No one likes living in a cramped room. When you walk into a room, you want to feel like you have plenty of space to move around. Unfortunately, you can’t always knock down walls or raise your ceilings any higher. Instead of opting for these very expensive construction projects, there are a few simple tricks you can use to make any room feel bigger without actually changing the dimensions. Here’s what you need to know:
Let in More Light
Light plays a big role in determining how big a room feels. The darker a room is, the more confining it will feel. There are a number of things you can do to add in more light. A simple option is simply add in some wall lights or desk lamps. Another option is to adjust your blinds or curtains so that more light is able to come through, or simply leave them open more often.
To really let more light in, you should consider installing larger windows. According LBJ Construction, provider of custom homes in Houston, “window upgrades are one of the best things you can do for any room, because they allow in more light, improve the value of the home, and are more energy-efficient.”
Those having blackout curtains shouldn’t be worry that light will not come in through them. There come blackout curtains in various designs some having patches of lightweight and thin fabrics that allow a balanced amount of light enter to your place.
Talk to a local contractor about what it would cost to upgrade your windows and the options available to you. This investment now could lead to many years of enjoying that room a lot more.
Add Some Mirrors
The next trick is to add more mirrors to your room. Mirrors reflect whatever light is in the space and give the illusion that the room is bigger than it already is. For this effect to work, you’ll need mirrors of a decent size. Try to find a mirror that covers up a significant portion of one wall – tiny desk mirrors won’t be enough. Some people even opt to make the entire wall one big mirror, but others don’t like the way this looks. Find something that fits your personal style taste while still allowing you to make the room feel a bit bigger.
Adjust the Curtains
One trick that interior designers love is to move your curtains closer to the ceiling. When you have your curtains go from right below the ceiling all the way down to your floor, it gives the illusion that your space is taller than it really is. Getting yourself longer curtains and moving the curtain rod up a few inches is a simple, but effective, way of making any room feel a little larger vertically.
Reduce Clutter
One reason your room might feel small or cramped is simply that you have too many things in it. To make your space feel bigger, you should work on removing anything that you don’t really need. Spend some time throwing out as much as you can, and finding other storage spaces for the stuff you want to keep. Once you get all that junk off your floor or desk, you’ll be amazed at how much bigger your room suddenly feels. Then, over time, it’s just a matter of keeping up good habits so that your room doesn’t develop that cramped feeling again.
Use Large Art Pieces
Another trick designers love is hanging up large art pieces on the walls. By going with oversized art, you make the other objects in the room look a little smaller in comparison, thereby making the room look bigger. For this, you’ll just need some ample wall space and some art pieces that go with your current décor. Try finding a Starving Artist sale in your area for some affordable artwork. Then keep the colors already present in your room in mind as you shop for a piece.
Make Use of Multi-Function Furniture
Finally, look for ways to get more uses out of your furniture pieces. For example, you could get a coffee table that also stores books on the bottom, so that you can remove one of your bookcases. Or you could get a stand for your TV console that also functions as a cabinet for your DVDs. Any time you can combine two different pieces of furniture, that’s one less thing you have to have in your room. So, take some time to head over to your local furniture store or do some shopping for furniture online.
Hopefully, these few tips will help to transform some of your rooms and make them feel more spacious. As you can see, it doesn’t typically take a lot. A few minor changes can do wonders and before long you’ll be living in a nice, spacious room without actually having changed much at all.