How many times have you despaired that your house isn’t big enough? With a few adjustments and some sneaky design tricks, you can create a spacious haven that is relaxing rather than stressful to spend time in. Before you start, refer to our Rules of Design section – a room that is harmoniously designed will immediately feel more spacious.
De-clutter and Rearrange
If a room is looking too cluttered, think about its contents and what you can do to improve the situation. Use the rule that an object should be either useful or beautiful to be allowed in your room. Think about the whole house rather than just one room – can you swap furniture between rooms to make better use of the space, or perhaps move ornaments into a display cabinet in the hall instead of having them clutter surfaces in the living room.
The light drapes increase light in this room, and the storage area at the back means that clutter can be easily tidied away.
Tips and Tricks
Use advancing and receding colours on the walls to create an illusion of space – see our Colour section for more information.
Draw the eye to a window with careful placement of a plant or ornament, as the window (and the view out of it) will become a part of the room.
Paint skirtings a similar colour to the floor to make the floor space seem bigger.
Hang a large mirror on a wall (preferably opposite a window) to reflect and increase light, and give an illusion of additional space.
If you have a small room don’t be tempted to squash everything back against the walls to create space in the middle. Experiment with moving some furniture away from the walls, as the space around the furniture will actually make the room seem larger.
Stop the eye from wandering to the corners by placing a large painting in the centre of a wall.
Don’t block light from windows – use longer curtain poles so that drapes can be pulled right back and allow maximum light through, or use blinds instead of curtains for a cleaner line that will immediately look neater.
Net drapes allow plenty of natural light to filter through, while halogens help with the low ceiling. A wall-mounted tv means there is space for stylish and innovative storage.
Storage Solutions
A wardrobe in a hallway or porch can be used to keep coats and shoes in, and will immediately tidy up the area - even though it may take up the same amount of space, the clean lines of a piece of furniture look much neater than a mess of coats.
Invest in bespoke shelving to fit into a redundant space –remember that the horizontal lines of shelves will lengthen a room.
If you have a coffee table or side table, consider changing it for one with internal storage such as a chest or a set of drawers.
If you have a fireplace that is not used, consider opening it up or creating a cupboard or shelving inside it.
At myhome mygarden, we work with a number of interior designers throughout the UK and can provide you with a design service tailored to suit your needs. For more details on this, refer to our Interior Design Services section.
If there is any specific information you can not find on our site, please use our Ask the Experts facility or e-mail us.