Whether you are a homeowner or renter, making your home feel bigger without structural changes is possible. Adding a few simple design tricks to your space can make it feel more open and airy.
First, it is important to avoid cluttered spaces. Clutter blocks the view into the room and makes it feel smaller.
1. Paint Your Walls Lighter
Lighting is crucial in any home, but it’s even more important when you want your space to feel larger. Lighter colors reflect more light, making rooms feel bright and airy. Darker hues absorb light, which can make spaces feel smaller. When you are looking for a new color scheme, stick to light neutrals or cool shades of blue and green to create the illusion of more space.
It’s also a good idea to get rid of any clutter or decorative items that may be blocking light from reaching the bottom of your room. Having a clean and uncluttered home will help your space feel bigger and more open.
If you’re not willing or able to make structural changes to your home, there are plenty of other ways to learn how to make your home feel bigger. For example, installing internal glass sliding doors can bring more natural light into your home and help to visually open up a space.
Another easy way to make a small space feel larger is by adding more windows. This allows the eye to wander outside, giving you a sense of realisation that your home is much bigger than it actually is.
One of the most overlooked areas of a room when it comes to maximizing space is the ceiling. By painting or adding wallpaper to your ceiling, you can create the illusion of height and make a room feel taller. Choosing a lighter color for the ceiling will also open up the space and make it appear more airy. If you’re feeling bold, you can even add a dark accent wall to your space to play with the visual perspective and contrast it with lighter walls.
2. Go for Larger Pieces
Adding oversized decor is a great way to make a home feel bigger, but it is important to get the proportions right. Using too many large pieces can actually make a space feel small and crowded, so it is important to balance them out with smaller or even mid-sized furniture.
Another tip is to keep furniture low to the ground. This will open up the space above it and make it feel larger, especially if you have tall ceilings. For the same reason, it is a good idea to use chairs and sofas with legs instead of ones that sit directly on the floor. Finally, if you can, opt for clear or glass furniture as this will also show off more of the room’s space.
Clutter is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to making a space feel small, so make sure you declutter on a regular basis. Also, be sure to avoid blocking walkways with large furniture and furniture that is too close together, as this will make the space feel constrained and cramped.
Light colors can also help a space feel bigger, so opting for lighter paint and fabrics is always a good idea. Additionally, if you can, switch out your flooring for wide plank wood or tile to instantly make a room feel bigger. These changes won’t be as costly as structural changes, but will have a huge impact on how your home feels! If you aren’t able to invest in new flooring, try adding mirrors to the wall, as these will instantly double natural light and create the illusion of more space. They are also a budget friendly way to add some color and style to any space.
3. Use Mirrors
As anyone who has lived in a smaller space knows, the simplest trick for making your home feel bigger is to use mirrors. This is because they add brightness, and can reflect light in the space to make it seem bigger. This is a great trick to use in any room, but especially in rooms that don’t get much natural light, such as bathrooms or bedrooms.
You can hang a mirror on a wall to instantly make it look larger, or place one on a furniture piece such as a dresser. This will not only brighten up the room, but it will also make the space look more open since it can reflect a view or a piece of art that you might have in the room. You can even place mirrors on doors, which will help to open up a room and give it a spacious feeling.
Another great use for a mirror is to place it on the back of a cabinet door or closet door. This will instantly open up the room and give it a more spacious feeling. You can also use a large mirror to add more depth to your room, by placing it near a window or against a wall with a beautiful view.
You can even use a mirrored coffee table to add the illusion of more space to your room. This is a great way to add more light and openness to your room without spending too much money. Just be sure that the coffee table has a sleek and modern design, such as this Coylin Cocktail Table by Ashley Furniture. This coffee table features a clear glass top and sleek brushed nickel supports, so it will look as if it takes up very little space.
4. Optimize Your Rugs
Rugs help soften the impact of footsteps and offer a cozy touch to your floors. They also establish the breadth of a room and create depth. When choosing area rugs, be sure to leave about a foot of space between the edge of the rug and the wall to suggest more floor space. Also, keep in mind that rugs are more likely to get wet than carpeting, so you should have a good quality vacuum cleaner and plenty of kitchen towels on hand to blot spills quickly. You should also consider having a waterproof rug liner underneath your area rugs to protect them from water damage and prevent mold or mildew.
The wrong size rug can make a room look tiny and throw off the whole room’s vibe, so it is important to measure before buying. Also, be careful about color – while a neutral palette works in most spaces, the colors of your rugs can have an impact on how big or small a room feels. For example, a blue or black rug from the Kaleen Chancellor Collection can work well in a north-facing room, but one with green tones may not.
Minimalism is key when it comes to home decor, as clutter can quickly make a room feel smaller and more crowded. Keep only the essentials on display – larger vases, picture frames and clocks are better than lots of little knick-knacks. Additionally, light colored accessories are best as they reflect the available light and make the space feel bigger. Consider a striped runner to elongate narrow spaces and a patterned wallpaper for added visual interest. Lastly, don’t forget to swap out your lighting for more brighter fixtures and use mirrors to enhance the light in the room.
5. Keep It Clean
Keeping your home clean is important for more than just feeling good about the way it looks. A clean home is also healthier for you and can help prevent diseases that can be transmitted from germy surfaces. Even the garden was transformed by keeping it clean and well-maintained. And while many people find cleaning a chore, there are a few tricks that can make it easier and more enjoyable so you’ll actually do it.
One of the best ways to make your home feel bigger without making any structural changes is to start with a declutter. You’ll be surprised how much smaller a space can look when everything is out of place or not used on a regular basis. It may take some time to get your house fully decluttered, but it’s well worth the effort for the health and cleanliness benefits.
Another way to make your home feel larger is to focus on minimalism with your home decor. You don’t want to overcrowd your space with too many items, so limit yourself to a few statement pieces that can make an impact on their own. It’s also a good idea to invest in light-colored flooring, as this will make your home appear brighter and more spacious.
Finally, don’t forget to keep your home well-lit. This will not only make your room feel larger, but it will also keep you healthy by cutting down on eye strain and improving moods. Avoid heavy draperies, and if necessary, install more lights to maximize the available natural light in your rooms.
We all love the feeling of a clean and organized home, especially when we’re hosting guests or just enjoying the view from our backyard. But sometimes it can feel like a big job to keep your Bothell-area home looking this way.