How to……………Maximise your living space
According to recent research by the Yorkshire Bank, upgrading your property with just an additional bedroom could set you back an extra £80,000. Add to that the extreme stress of doing this, or of moving home and it’s not a friendly prospect. So why bother? Here are five top tips to maximise the space you already have, without the need to extend your property or move house:
1 – Create an illusion
However small your house may be, it’s possible to make it appear much larger simply by thinking about the decoration. Unifying colour schemes and floor coverings throughout the entire house will help each room flow into the next, giving the illusion of space. Pale colours such as white or cream will reflect light, making small homes appear bigger and brighter. However if you prefer dark colours, beware of contrast. Painting the entire room a darker shade and leaving the ceiling white will make it appear stunted, so be sure to blend the ceiling into the walls using a slightly paler shade of the same colour. Identical flooring throughout a home creates continuity and means the eye is not jumping from one room to the next, stopping at each new flooring – instead it flows through each room easily and sees one continual, larger space.
2 – Let there be light!
Natural light is arguably the most important aspect of a small property, especially if there are dark colours on the walls. However don’t worry if the windows in your property are quite small or don’t let in a lot of light – there are tricks to maximising whatever you have to work with. Placing mirrors opposite windows will give the impression of more light and will add depth to a room – making the room seem to continue beyond the wall. Window drapes and fittings can also make the most of both the window and the overall room. Hanging drapes as high as possible on the wall will move the eye upwards and make the ceilings appear higher. However if you feel that heavy drapes will drown out the wall space, hanging blinds uses no wall space at all – just be careful that the overall effect is not too clinical. When choosing your light fittings in a small room, remember that uplighters often make a room feel taller and brighter. Free standing lamps are good for soft lighting and eliminate the need for side-tables.
3 – Thinking out of the box can maximise storage space
Storage is a huge issue in a small house, so go for built-in cupboards or multi-functional furniture which can double up as storage. There are loads of tables, chairs and ottomans available which have storage space inside. Some tables are better at multi-tasking than others – some dining tables flip over to reveal pool tables, others have storage space under the lids or fold away to make side-tables. If your home has recesses in the walls, this is the perfect place for built-in storage as it makes use of otherwise unusable space. Another great place for storage is under the stairs, but make sure you build a unit into the alcove. Simply stacking things in there can make hallways look untidy and you will inevitably try and cram more in than can physically fit! And be imaginative – there are some great ideas for storage solutions, including turning the individual steps of your staircase into drawers – an idea taken from use in yachts!
4 – Use your wall space
A good way to free up floor space is to use the walls. Choose wall-hanging shelves or units to store and display your things – without clogging the room with bulky free-standing units. There are lots of companies that have a good choice of wall-mounted units designed specifically for living rooms, kitchens or bathrooms. It’s also extremely trendy at the moment to own a wall-mounted plasma-screen TV, which will also save floor space. Music and other entertainment systems can also hang on the wall. If you are happy with your existing free-standing units and prefer to use the walls for purely decorative purposes, try to arrange your artwork cleverly, so it makes the room look more spacious. Try stacking paintings vertically and off to one side of the wall rather than in the centre – this will draw the eye upwards and make the wall appear larger.
5 – Less is more
You don’t want to undo all of your hard work creating space by filling the room with unnecessary clutter! Less really is more and now is the time to be ruthless with your possessions. Take everything out of the room and only put back what you really want to keep – you will be surprised at the amount of stuff you’ve accumulated in the room which you don’t really need. Ask yourself whether each item in your home really adds beauty or just adds clutter – it’s better to have a few choice pieces on display than to make the space too busy. The same applies to patterns and details – too many different patterns in a small space is an unnecessary strain on the eye. It’s better to use simple, streamlined furniture and plain, serene upholstery and paintwork.
Following this advice your room should turn into a calm and clutter-free haven in which you can de-stress and relax. Enjoy your new spacious sanctuary!
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