Small apartments are practical and give an appealing sense of intimacy, but no one likes to feel cramped and overwhelmed with stuff. Here’s how you can trick the eye and make your space seem much bigger than it really is.
Some choose to live on limited square footage because they don’t want to deal with too much cleaning and maintenance. Others simply have no choice. Whatever your situation, a sense of spaciousness and comfort is always welcome – and that’s what small apartment dwellers are often challenged with.
Small is cute and cozy, but there are a couple of downsides, too. Rooms that lack space tend to be confining by their very nature, and there are still all those personal belongings accumulated over the years and household goods that you have to find place for.
When decorated at random, small living spaces can really feel cluttered, chaotic and cramped, but luckily, there are some easy fixes that you can use to make a small room look more airy. Color techniques, clever choice of furniture, proper arrangement and some other easy fixes will help you create the illusion of extra space in your home.
Lighten it up
This one is really a no-brainer. Just like with clothes, dark colors make things seem smaller and slimmer, but this is not what we’re trying to achieve here. If you want to make a small living area appear bigger than it really is, don’t paint the walls chocolate brown or polo blue.
Light colors, on the other hand, are fabulous space expanders. They make the room feel open and airy as they are more reflective and enhance the effect created and by natural light. Some of the colors that will instantly turn a compact interior into a seemingly bigger space are icy blues, creams, pale gray and light greens . Also, lightening up the floor can add to the optical illusion. If you cannot redo flooring, a large are rug is a good alternative that will give your apartment a few extra square inches of space.
{Source: Danielle Oakey Interiors}
One or two throw pillows with large geometric patterns will not do harm, of course, but too many bold prints in a tiny interior can make the room feel busy and cluttered, especially if they appear on a large surface. If you really want to have a decorative wallpaper, choose small, delicate prints in pastel colors. The same applies to rugs. If you need a strong accent, it is better to make a statement with modern wall art and keep the rest of the room solid. The more unified the elements of décor, the bigger your room will appear.
Use wise contrasts
The fact that it’s best to go pale and monochromatic doesn’t mean there is no place for contrasts at all. A clever trick used by interior decorators is painting the walls, trim, and molding in different shades of one color, the walls always being slightly darker. If you paint the walls icy blue or beige and have the moldings and trim bright white, the walls will appear further back and thus the room will seem somewhat bigger than in reality. A similar effect can be achieved if you pair a pastel wall with bright white furniture.
{Source: Cococozy}
Blend and link
It has already been pointed out – the more unified the décor of a tiny apartment, the greater the illusion of space will be. If you have a kitchen that opens to the living room (or any other adjacent spaces with little or no clear division), link them with the same flooring and wall color. Keeping to one color will give an impression of a larger living area. Also, consider having at least some of the bigger furniture pieces like chests of drawers or armories the same color as the walls, so they can blend together and visually widen out the room.
{Source: Danielle Oakey Interiors}
Let light in
Natural light is an unfailing space expander, so if you have large windows, make full use of them and keep window treatment to minimum. By leaving your windows uncovered and allowing plenty of natural light to flow freely inside the room, you will connect the room with the outdoors and create the illusion of depth. Elaborate window treatments draw too much attention, visually divide the room (they provide undesired contrast) and make it feel enclosed. If you don’t want to leave your windows completely bare, use simple sheer panels that blend with the color of the walls or are slightly lighter and keep them pulled back.
{Source: graciepi}
This one is not about fooling the eye – it is about making you space physically less cluttered. Double duty furniture pieces are priceless additions to any apartment, but if you’re particularly short on space, make them your holy grail of decorating. A comfy ottoman can transforms into a serving table (and don’t forget there’s plenty of storage space inside), a wall-hugging console can be opened to create a dining table suitable for many guests, a dresser can pulls its weight as a nightstand, and even what seems to be a desk for office work, can be turned into a twin bed with one easy motion.
Be transparent
Even furniture pieces that are moderate in size can make a small room feel cramped, but limited square footage doesn’t mean you have to live like in a squat, with just a mattress and a camping stove. Acrylic furniture is a great way out if you want to have a fully furnished apartment (with dining chairs, desk chair, console, etc.), but fear that it might make the space look cluttered.
Transparent furniture pieces blend seamlessly with the interior and look as if they weren't there at all. At the same time, they stand out enough to make a powerful style statement and give an instant upgrade to any decorating scheme – the so-called ghost chairs are one of the most sought after furniture items in the world.
{Source: Houzz}
To be continued......
Article source: Decorlove
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ReplyDeleteThese tips for making a small room appear larger are fantastic! I especially love the ideas about using mirrors and light colors to create an illusion of space. Thanks for sharing these practical tricks—they're super helpful for anyone looking to maximize their living area!
ReplyDeleteKalanruoto