If you’re looking to make a room or even a smaller home feel more spacious, there are many tricks and ideas that you can try. From simply lightening up the space to decluttering the environment, you can feel less crowded without spending large amounts of time and money. Here are 12 ways to give small spaces the illusion of something more:
Keep the Room Light and Airy
Choose light-colored furniture, rugs, and fabrics to help give the space an airy feel. If possible, also opt for light, wood flooring instead of carpet, especially dark carpet. In the bathroom, go with a sheer or clear shower curtain. Darker colors are definitely still winners when it comes to making a space feel more intimate, but cooler colors (like blues and greens) or a neutral tone like grey, white, or beige opens up a small room.
Use Built-In Storage Pieces
Using furniture pieces that double as storage units helps with organization. A less cluttered room with more versatile pieces gives the space a minimalist feel that makes it appear larger. Think of a light ottoman or a glass coffee table with storage underneath.
Invest in Plantation Shutters for Natural Light
Soft, natural light contributes to the airy feel of your space. Rooms with a lot of natural light appear larger and more inviting. Plantation shutters allow you to filter sunlight to create the perfect ambiance for your living space. Open the slats to reveal as much sunlight as you’d like during the day, completely transforming the feel of the space, but easily close the slats for night relaxation. Plus, all-wooden plantation shutters lend a strong aesthetic value to any room. Like giant art pieces that draw the eye’s attention, plantation shutters make a dramatic statement, filling spaces with natural beauty and sunlight.
Declutter Your Shelves
Take care when displaying small decorations, like knick knacks and tchotchkes. Too many small items quickly clutter shelves, making spaces feel small and crowded. To really open up a room, try to keep just a few items on display at a time.
Paint the Walls Cool and Neutral Colors
If your walls are painted dark or warm colors (like red), your room will likely still feel small even with lighter furniture pieces. Consider painting your room a light color, particularly a color that matches your furniture. You might also consider painting the baseboards and trim a shade lighter than the walls, further using the paint to open up the space and make it feel bigger.
Think Big When It Comes to Art and Seating Arrangements
You might think that large art pieces will overpower a small room, but a few large wall hangings will actually make the room feel bigger. By that same token, a single large couch or seating surface will also make a room feel more spacious than if you have many small seating options in the room.
Make Use of Your Ceilings
We don’t think a lot about our ceilings, but taking the time to paint a pop of color onto your ceiling or add decals is another way to draw the eye to the top of the room, making the space seem bigger. You can also choose shelving that goes from your ceiling to the floor for another way to open up your space.
Color Coordinate
Books, shoes, vases, or other similar things on display in the room can be arranged by color to really make the room feel organized and tied together. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, for instance, with the novels arranged by color will give the illusion of a much more spacious room.
Keep Furniture Low to the Ground and Away from the Walls
Try to choose couches and tables that are low to the ground to create the feeling of a larger space. If possible, resist the temptation to push your furniture against the walls. Instead, play around with ways to bring your furniture away from walls, like placing a small table behind the couch, or simply having that free space. Seeing the separation between the wall and the couch tricks the eye into thinking that there is more space in the room.
Use Glass and Mirrors
Go even further when it comes to selecting light furniture by choosing plexiglass chairs or glass tables. The more of the room that you can see through your furniture, the bigger that it will appear. Mirrors, too, can be strategically hung alongside your wall art to reflect the sunlight coming in from your plantation shutters. They can also be hung in a way that allows them to reflect the room itself.
Use Lamps Instead of Typical Lighting
Most spaces have overhead lighting choices, but a few lamps in a small space is what will make the room seem bigger. Combine the lamp lighting with the soft sunlight from your shutters to really give the space a roomy, comfortable feel. Like your furniture, choosing lamps in whites, blues, or greens will contribute to further opening up the space.
Make Some Room
Like moving your furniture away from the wall, creating as much space as possible within a room will help it to feel less small. Try to find seating surfaces that have the legs exposed to make the floor visible. If you need more than one seating surface or multiple tables, seek out pieces that fold up and away rather than placing many small tables and sofas all throughout the room.
When it comes to opening up your space, you don’t have to sacrifice the colors, furniture, or displayed collections that you love. Instead, think of ways to use these tips to open up your space while still incorporating your own design ideas.
Your windows have a major impact on the way that your room looks and feels. You fill your living space with the finest furniture and art selections. Remember to do the same with your window treatments. Heavy draperies, while pretty, weigh down a room and don’t filter sunlight. Custom made, authentic wood plantation shutters from Shenandoah Shutters are elegant and timeless. Our shutters are handcrafted to blend in with your high quality furniture and let you control the light.
Contact us today to add natural sunlight to your space and add value to your home with our stunning plantation shutters.
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