Many of us are spending more time working or studying at home than we ever did before. And that means we’re suddenly a lot more conscious about clutter and lack of space.
Fortunately, there are many ways to make your home spacious, comfortable and inspiring, as well as functional.
Increase Floor Space
Happily, you don’t need to knock down walls to do this. When buying new sofas, storage cabinets, coffee tables or bookcases look for items with exposed legs rather than solid units. This increases the amount of visible floor space to give a more open, spacious feel to the room.
When it comes to tables you can go one step further and mount a folding table on the wall. Work desks or dining tables can be folded up when not in use, and you’ll have one less thing to get in the way.
A sofa bed is a great idea if you have a spare room. Why fill up precious space with a full-sized bed when you don’t have guests? This gives you more room for work or play and you’ve still got something comfy for sitting or sleeping if you need it.
Use Your Walls
Do you really need that large TV cabinet? Mount the TV on the wall and you’ll open up a whole chunk of floor space and it’ll look stylish too. Even bookcases can be made to look smaller. Instead of a floor-standing unit, try floating shelves instead. Again, you’ll be exposing more floor, which helps small rooms feel less cramped even if this is just an optical illusion!
Artwork and family photos on walls are a great way to add a personal touch, but don’t get carried away. Huge, dramatic paintings and numerous photos overpower a room and divert your attention from the best images. Less is definitely more here.
Thoughtful use of mirrors or mirrored tiles will have a powerful effect on light and space. We tend to put these in bathrooms but why not the rest of the house? Alcoves and hallways can feel dark and cramped but mirrors dramatically open up the space by reflecting more light into the room. This can even have the effect of pushing the walls out.
Be Clever With Storage
Everyone needs some storage but it doesn’t need to be intrusive. Stairs provide loads of possibilities. Depending on the amount of space, the under-stair area can be used for storage or even an entire home office, complete with floating shelves and a folding table.
Bedrooms are also handy for useful storage solutions. Numerous beds come with storage space under the mattress, and ottoman boxes double as storage and seating.
Recesses and odd wall angles lurk in many rooms and can be filled with shelves, cupboards or even hooks. The latter is particularly handy in the kitchen for hanging utensils if cupboard space is limited.
Add Light, Space and Value with New Windows and Doors
Windows and doors do a lot more than let in the light. They also let in the outside and a view of your garden (or indeed the street) instantly makes a room feel bigger, however it’s furnished or decorated.
Quality windows and doors also make your home secure, comfy and energy-efficient, and if you’re thinking of moving on at some point, they’ll certainly make your house a lot more appealing to potential buyers.
Not sure where to start? Talk to the friendly folk at The Window Centre today.