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Five tips to make a small room bigger
November 2, 2011 // Posted in:Last Updated on November 2, 2011
Not everyone is lucky to have the luxury of endless amounts of space in their home but there are ways in which you can deceive your visitors into thinking your rooms are a lot bigger than they are. With a few simple tricks you can sometimes even double the feel of a room. Here are a few to get you started.
Pick your colours wisely
The colours you decide you use for your room will have a major impact on its feel. There are some colours that are used to help open up a small and dark room. Cream colours and icy blues are just a few of the best colour combinations that can increase the size of your room or living area. It’s mainly an illusion but you will find that what little light you do have coming into the room bounces off and reflects around the room. But what it you don’t just want a bright white or cream coloured room? If you’ve seen a colour you really like but you are worried it will darken the room, consider only painting one of the walls that colour and create a feature wall.
Think about furniture placement
As with most rooms, they look one size when they are empty and then so much smaller when you‘ve moved all your stuff in. The key here is to keep your furniture to a minimum. Use pieces that have multiple functions such storage that can sit in the middle of a room and act as a coffee table or maybe an extendable dining table. Always try to place the larger furniture around the edges of the room as if you place them in the middle, they can look over powering and may block walkways. Another illusion can be by not having furniture that is almost as high as the ceiling, this can make it seem as though the ceiling is much lower than it actually is.
Don’t hold back on the lighting
Whether it’s natural or artificial, lighting will instantly make a small room look bigger. If you are lucky enough to have access to natural light, make the most of it with full height glass panels. This removers a barrier between one room and the outside and makes the two areas seem as one. When it comes to curtains, try to keep them sheer or at least kept open when possible.
Storage and organisation are a must
One thing that can make a small room look even smaller is when it’s full of stuff. Organised or not, it can overcrowd a room and bring the walls in. Try not to cover your walls with lots of pictures and instead opt for one large image. It’s so refreshing to see a room that uses their space cleverly and is able to contain a large amount of stuff but so discreetly, you’d never know it was there. Also, if you have a large rug, take this out to create more floor space.
Just as magicians use mirrors to deceive the eye, you can use them in your own home to deceive your guests. If you’ve created a focal point, angle your mirrors towards it to help give the illusion of depth. It’s also a great way to spread a little bit of light around the room during the day and at night, especially if your mirror is near a window or some glass doors. Why not combine a storage solution with a mirror and using a mirrored cabinet.
Simply applying just one of these ideas can help the room you are stuck in seems so much bigger than it is and for rooms that you spend a lot of time in, such as an office if you work from home, or a small living room, it’s worth really thinking about these sort of tips to help you make the most of your space.
