for the furniture side of rooms too.
For family or living rooms especially, having too much furniture within the space makes it feel more close and tight. Removing the coffee table from these rooms can help massively and use side tables instead. This helps to free up space between the sofa and armchairs as you’ll have extra space to bring them closer together.
In parallel to this – make sure your furniture is appropriately sized for the space! Time and time again I visit clients who have enormous sofas that fill the entire room – leaving next to no space around it for other furniture or walkways. Having an interior designer on call can prevent this from happening.
Our top tip for anyone looking to update their furniture is this, always measure your space and draw a scaled floor plan. You can take this with you to the furniture store and check the sizes of your plan when you’re there. Alternatively from your floor plan, you can actually work out the best size of furniture appropriate for the space so when you do go shopping you know exactly what you’re looking for. If you don’t have a design eye, we can help!
This living room feels spacious because the homeowner has used appropriately sized furniture and the central tables are small and flexible to move around as needed. The light-colored furniture and good lighting also help to bounce more light around the room.
Accessories
Any homeowner can make a room feel bigger with the help of certain accessories.
The first one is a mirror! They reflect light around a room which helps to make the space feel lighter, brighter, and more open.
If your rooms lack natural light be sure to invest in proper lighting to make the room brighter. Good lighting paired with the use of mirrors can do wonders for small rooms!
I hope this post has been helpful! If you’re struggling to make a room feel bigger or generally can’t get it quite right, please reach out! I’d love to help.