Speaking about the word smaller space, I remember a story of my hostel days while I was studying when suddenly my grandma visited me, and she mocked my stay in her regional language, “room like a matchstick box“. I did, however, learn some ways to get the most out of a small space from her since she always taught me that we should make the most of any area we live in since it directly impacts our lifestyle, mood and work. Since then, I have been looking and experimenting with ideas to beautify my home. And presently, the small apartment I just moved into requires me to find new solutions to make it appear bigger. My last article had a few ideas for brightening up a dark room as I personally experienced the same problem. In this article, you’ll find some easy tips on how to make a small space look bigger. Some of you who are tremendously disappointed with all the methods would say that nothing could produce such an effect, but trust me, the physics of illusion can cause your eyes to misperceive. Hence, let us go through my proven tips to give your space a makeover of Hulk!
Summarizing the Solution on How to Make a Small Space Look Bigger.
1. Divide and Conquer.
Your small space might probably be more like a single room where you have to use it in areas- a living room, dining room, office and possibly bedroom. As for me, I have one space, which is my living, dining, and office region. Now you have to create a functional layout making them organised and cosy. The best to treat this thing is to find zen. It includes eliminating physical clutter from the home, choosing functional furnishing, muted colour palette, natural light, calming decoding scents to enhance the space and green plants for extra convenience.
However, not everyone opts for it. So, all you need to do is use separations wisely. For instance, you can use a bookcase to separate two areas or a TV console. And the best way to do this is to place different rugs for different purposes and the vibe of the area. For instance, you can keep a carpet under your desk and extend a runner across the foot of your bed to separate the spaces.
2. Arrangement is the Key.
If you have your furniture lined along the walls, then this tip might be helpful for you. Remember that if you just line up your entire furnishing towards one direction, it will make your area seems crowded as if it is congested and small. So, create a clearance away from the walls to make a small room look bigger. And one of the best tips to arrange anything like a pro is using the Rule of Three! It means gathering your furniture article in number three to complete a spot. For instance, a sofa, coffee table and credenza complete one area, or a desk with a chair and oversized floor lamp maintains another region. Hence, you must form an arrangement in three numbers to complete a look.
3. DIY Storage Ideas are a Need of the Moment.
It’s no secret that multipurpose furniture is a great space saver, and you’ll be amazed at how useful and airy it makes your room. Let me tell you how I utilised the plan. I had a lot of seasonal items which is unable to store, and even my woollens are sometimes part of my existing wardrobe, which I dont use in such prickly heat of India. Hence, I brought a vintage chest to store them, and sometimes it also functions as a guest linen storage. Further, I use it as a coffee table or an extra sitting after putting on a cushion. Hence, you have to check for the ultimate low space-saving pieces.
I will give you some suggestions to help you quickly. For instance, use a Murphy bed or wall fold dining table for last minutes guests or parties. You can always make a bookcase work as a headboard, serving the bedside table with enough storage units. In addition, you should always have larger units on wheels so you can move them around effortlessly.
4. Shiny Mirrors Would Make a Difference.
Nearly all of you know that a mirror will add an effect of Brobdingnagian proportion in your space but mostly every person does it wrong. Before you keep a mirror, locate a perfect position for it. Now, if you have read the three basic rules of mirrors in physics, then you must know that you always have to place it in such a position where the sunlight is incident on your mirror in a tilting way, such that it reflects in the entire room. The best way is to place it adjacent to your window but make sure it is not opposite to your artificial lights. You can always make a grid of mirrors to give a retro look to your space without compromising your room’s appearance with a single bland mirror. Additionally, putting your mirror outside your home at such an angle that it reflects the insides helped my room light up better, which does not have proper natural light.
If you think a mirror is too cliche, you can go for mirrored cabinets or closet doors, as it would cause a similar effect. And yes, for prosperity and good health, always keep a mirror outside of your home on the entrance to repel the negative energy.
5. Selecting Handlooms Must Be a Priority.
A handloom can completely change the aura of your surrounding, but choosing the right one can be difficult. So I am including this tip after experimenting with lots of handlooms. Before we check on the material type, let me introduce you few colours for the purpose, which would be helpful.
For Beige lovers, you can choose among shades- biscuit, buff, cafe au lait, camel, oatmeal, off-white, sand and fawn.
Those who love Gray can choose from ash, charcoal, dove, granite gunmetal, heather, ouster, stone and slate.
Yellow comes with options among amber, banana, blonde, canary, champagne, chiffon, citrine, lemon, honey, sunshine and topaz.
And finally, for the white lovers, choose lace, lily, linen, milk, ivory or pearl and seashell.
The next step is to pick a suitable material to create a pleasing texture after choosing the right colour. Whenever possible, always choose natural material lines to generate a sense of airiness in a room. The use of silk or velvet can add a luxurious touch. Check out a jute-brown macrame with a cosy off-white sofa, an ivory-white throw blanket and a grey pillow to give one look. And to carry out the look, use soft furnishes of wood or even concrete of similar colours as your wall.
6. Choose Among Fifty Shades of Warm Colours.
You must understand a simple rule to make a small room look bigger, use light for illusion! Obviously, natural light is crucial for your area as it visually expands exponentially compared to other tricks, but artificial lights are equally significant. For the reach of maximum natural light, I have already written an article, which you can read here. However, for artificial light placement, I have an easy trick.
You have to corroborate you don’t include a single overhead light, as it gives a departmental store-type vibe. Now you can use a chandelier for your ceiling light, or if you do not have a European taste at your place, you can skip this too. Always scatter soft-lit lamps at the corners of your space and situate them 18 inches from your walls to create an illusion of depth. And make sure they are at a distance of three feet from each other, allowing every corner to be well-lit. And always put soft glow lights as an under-cabinet lighting option.
The last trick of this section is choosing neutral colours in cooler tones to create an airy atmosphere. I know many people would choose white, but trust me, it is absolutely tedious sometimes, and they look too clinical, so try icy blue, pale yellows, or chill greens and muted greys instead. A good tip is to adorn your walls with trim work to create an airy atmosphere in your room. In addition, if you paint the inside of the storage unit or bookcase similar colours to those on the wall, it also gives the illusion of more space.
7. Give Your Windows a Treat.
The windows in your home play a crucial role in filling your space with the aspects you need, so keeping them open allows more light to enter the room, hence helping in making a small room look bigger. Now you might say whether I provided you with any different solution. But, hey, the result is not about opening windows but treating them perfectly. For instance, you can use sheer drapes to allow maximum sunlight from them. Earlier, in my apartment, I used to have smaller windows with aluminium works, which couldn’t let as much sunlight in. Then, I completely renovated it into sliding ones which makes easier to illuminate my area even when it was closed. And externally, I added lightweight lace fabric curtains, which even took care of my privacy. You can try this trick. Next, a visual trick to make your space look spacious is always having your drapes broader and lengthy than windows. Also, if you can put up your drapes to a higher level than your windows, you would comparatively have a sense of enormous space.
Bonus Tip.
Your flooring will look more spacious if you choose furnishings with thin legs instead of draped or covered ones.
Final Words.
I think I gave you the sweetest tips on how to make a small space look bigger, but you have to try them to let me know how far it worked for you. Having to adjust to smaller spaces can be difficult when you’re hosting parties, having a chitty chat, or owning a pet. You can be a pro at maintaining everything in one shot if you have a good sense of planning and experimenting. Now, as the weekend is already here, get up faster, plan out, go shopping, reuse and recycle to get things done!
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