The constantly rising real estate prices restrict most aspiring homeowners’ options to limited square footage apartments. However, there are ways one can optimize such spaces to make them seem open and inviting. Certain design ideas and cost-effective creative solutions help make these spaces feel incredibly roomy. This involves visual tricks for small homes, such as the right color schemes and reduced clutter. These steps help transform even the smallest interiors into stylish and functional zones.
1) Using Lighter Shade Paint Colors
Warm and dark colors make a closed space appear cozier and more intimate. On the other hand, lighter paint colors create a feeling of spaciousness. Homeowners looking to make their living rooms appear larger can opt for a light, neutral color palette, including pale colors like creams and whites.
Also, one should consider the color combinations involving walls and other surfaces to maximize the illusion of spacious interiors. For example, when considering paint colors for walls, think of the other elements in the room, like the floors. Ensure that the two are in the same color scheme. This creates a unified, balanced design instead of highlighting the differences in surfaces. Furthermore, sticking to a single shade rather than creating feature walls can also create a feeling of simplicity and spaciousness in a given space. Homeowners still looking for variations in the room’s colors can opt for a lighter shade (compared to the walls) when painting the skirting, window, and door trims.
2) Opting for Minimalist Window Treatments
Fancy window treatments such as curtains with premium fabrics and valances look stunning, but take up much space and make the room feel dramatically smaller. Instead, one can opt for minimalist window treatments such as rolling blinds in the same fabric as the walls, which is a space-saving solution. If feasible, even going with a no-curtains approach helps “minimalize” windows and creates an open space feel.
3) Letting In More Light
Speaking of a no-curtains approach, it is handy to let more natural light into a small, confined space. Rooms look larger when they are well-lit. Natural light is preferable, but artificial light does the job incredibly well, too. To let in more light during the day, one can get rid of draperies and keep their windows open. During nighttime, lamps or recessed lighting can be used to brighten a room.
4) Clearing Clutter
If a room is full of objects lying on the floor, above cabinets, on work tables, and atop beds, it will appear smaller and unorganized. To avoid this, a key space-saving interior tip is to clear some items lying around or move them out of plain sight. One can find ways to organize objects such as books, stationery, clothes, and similar items behind doors, shelves, table skirts, or other surfaces to keep them from cluttering the main utility surfaces in a home. Once things are neatly arranged, discarded, or moved out of sight, the space that is in view will feel more open and organized.
5) Keeping Pathways Clear
Apart from cluttered objects, a room can also appear cramped when furniture or accessories block the view into the space. To correct this, move furniture away from walkways. This opens up space for people to freely walk in and around rooms, ultimately making the area feel bigger. Additionally, opting for low-profile furniture pieces such as low tables, armless open chairs, and ottoman pieces, as well as big, tall pieces being placed along a wall rather than out in the open space, also increases the feel of spacious interiors.
6) Using Mirrors
Getting creative with mirrors and reflective surfaces is another way of promoting an open space feel in a home. For example, hang a large mirror on a wall or place an oversized one against it. The mirror reflects light to create an illusion of more space with added style and functionality. For those who are short on wall space, adding a mirror to their side table makes for a similarly well-lit aesthetic in their home.
7) Using a Larger-Sized Rug
One may not initially think of a rug contributing to the overall visual spaciousness of a room, but its size can significantly affect the space-based dynamics of a room. Ensure that the rug used in a room is the right size for the space. People often place rugs under the seating area. This tends to make a room feel smaller. Using a custom rug with a small wood margin is not only a cost-effective solution, but it also makes rooms within a home appear much bigger than they actually are.
Some other visual tricks for small homes to make them feel roomier include hanging the curtains extra high, using light, airy fabrics, and scaling down furniture. Irrespective of the strategy, the aim is to improve the spaciousness and make a room more comfortable and enjoyable without losing its functionality.
