7 Ways to Stretch a Space and Make It Seem Larger
Thankfully, there are some tried and true tricks that we love because they improve every space, regardless of size or pitfalls. These simple tips for small spaces don’t cost a love of money and can make a big impact right away. They’re all about taking advantage of what you have. Some are ideas for creating extra storage, while others will help you visually stretch your space.
Give these tips a try:
Space-Saving Solutions for Small Spaces
1. Lighting
The right lighting can be the difference between an open, airy space and a dark, dingy one. To take advantage of natural lighting, make sure your window treatments are made of light fabric, both in color and weight.
If you don’t have much natural lighting, invest in some artificial lighting and place it strategically throughout the space to make sure every corner is illuminated. For a small space, mounted sconces or hanging pendants are great choices so they don’t take up any surface or floor space.
2. Cohesive Colors
One of the quickest ways to chop up a small space is to use too many colors on walls and large pieces of furniture. To visually stretch a space, keep all the walls the same color (except maybe one accent wall) and have most of your furniture match the walls.
By keeping most of the space in the same color family, it will open it up and trick your eye into believing it is more expansive than it is. Only vary the shades of color slightly and use pops of color in smaller accents.
3. Multi-Purpose Furniture
Make your furniture do more work by having some of the pieces serve more than one purpose. For example, a banquette as your dining room seating could have drawers underneath it for extra storage. Your kitchen bar could have shelving on the non-kitchen facing side for books or baskets. You can slide containers under the bed, too, to hold out-of-season clothes and other items.
4. Go Upward
It is easy to focus what is at eye level in your space, so a lot of people forget that there is a ton of empty wall space stretching up to the ceiling. Take advantage of this space for extra storage, especially in spots like the kitchen pantry, closets or linen closets.
You can even add storage above doorways and thresholds by installing shelving, which can hold books, boxes or baskets. The same goes for the top of your bookcases that you already have – slide some pretty boxes or baskets on top of them to hold extra items.
5. Choose Only Things You Love
A good rule of thumb is to only choose and keep things that you really love. It can be easy to hoard things for sentimental value or other reasons that result in you having excess things that you don’t really want or need, but are struggling to find a place for.
When decluttering your home, ask yourself: do I really love this? If not, sell it or donate it to someone who will. This will not only help you love your home more, but will also reduce the clutter and make your space feel larger.
6. Try Different Furniture Arrangements
The right arrangement of furniture can make all the difference in a space. Sometimes, the most “obvious” arrangement isn’t always the best, so try moving it around to create a better flow. Angling the furniture can often be the simple change that opens it up.
If a space is still feeling cramped, you can also try removing some of the pieces (like the end table or coffee table) to see if that makes a difference. If it does, you’ll know that you either need to switch them out to an alternative with less visual weight or get rid of them entirely.
7. Mirrors
Mirrors are one of our favorite tricks for making any space feel larger. They can literally “stretch” a room by tricking your eye into believing there is more space than there actually is. They also reflect light, which will brighten it up.
Large mirrors look very chic and can have the greatest effect on opening up a space. However, even smaller mirrors can have a big impact on the perceived size of a home. Use them strategically and you’ll see results immediately.
Try these 7 tricks to make any small space feel larger and we guarantee you’ll see a difference. Want some more personalized advice? Contact us to learn more about our affordable virtual decorating services!