Working in a cramped office, or living in a tiny flat can have an impact on your mood and productivity. More confine spaces can make us feel caged -in, restless and stressed out. No matter how small your space, a few clever interior designs tricks can make it feel twice the size or more – making you feel more positive and productive.
Follow our tips below to help maximise the space you have, and make it feel much bigger (with no construction work required)
Let the Light In
The first way to make a small space seem bigger is to increase the amount of natural light in the room. Light will help open the space, making it feel larger, and naturally helps improve your mood and concentration.
To ensure you don’t lose your privacy in order to make your room feel bigger, opt for curtains in a sheer material, or panel blinds like our innovative Vision or Mirage range, which allow the natural light in without compromising your privacy.
If you have the wall space for a mirror, the reflected light can make the room look larger.
Think About Colour
Did you know the right colours can influence your perception of space and depth within a room?
Painting your room in a light, neutral colour helps open up the space, making it look larger. If you paint the trim and detailing of the room in another shade of the same colour as your walls (such as white and off white) it can make the space feel larger again.
Colour also applies when thinking about furnishings and furniture, if you select a few items in the same colour as your room it can help draw the eye outwards, making the room appear larger. Contrasting this with a few bold pieces of furniture can give the illusion of there being lots of space around your feature item. Keep these colourful items in different shades of the same colour to create visual coherence that brings a feeling of space.
Trick the Eye
There’s lots of ways to trick the eyes into thinking your space is larger than it is, and they all centre on pulling focus to the right places.
To make a small room look taller, consider adding decoration to the ceiling, like funky paint (but in a light shade) or decal effects. This draws the eye upwards, making a room appear taller. Hanging shelves higher up on the walls, or having tall bookcases can deliver the same effect.
To make a room appear wider, pull furniture like sofas, TV’s or desks away from the walls slightly, providing the feeling of space behind those objects. Replacing overhead lights with lamps scattered around the room helps spread light around, instead of pooling it all in one space, making the room appear larger. This can also help to draw the eye around the room, creating the feeling of a larger space.
Using stripes in your decorating can help a room appear longer or taller – depending on which way you use them! Orient the stripes on your furnishing or painting to match the longest/tallest part of the room – drawing the eye in that direction.
Pick Furnishings Carefully
The furnishings you choose can make a big difference to the feeling of a room. Lots of small knick-knack items can make a room feel cluttered and small, while large statement objects can draw the eye in and create a feeling of space.
Rugs can be used to great effect to enhance the feeling of space in a room. Carefully positioned rugs can create a feeling of separate areas, making a room feel bigger. This can also help your mind separate between spaces, making it easier to switch off and sleep in once section of a studio flat, and work hard in another.
When choosing furniture, smaller isn’t always better, as large statement pieces with space around them can help focus the eye. However, when buying larger items like sofas and chairs, choose styles with the legs exposed – this helps create the impression more space and light around the object.
Finally, pick furnishings that do double duty! If you can keep your storage space cleverly hidden you can make more space in a room to let things breathe. Footstools or sofas with storage compartments, desks with hidden draws and tables with fold out eaves are excellent for saving space.
Get in an expert
If you want help or advice on how new blinds or curtains can make the space in your home or office appear bigger, or need help choosing a room enhancing colour scheme, book an appointment with our in-house interior design expert at our Cardiff Showroom – we’re always happy to help.
Get in touch with our friendly team today.