Many people live in small apartments, houses and so forth for assorted reasons. But irrespective of the reasons, a small home does not need to look or feel cramped. Interior decorating is the planning and execution of the layout, decoration and furnishings of an architectural interior. With that in mind, one needs to experiment with the layout and decor to make the house appear more spacious.
This is relatively simple. It just takes a little planning, imagination and interior decorating compromises. An interior decorator/painter friend deems this as becoming an illusionist, thus creating an image. This can be an image of depth. There are many ways to stretch their space and have the area look and feel larger. This can incorporate clever lighting, colour schemes and rearranging furniture.
De-clutter
Cramped confined areas look even worse when there is too much clutter. Hide collections such as books, DVDs etc.; they only make an area look messy. Get rid of the vast array of small ornaments unless they have sentimental value. They are merely dust collectors anyway. Put shoes in boxes and hide them under the bed. If you haven’t used something for two years, it’s obvious that you don’t really need it so take it to the charity store or sell it. Pot plants can overload a room, so be sensible and keep the bare minimum.
Choose softer hues
Dark warm colours make an area look much smaller, more cosy and intimate. Light, cool colours make an area look and feel more spacious and inviting. Soft pastel tones of blue and green are the better option. Lemon and soft apricot hues are ideal as well. These are excellent for making a kitchen look larger. Tiny bathrooms can be made to look less cramped if you keep the tiles white and add pastel towels, bathmats etc. If you are renovating, keep the tiles white and have ice-blue fittings such as vanity basins, baths etc. These look superb while creating the illusion of largeness.
Don’t block the view
Don’t block the view into any rooms by the placement of your furniture. Otherwise, the area will look cramped. Furniture which blocks views to open spaces, such as computer desks and television cabinets, makes a room look tiny. Open the room up by moving the furniture away from these areas, the room will look more appealing once you do. Moving things from your outdoor viewing area will even feel much larger. It will be as if you have bought part of the outdoors inside.
Keep blinds and curtains a lighter shade, giving the room a fresh airy appeal. Place large tall pieces against a wall rather than in the middle of a room. If the floor can be seen from all angles, the room will look much larger; this also applies to the windows. Try tying the curtains back for more depth to the room. Opt for shorter furniture pieces.
Don’t overload the rooms with too many colours
A monochromatic colour scheme is the best option, so opt for decor which is in the same colour family. Try utilising warm tone-on-tone upholstery fabrics, delicate drapes and textured wall finishes. Keep the hues cool and delicately warm; the room will look much more spacious. The lighter the hues, the more depth it gives an area.
Carpet
The colour of your carpet and rugs can impact a house’s cramped appeal. The darker the carpet, the smaller the floor space will appear. Invest in light-toned scatter rugs if you have a dark carpet and can not afford to alter it. But once again, do not go overboard with these. Bare wooden floors and tiles make an area look much larger.
Wall & furniture colours
Contrasting colours break up space, so blend the furniture with the wall hues.
Mirrors
Mirrors are great for giving the illusion of depth. A good trick is to purchase three narrow wall mirrors approximately three feet long. Measure one wall which will be deemed the ‘feature wall’ and place them evenly along this wall. Ensure that they are placed at least a foot from the floor. Now take notice of the optical illusion this has created. Your room will look almost twice the size if you do this correctly. But ensure that there is no furniture etc., sitting in front of these, or the look is lost.
Light the way
Downlights in a kitchen will make it appear more spacious. All rooms appear larger when well-lit, so remove the heavy curtains and blinds and let the light in. Add tall floor lamps; the smaller side lamps make a room look a little too cosy and a little smaller.
When painting walls
Cream colours and icy blues are fabulous wall options; these open up a tiny room and make it look much larger. In actual fact, light and bright-coloured rooms are more reflective. Therefore, they make the area feel more open and airy. Dark colours absorb light so steer clear of them. Interior decorators will tell you that brighter rooms look huge compared to dark ones. Another secret is to paint the light mouldings. This makes the wall look so much further back, giving a stronger appearance of depth.
Furniture arrangement
Set your furniture at an angle; it works well due to the fact that the longest straight line in all rooms is diagonal. Placing your furniture at an angle allows the eyes to run along the longest distance. Besides, this allows you to make good use of the additional storage space behind the angled furniture. Place a chest of drawers across a corner of the room. Now place the kid’s toys behind this. There you go, a room which looks larger already!
Have fun recreating your space!