Interior design

Ever wanted a bit more space in your home? Maybe not enough space to add an entire room and perhaps not bad enough that you’d want to knock down a wall, but maybe you’re looking for a couple of ways to get a bit more space out of your rooms to make it feel a little more spacious. It sounds like a tall order, but as you’ll find in these 10 handy tips, it’s actually pretty easy to squeeze out a little more space from your rooms.

1. Think floor space

We usually perceive “space” as having more floor space to put things and move around. Because of this, you’ll want to try and lift as many things off the ground as possible such as removing any floor clutter and tucking away furniture when possible.

2. Use floating when possible

Floating furniture takes up less visual space and ultimately makes a room feel more spacious. From a floating steps staircase to floating shelves, there are plenty of options to get creative.

3. Don’t clutter too much

Having lots of space and storage doesn’t mean you need to use it. Keep some shelves empty to give the illusion that your room is more spacious than it really is.

4. Use your walls

Think vertical when possible. Use more wall shelves as opposed to free-standing ones, get rid of large paintings on the wall if they’re taking up space and in general avoid anything freestanding when possible.

5. Multifunctional is the way to go

Any furniture that you have in your home should be multifunctional whenever possible. For instance, you could use an ottoman as a seat, footstool and even for storage. Similarly, You could have a tiered coffee table that can be tucked into itself for more functionality and space.

6. Let the light in

Keep the windows clear to let in as much light as possible. This will bounce off reflective surfaces and brighten up your room to make it feel more spacious.

7. Don’t think too small

A few large pieces of furniture is ultimately better than lots of small pieces. This is because they’re easier to move around and they’re visually cleaner which means it gives an illusion of a more spacious room.

8. User lighter colours

Light colours are a great way to make rooms feel a little more spacious. Avoid dark colours when possible and think of natural tones such as a light beige staircase in wood, green potted plants on shelves and light browns.

9. Use the ceilings

If you have tall ceilings then they’re the perfect place to add a few useful things. This can include a ceiling fan so you can get rid of your standing fan when it comes to summer, or hanging potted plants in certain areas of the room to avoid using floor planters.

10. Add reflective surfaces

Whether it’s a large wall mirror or metal shelving and furniture pieces, adding more reflective surfaces is a fantastic way to bounce light around the room to make it brighter and feel more spacious.

Every now and then, a moment of inspiration overcomes us all. Suddenly, we feel a desperate craving to radically redesign our home. After all, our tastes and stylistic tendencies develop greatly over the years, and the home evolves with those changes. It’s a space to feel most ourselves, so it’s only natural that big alterations are made.

That said, sometimes time isn’t always on our side when these moments of creativity hit us. Whether it’s careers to pursuit or kids to raise, there isn’t always the leeway to make a good start on some quality home improvement. Home improvement firms are closing down too, bottlenecking the options available to people who want to overhaul their homes without spending a fortune.

So here you have it… 3 low-cost home improvement ideas that you can do over the weekend without having to splash your savings on expensive furniture (**psst** it won’t take all day either!).

Incorporate Plants Indoors

Plants are cheap, but they conversely have great value when incorporated into the home. For example, they circulate a great amount of oxygen around every room they feature. What better way to liven up the home than to fill it with more life? There’ll be a vivid injection of colour and greenery, and overall elevate the home beyond the typical and bland furniture and decorations.

For example, companies like Coopers of Stortford can help greatly here. They cover plant care supplies alongside many other niches, so if you’re aiming for a flare of green originality in your home, use their services. In the end, it’s never a bad idea to add some natural greenery into your home!

Update Lighting

Your indoor lighting scheme can communicate a lot about your home. They can emphasise certain areas or objects in the home, emphasise a formal or informal space, and overall illuminate any room so that it’s easier on the eye. Often, it’s the lighting that adds those final ‘homely touches’ that make a house feel warm and welcoming, having a diverse range of effects on things here.

Whether it’s desk lamps or overhanging fair lights in the doorway, there’s obviously a lot of room here for customisation and decoration. It takes no time at all to update a home’s lighting arrangement, so consider doing this if it appeals to you. For example, you could purchase multi-coloured lamps that change shade at the press of a button or invest in some high-end LED wall lights that brighten up the room! In the end, your homes aesthetic could change at the flick of a switch.

Paint Walls

Obvious but underestimated, sometimes all a room needs are a new coat of paint. After all, over time paint chips and fades away, and the walls need a bit of a makeover every few years or so. Of course, it could be that you’re just bored of the colour scheme you’ve had for a while now; no matter the reason, painting the walls in a room can easily be done in one weekend!

Consider sprucing things up a bit and going for a fresh update where the walls are concerned. Perhaps it could match the furniture better, or follow a particular theme you’ve already set out elsewhere in your house? Don’t shy away from mixing and matching and seeing what works and what doesn’t; you’ve got all weekend!