Photo by Kelly L from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-home-area-rug-2950003/
Anyone living in a smaller home will know that there are plenty of time and labour-saving benefits to having less space to clean and maintain. There’s no reason that small homes have to feel small, particularly when you have so many options to make the most of the space you do have, including:
1) A place for everything and everything in its place
Decluttering has become a popular choice among those trying to get their houses in order and there is plenty of advice for those that want to reduce the amount of ‘stuff’ that fills their space. However, decluttering isn’t exclusively about getting items out of the house – it is just as important to have enough places to keep the things that you do want to keep.
Storage is the key to ensuring that the items you do have are stashed away to give you the clean lines and clear surfaces that make a small home look bigger and many people choose outdoor storage solutions to keep items that are only required occasionally. Fitted or custom units might be the best option to maximize your inside space, but you can also make good use of freestanding items such as bookshelves, cupboards, chests of drawers, and any other item that works in the space you have.
2) Clever use of color
In general, lighter colors will make your space look bigger, but if you don’t want to be limited to whites and off-whites, there are ways you can use color to make a room look larger. A dark blue feature wall will draw the eye and make a room look deeper, especially when teamed with lighter-colored furniture and paler colors on the adjoining walls.
You can also use color to achieve a specific effect, such as using lighter colors on the ceiling of a room to give the impression of height. You can even go for a bright ceiling above to offset pale or neutral walls, giving the room a burst of color, but still maximizing the effect of light-colored walls.
3) Step into the light
One of the easiest ways to make the most of your small space is well thought-out lighting. If a room doesn’t get much natural light, then see if you can add a mirror in a strategic place to maximize whatever sunlight you do get in there and bounce it around as much as possible.
A large mirror opposite a window can work well to give a sense of brightness to a room, but so can mirrored cabinets or closet doors and even mirrors hung opposite one another, so they reflect light between them. Mirrors can also be a great addition to a smaller garden to make the space look bigger and more open.
You can also make good use of wall lights and lamps in a smaller room, rather than a single ceiling-mounted light in the center. By lighting up different areas of the room, it creates the idea of different zones and avoids throwing corners and the edges of the room into shadow.
4) Let your furniture help you
Oversized furniture, particularly taller pieces, can make a small room look overwhelmed, so it’s worth trying to ensure that any larger pieces are around the edge of a room so that they don’t dominate the space. Make sure you don’t have furniture in front of windows or overhanging doors to allow free movement around the space.
If you can, choose low furniture and avoid anything with long legs or high backs. If you are going to have a table and chairs in your smaller space, then make sure the chairs can be stowed fully underneath the table when not in use to keep the area clear and uncluttered.
Whether you are redecorating and trying to make the most of your space, or just trying to keep on top of the tidying, making your space feel larger is a great way to ensure that it is a relaxing haven for everyone who lives there.
