18 Ways to Make a Small Space Look Larger
Small is Beautiful With the Right Color, Storage, and Flexible Furniture
Kerrie Kelly
February 8, 2011
Lots of people live in a small home, a small room, or just a small space. Others want to live in an intimate way versus dealing with the maintenance and cleaning of a large square footage space. Small is beautiful, easy, and practical, too.
No matter what your reason for living in a small space, you'll undoubtedly have to make some compromises in your decorating, get really organized, and make some adjustments to your lifestyle in order to live efficiently. With color, strategic furniture buying, space planning and interesting lighting, your place will feel wonderfully YOU with all the space you need. See if some of our tips will work for you.
No matter what your reason for living in a small space, you'll undoubtedly have to make some compromises in your decorating, get really organized, and make some adjustments to your lifestyle in order to live efficiently. With color, strategic furniture buying, space planning and interesting lighting, your place will feel wonderfully YOU with all the space you need. See if some of our tips will work for you.
1. When adding draperies to the room, keeping them in the same color as walls will help avoid contrast to the space.
2. If you have large windows with beautiful views bring outside colors to your room to unify outside world with inside and expand the look of the space.
3. Let as much natural light as possible into a room as it opens up space and gives it a character.
Consult a local window professional to update yours
Consult a local window professional to update yours
4. Sofas and armchairs that are raised on legs create a sense of light and space; therefore they are more preferable for small rooms.
5. Unclutter the space. Try to dispose of everything you have not used for a year. Do not get attached to furniture. Get rid of any item of furniture that is not adding to the look of the room. Create organized storage wherever possible.
6. Link adjacent spaces with the same color and flooring. Keeping to one color makes rooms look bigger. However, if you do need to change flooring materials it is wise to stay in the same color family.
7. Use light colors or neutrals throughout; as they are space expanders and provide a neutral background for furniture and artwork.
8. Using cool colors will make the walls to visually recede.
9. It is best to avoid unnecessary details, such as ruffles in furniture and window treatments. Use simple paneled draperies or shades.
10. Using smaller prints or plain color fabrics and rugs will create a single, unified effect and visually expand the room.
11. Consider using multifunctional furniture, such as ottomans, which could be used as coffee tables or sitting area.
12. Installing an oversized mirror or a set of smaller mirrors will add extra light, sparkle and make a small room appear larger.
13. Using ottomans, window seats, armoires, and bookcases with enclosed compartments is a perfect solution for hiding everyday clutter.
14. As a rule of thumb, scaled-down furniture will make the room look larger, however, fewer but larger pieces of multifunctional furniture will help avoid clutter created by small furniture pieces spread out in the room.
15. Consider adding a floor to ceiling and wall to wall bookcase. This trick will create an impressive focal point and visually expand space by pushing the walls and ceiling out.
Hire a carpenter to create this look
Hire a carpenter to create this look
16. Folding and stacking pieces of furniture and furniture on wheels can be pushed out of the way when not in use, as a result creating more space when needed.
17. If possible, remove as many doors as possible or use pocket doors to increase the sense of space.
18. Do not fill up every shelf in a room; leave some of them half empty and spacious for an airy and more dramatic look.
Next: Browse more landscape photos
Next: Browse more landscape photos
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Very useful tips. Thank you .