Whether you live in a compact city apartment or a petite country cottage, your space does not have to feel cramped.
In fact, you may have inadvertently made your rooms feel smaller thanks to the style of furniture you have chosen, your color scheme, or how you have accessorized.
However, in just the same way your décor choices can make your room feel smaller, there are plenty of clever interior design tricks that will make your space feel much bigger.
Light paint
The very best way to open up space is to opt for white walls, letting maximum light travel around the room. If brilliant white is not your thing, opting for a lighter shade rather than something darker will still give a more spacious feel.
So ditch navy and burgundy and opt for whites, creams or pastel colors.
To add texture and contrast to plain walls, choose light-colored natural wood for doors, furniture, and decorative accents which look beautiful and will not darken the space.
Mirrors
Doing the same job as the white paint, mirrors reflect light around the room – opening it up. For maximum reflection, go for an oversized or a full-length mirror propped against the wall or place wall-hung mirrors opposite windows where they most catch the light.
Online home interior brand Hemsly stock a range of simple, light wood framed mirrors, which are the perfect decorative pieces to bring light to a room.
Remove clutter
Having lots of small objects and accessories in a room is the quickest way to make it feel like a claustrophobic space.
If your space is at a minimum, have a good clear out, get rid of everything that is not functional, and only then chose a select few items which are purely decorative.
You do not have to go for a completely minimalist interior scheme, but getting rid of the clutter will work wonders for enlarging your space.
Avoid heavy fabrics
While opting for heavy fabrics on your soft furnishings can add a touch of opulence to space, you have to be careful in small spaces that do not make the room feel smaller.
Brocades look great against large windows but to make a room feel airier, you are better off sticking with voiles, neat blinds, or shutters.
If you would like to add some decadence with fabrics, you can, for example, go for a velvet sofa or scatter cushions.
Neat furniture
You want to choose furniture that allows light to move under and through it so avoid bulky sofas and solid-backed chairs.
Look for seating that has tapered wooden legs, for instance, and spindle-backed dining chairs.
As you can see, making space appear larger is all about getting light into and around the room. Anything which blocks the light or creates large areas of shadow will make your home feel smaller.
So with some careful planning, smaller homes can feel light, airy, and super stylish. Incorporate some of these design tips, and your place should suddenly start to feel a lot more spacious.
