Tips for making a space seem larger.

We need to live with the spaces we have, whether they are an apartment, a dorm room, or a small home. To make them seem larger and help make them feel less crowded, try one or more of these ideas.

Lighting, glass and color play a part making this two room apartment feel larger.

1) Lighten up.  Yes, light does make spaces seem larger. If you use up-lights under large pieces of furniture or in dark corners, the illusion is that more space exists.  Rather than leaving corners empty, try adding a table and lamp.  Mirrors that reflect natural daylight are a great way to 'add' space as well. Even if you don't have windows, place a lamp in front of a mirror on the darkest, largest wall and see how it brightens and enlarges the space. Using glass table tops, insets with lighted shelves for cabinets,  and even remove doors to rooms to allow light in.

2) Arrange furniture wisely.  A few ideas on this topic work well in small spaces. First is scaling the pieces to work in the space. Don't purchase large, rolled arm sofas when you have a 10' x 10' room. Instead, opt for a loveseat and even armless chairs; you add seating without mass.  Two, floating furniture away from the walls DOES make it seem as though the room is larger. It allows you to walk around and through the furnishings giving a grander apparent space.  Third, angling furniture on short walls - placing pieces together can help like a table backed up to a loveseat - since your eye sees a longer wall dimension, hence, space.

3) Color counts.  If you can keep the largest pieces in the same tone as the walls, they will blend in and make a room feel wider.  Lighter colors do tend to make spaces look larger, although breaking that 'rule' works if other elements - lighting, scale, and accents - help the eye travel around a space. Monochromatic schemes in neutral colors work well, adding back an accent hue to draw attention to points around the room.


4) Raise things up.  Even if your ceilings are only 8' high, there are several tricks to give the illusion of height in a room. Place window coverings above the windows so they seem taller. Use moldings and other architectural elements to raise the eye up - a crown, medallions for hanging fixtures, tall shelves to the ceiling.  Hang light fixtures slightly higher, and do the same with artwork. 

5) Make things function well. Need a desk, a table, some storage? Find or make a piece that performs all three functions and save space.  In dorms and apartments, a work desk usually becomes a dining table, and placed on a wall - possibly perpendicular - allows you to add shelving for books and office 'stuff' and still make the desk feel like a table. When looking for ways to divide a space - say the bed area from the sofa area - use open shelving that can house a TV, lighting, decorative and functional items, and look good doing so. Console tables can make ideal desks, and even dining tables. Backed up to an open backed sofa, creates a great dining area with instant seating. Using benches for seating around tables adds storage for quick access.

Ten tips to update your home.

Try these tips for updating quickly and easily:

Two hours and two cans of paints gave this accent wall a new look.

1) Paint.  The changes to a room from updating the walls are tremendous. Does that mean you need to do all of the walls...NO.  The addition of one accent wall, freshening up just the trim and doors, adding a faux effect up to chair rail height, can be done in hours.  How about re-painting an old dresser and using it in the entry?

2) Lighting.  Update the outdated fixtures. (see Blog Jan 8th for detailed information). If the budget allows, change the ones that have the most impact on the room...the dining fixture, a kitchen light...and don't forget that new shades have a big impact.

Organize shelves for a clutter-free look.

3) Clean.  Having a clutter-free space does give a sense of newness. Easy ways to reduce clutter are a) store mail and newspapers in wicker baskets or decorative paper boxes, b) organize bookshelves, c) hide unused toys inside inexpensive wicker hampers, d) tuck the items from your home office/dining room into storage containers and stack them on a new shelf for easy access.

4) Position. Change the layout of your larger room.  Try moving the sofa to a new wall, arranging furniture horizontally versus vertically in the space, and swapping the position of tables and lamps. 

Adding sconces and a group of prints, was a quick update.

5) Pillows. Change the color and texture of pillows on the larger furniture pieces. Add a throw or take one away. Can you swap the bedroom pillows and throws with those in the living room? If not, and there is no budget for new ones, try to re-order them, cover the face with a napkin and then tie on ribbon like a gift box.

6) Hardware.  Replace the hardware on kitchen cabinets and key pieces. Have a knob? Try a pull.  Changing from brass or chrome to a black finish will be dramatic. It's an easy change and you can bargain hunt big box stores for sets of pulls and knobs.


7) Swap it.  This applies to artwork, accessories, candles and even furniture - if you are ambitious. Moving art on the walls gives new perspective to a room...and of course, the art!  Create a group of accessories rather than spreading them around. Change candles..color and size. If you move furniture, try re-purposing pieces.



 

Adding glass & cabinet lighting in uppers was a quick update that transformed this kitchen.

8) Re-face. Give your appliances and/or cabinets a face-lift. Change the panels on dishwashers and refrigerators (can you reverse what you have?). Use appliance spray paint to re-color. Cut the center of some cabinet doors out and add glass.

9) Lighten up. Add light to your rooms. Using a mirror, reflect the light from a window to the interior. No window? Place a table lamp or even a picture light in front of the mirror. If you can, add lighting to the perimeter, under cabinets, inside armoires and bookcases... use low wattage LED ropes or strips.

Adding a plant and a picture dressed up this chest.

10) Add greens.  Like paint, plants and flowers have a huge impact on rooms.  Soften a hard corner with a tall plant or even curly willow in a large vase. Place fresh flowers on your kitchen counter, a living room table, or other noticeable place.  Hang a seasonal wreath on the wall, from a shelf or on an inside door. Can you use your own garden? Even better.

My FAVORITE THINGS ideas for your home!

These are some of my favorite things to create warm and unique spaces. Try using them

Lighting. A great pendant, a shapely table lamp, and even an architectural floor lamp, can be a dramatic accessory and a focal point to a room. With one table lamp on a corner end table having the right scale and color, you can complete the decor and add function.  See our lighting blog in December

 

Candlesticks: Whether you like classic turned wooden candlesticks or sleek glass ones, using real or flame less candles, nestled in the right place in your room, adds drama, softness, romance, and light

 Wreaths: Bringing a bit of color to your doors, fireplace, table, and even your cook top, with a great wreath. You can certainly bring seasonal warmth to these areas, but why not use one year-round. Boxwood, grapevine and twig and vine are some that can be dried, real or faux and look great all the time

 Orchids: Even if you don't have a green thumb, a flowering orchid plant will add an elegant feel to a room, soften a harsh corner and look refreshing. They're delicate and look expensive, and you can find them in most big box hardware stores for under $20.  Add a group in a blue and white vessel for a traditional look or a single plant in a chocolate brown cache pot for a modern feel

Vases. Empty or full, glass or ceramic, vases can add a finishing touch to any room.  Varying the scale, the shape and texture and adding a plant or leaving it empty creates focal points and add color.  The glass vases in this kitchen space bring a soft blue to a crisp white space, and the white-on-white textured vases on the table add interest

Books: While I love open space on tables, books add a lived in feel, an architectural element, and sophistication to consoles, end tables and coffee tables. Placing them at an angle, as in this small apartment, is both practical - these are study guides covered with wallpaper - and attractive

Blue and white.  In nearly all decorating styles, classic blue and white vases, bowls, lamps and urns add a wonderful, warm touch. As a collection or simply by itself, a blue and white vase looks elegant, adds a sense of antiquity, and a fresh look to a space

 Mirrors: With the ability to add light to a room, provide detail and wall art, mirrors are one of the most versatile design accessories...not to mention functional!  They can add more apparent space to a small room. Create a focal point in a dining room, an entry, or a master bathroom. By using floor mirrors you can even make a narrow hallway appear wider, and a low-ceiling room appear taller!   Be aware of what the mirror is reflecting...a drab wall or the tops of furniture, won't add to the impact of using one

 Area rugs: The ability to define or divide a space can come from an area rug. Add visual interest, scale, pattern and texture to any room. Change the perception of dimension. Enjoy the variety of materials, but get the BEST you can afford.  For neutral looks with detail, add a great border as shown here..with sisal and a crisp brown leather edge

 Panel curtains:  To add softness to any window, adding panels - even with existing blinds - will do the trick.  Have a small window? Flanking it with panels can make the window look larger.  Need a bit of texture or color? A great fabric panel curtain can add the layer to finish your space.  Of course they are functional!  Add privacy, block the cold, divide a space

Small space design

Need to make the most of your small apartment, room, cottage or other space? Try these ideas...

1)  Use color.  Accenting a sofa, the windows, and art on the wall, etc... will draw the eye towards color and can visually enlarge a space. White is NOT the only way to make spaces seem larger. Pattern too, draws the eye towards it so don't be afraid of large scale on wall coverings, window treatments and furniture. Group art and photos together to make a visual statement, rather than spreading small pieces around a space.

2) Make things function in more than one way.  Need a table and a shelf and a room divider? Purchase or make a piece that can do all of those things. An open backed piece with interior shelves, at 30" high, can resolve all three issues.  Be creative. Re-purpose furnishings. Need art? Hang hard-to-store necklaces or jewelry from pins on fabric boards and get storage and custom artwork.

3) Raise things up. Can you create a platform for a bed and use the space underneath as a desk or storage area? You don't need to make things 'standing height' if the ergonomics work otherwise while using the space. Increasing the scale of furniture used in small spaces is OK too. Larger scale pieces, used well, do give the impression that a room is larger.

4) Lighten up.  Literally.  Carefully selected layered lighting along with mirrors, can completely change the apparent space. Be careful with what the mirror reflects!  Dress windows lightly but don't sacrifice privacy. Remove interior doors when possible to create a floor-through impression. Use glass to divide spaces rather than knocking down all walls.

5) De-clutter.  The more things that are out-of-sight or organized, the more open a space seems.  Use decorative boxes for paperwork and sorting, baskets for storage, closed storage units versus open-shelves, and even hide your desk and craft area inside a gorgeous cabinet. When accessorizing, while I subscribe to the "less is more" theory, you can use and organize small collectibles and the end-result is something eye-catching.