In today’s age of urbanization, most of us must be quite familiar with the charms and challenges of small living spaces. As our cities grow bigger and bolder, our rooms tend to get more compact.
If done well, our living space would give us the feeling of coziness, but often we have to face the problem of cramming our possessions in those small rooms leaving them claustrophobic. It all boils down to tricking the eye into perceiving more space by employing three simple concepts: scale, light, and movement.
So here are a few tips which will help us make our rooms feel restful and spacious.
The Game Of Proportions
Instead of getting bulky, weighty sofas with stuffing that ends up brushing up the sides of the room, try opting for sleeker options. The little gaps between the walls and the rest of the furniture give a sense of spaciousness to the room. Another clever idea would be to use mirrors hung on walls instead of big bulky art pieces. In short, get things proportional to the room which would give a sense of spaciousness.
Keeping A Low Profile
If a room is compact and has a low vertical profile, getting furniture lower to the ground will surely help the room look and feel spacious and big. For instance, a low bed, even a king size will give this vibe of space and openness in the room. One could even consider placing the mattresses directly on the floor as they leave more space above them.
Butterflies Are Beautiful
Openness and movement of air are essential to be able to create the illusion of a big, spacious room. A set of furniture that is streamlined and bare to the bone will not only let air flow over it but also through it.
For instance, a set of butterfly chairs would serve as a good seating option as well as let air move freely through the room rendering it a lively, big, and open vibe. Instead of a big bulky wooden bookshelf, one could go for a custom-designed sleek, thin frame with open ends and transparent shelves either made up of a glass of transparent fiberglass.
Mirrors Mirrors
In a small and compact room, mirrors on the wall would create this illusion of a bigger room as light bounces off the mirror, creating a well-lit environment. The clever positioning of a mirror near a light source, like a lamp or a window, would create this unique effect of having two lamps or windows giving the room great aesthetics. The room and light will be reflected, resulting in a more open feeling. Top a coffee table or side table with a piece of beveled plate mirror or purchase a mirrored chest of drawers for a similar effect.
The Color Confusion
It is no news that white is the most reflective color there is. So, if we have a small room and wish to create a sense of openness, ditching the colors and going all-white on the room would be a great idea.
Painting the room white would minimize the visible creases and boundaries between the floor, walls, and ceiling, making the room look taller and more spacious.
If the furniture present in the room, has a rich, contrasting color to that of the room, will tend to make a room appear smaller than it already is. Articles of furniture that have a similar color scheme too that of the wall color are less jarring and tend to blend with the space around it, giving the illusion of a bigger room.
Fabrics
The key to making a small room look big is to minimize the stuff in the room. A rug would be a viable exclusion from a small room. Rugs tend to give the room a full, heavy feel, which might make it look and feel a bit suffocating. For drapes and curtains, the fabric should allow a breeze and be of a light color, as the appearance of the room would be majorly dependent on the amount of light and air flowing through. Curtains stop the eye from taking in the view outside, even if they don’t cover the whole window. And drapes and curtains just add more “stuff” to the room. Eliminating them keeps the space simple. If you want privacy, consider shutters or lightweight mesh, or cloth blinds.
Table covers and bed covers of dark, contrasting colors are bound to give a heavy, clustered feel to the room. Opt for white or lighter shades of grey. One could even consider floral vines or plain stripes to add a fun element whilst keeping that open, spacious profile of the room.
Simple Yet Elegant
A good amount of emphasis should be given to the fact that to make a small room appear big, one must prevent too many items from ending up in the room. Keeping the space as open and empty as possible is an innovative idea. Even the art on the walls should give out this soothing, pleasant, and easy-on-the-eyes vibe. Work out ways to get collections out of view, organized behind doors, on table skirts, or on shelves. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open. Small spaces are all about editing. The more pieces, possessions, and patterns you have in a room, the more cluttered it will feel. Avoid too many knickknacks or at least group them so they read as an installation. The same goes with art; concentrate your framed pieces on one or two walls. Avoid busy patterns and overwhelming colors.
Glass Does The Trick
A well-established fact is that an abundance of light in a small room will definitely make it appear big. But light, when hits an opaque surface, would either get absorbed or scattered in ways not intended.
Where mirrors reflect the light to make a room appear well-lit, stuff made of glass will aid the flow of light in a room. Radiance would travel the room with ease if there is stuff present in the room made up of glass instead of opaque material like wood or plastic. For example, a tabletop made from glass is sure to give a small room some character. With a sturdy base of wood, stone, or metal, the space around the table will open up the view beyond.
How Tall Are You?
Given that a room is small and needs to feel spacious, there is a way that cleverly uses the vertical aspect of the room to create an illusion of spaciousness. A tall shelf or a bare hanging lamp will put some emphasis on the vertical space of the room giving the room a pronounced dimension.
A bulb hanging from the ceiling would also eliminate the need for a grounded lamppost, saving some more space as well as giving a touch of style to the room.
Enter The Fold
When we fold things, they tend to take up less space. Applying this concept to your furniture might be one of the most brilliant ways to save up space in your room while still having enough furniture to fulfill your needs. We all have seen big bulky dining tables with chairs around them eating up space, giving a very claustrophobic look to the dining area. Now imagine a squared-off table with well-designed chairs that simply slide under the table, fitting like pieces of a puzzle.
Imagine a sofa that unfolds first to a comfortable lounge chair and further transforms into a decent bed.
A bookshelf that converts into a table, a bed converting into a tv cabinet. I am sure if we go online and search the internet, we could find thousands of innovative ideas like these. One could even purchase these finished products and save up some space.
Let Me Pass
Finally, arrange the room in such a way that the passage is well-clear and free of obstructions. A mindful placement of the furniture and other contents of the room will end up giving it a good appearance, as well as preventing the people in it from bumping around into things. You can also choose short pieces of furniture like an ottoman, an armless open chair, or a low table, and place large, tall pieces along a wall rather than out in the open space. If you can see the floor, the room will look larger.
One’s living space, whether it is a villa on an island or a studio apartment in a city that seldom sleeps, is a place where one expects to find comfort after a long day. Now if that room looks all crammed up and unorganized, it might leave an unpleasant experience. Furnishing a room can be space-consuming and make a room look small as it tends to fill up the room quickly. But if done the right way being smart about it, one could have both the comforts and rewards of furniture whilst giving an open and spacious vibe in a small room.
Now equipping you with all the ideas, it’s time to apply the things you’ve learned. But unironically furniture can be expensive but we’ve got you covered there too. With Push Post app you can buy great furniture for a fraction of the cost. Don’t wait too long, make your room spacious with less but useful furniture. Download the Push Post app now.