Many homeowners are opting to build or live in smaller homes, simplifying their lives and reducing their environmental footprint.
But does having smaller spaces mean you have to compromise on quality? You can make your smaller house feel big through careful selection of your home or apartment decor.
The right lighting and window blinds, furniture, colour choice and layout can make a room feel open and airy. The following list will help you work out what features of your home you can embrace or change, to make your space feel as big as possible.
Window blinds and Natural Light
For immediate effect choose the right blind and you will make your space feel bigger.
Vertical blinds can help draw your eyes upwards making your ceilings seem taller, whilst shutters and venetian blinds allow natural light to filter in, creating a light and airy feel.
By allowing for natural light and framing your windows with blinds, you will encourage your eyes to travel beyond the the window, visually expanding the size of your space.
Avoid putting furniture and other items in front of the windows. This will make your space feel crowded, obstructing valuable natural light.
Image: Venetian blinds are great for small kitchens
Furniture
Choosing the right furniture is a great way to visually push the walls back and lift the ceiling up, making your room feel larger.
Oversized mirrors are a great starting point as they guide natural light into your space, creating visual depth.
Choosing furniture with raised legs – like a classic mid-century table – will expose the floors beneath and walls behind, allowing light to filter around the room and making the space feel more open.
Items with a low profile will make your ceilings seem higher. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases and an oversized feature piece are the exception to the rule, as they draw your eye upwards making the room feel taller.
It’s also worth selecting furniture which is multi-purpose – your ottoman might double as a seat, footrest, and storage chest. This minimizes clutter and will make your space more efficient.
Colour
Selecting furniture to match the colour of your walls will help your home decor blend into the space, creating a feeling of openness.
A top tip is to use a palette of light colours, creating a bright and airy feel and maximizing the impact of natural light. To complement this, use a consistent colour palette. This is less distracting for the eye, allowing it to move more freely around the room.
A handy tip is to paint the ceiling and skirting a slightly darker colour than the walls. This creates visual depth, pushing the walls back and making the space feel larger. Light colored floors will also have an uplifting effect.
Image: Neutral and consistent colour palettes make a room feel bigger
Layout
As a final step, you need to ensure your home decor is arranged so your room is efficient and inviting.
Try placing furniture consistently along one wall or positioning items at a diagonal in the corner. This will emphasize depth by leading your eye along the item’s length.
Make sure the space feels open by grouping furniture so there are clear paths to move. Running into furniture will create a feeling of claustrophobia.
Giving yourself the freedom to move, will allow you more space to enjoy the natural light and window furnishings, furniture, and colours of your renewed small room.
