Something that many people would agree upon is that it is always useful to have a little more space in the family home. Whether or not this is something you have thought much about, or if it is something you are only just starting to consider, you will find that there is much you can do to create this spacious effect in your home without too much trouble. The truth is that creating space in any home, even a very small one, is not too hard to do - as long as you use your intuition and think carefully about what you are working with. In this article, we are going to look room-by-room at what you might be able to do in your own home to increase the amount of perceived and actual space. Doing so is bound to improve your enjoyment of the home, and your ability to be truly relaxed within it.
The Living Room
Arguably one of the most important areas in the house, owing to its frequent usage and central position in the home, you will find that the living room also offers up some particularly difficult challenges when it comes to creating space. Generally, you won’t want to use this living area for too much storage, although there are always going to be one or two ways in which you can turn items of furniture into extra storage if you need to. The trick here is just instead to create a sense of space by ensuring that you are being carefully about the placement of furniture and other large items in that area. By thinking carefully and being a little clever about the layout, you will find that you can create a living space which not only does not detract from the spaciousness of the house, but actually seems to create more of it. Light is also particularly important in this part of the house, as it is where you are going to spend much of your time. Even if you don’t do anything about the lighting elsewhere, in the living room it is absolutely worthwhile finding a lamp or bulb which is not too harsh on the senses. This sense of comfort that comes from good lighting makes you feel more relaxed, and that is hugely beneficial for the psychological feeling of space. Similarly, be careful about what colours you use in this area, as some colours as particularly beneficial for creating a sense of space, and others particularly inhibitive.
The Bedroom
Clearly, the bedrooms are always going to be important, in part because the more space you appear to have there, the easier you will find it to nod off to sleep - and getting a decent night’s sleep is increasingly important in our modern lives. You might feel that there is not much you can do to give your bedroom more space than it currently has, but there are a few tricks which you might consider before signing it off completely. The bedroom tends to be notorious for ending up as a big storage area, and that is often most of the reason why it feels cramped in there. If that is true of your bedroom, consider doubling up the bed as a storage area for items you do not regularly need. You can do this by using ottoman beds, for instance, which you can open up and have storage underneath. You might also want to think about hanging a full-length mirror in your bedroom. Not only is this just useful anyway, but it also means that the illusion of space is increased greatly. This is particularly helpful if you have an especially small bedroom.
The Bathroom
Because it is usually the smallest room of the house, it can be especially challenging to make the bathroom appear larger and more spacious. That being said, there are always things that you can do to achieve exactly that effect, and it’s worth remembering that if you feel you are a little stuck as to what you can do. First of all, consider hanging a second mirror somewhere where the first mirror that you already have in there reflects it back. This will help hugely in making the room feel larger, and yet it is a simple solution and easily done. You might also want to make sure that you are using only light and plain colours in the bathroom, as that way you will be certain of being able to keep it fresh and spacious. Finally, if you really want to actually create more space, then consider replacing the tub with a luxury shower cabin, or upgrading the toilet to a more modern mini-cistern one. All of this will make a considerable difference the long run, and you will find that the smallest room in the house is suddenly actually surprisingly spacious.
The Kitchen
Here’s a fact that all estate agents know: the kitchen is the single most important room in the house. What does this mean? Simply that it is often the first place that potential buyers want to see, and the one they talk about most. For this reason among others, it is also one of the most important for adding real value to a home. It is also, in many homes, chronically under-used and over-burdened with excess stuff, which tends to only make it lose its sense of spaciousness and feel a little cramped on the whoe. If that is true of your kitchen, don’t fear - there are many things you can do to remedy this situation. Firstly, make sure that you are using the kitchen for its intended purpose only. That means doing away with any clutter and not using it as a general dumping-ground. Also ensure that you have the right kind of cupboards for your kitchen and that it is designed properly. If not, you might need an overhaul to make sure it is working to its fullest capacity. This will increase the space, and that will help the feeling of space in the whole home.
