7 ways to make your home feel bigger

The right storage solutions, furniture and colours can make all the difference with a smaller property. In a cottage, terrace house or apartment you need to be able to put things away and out of sight so you can maximise the room you have available. And you need to plan your furniture and colour scheme with care.

Property owners hoping to sell or rent out their property will also want it to feel as large as possible. As a landlord especially, you want clients to walk in and feel the space is roomy and practical.

Along with some small apartment storage hacks, there are many clever ways to make the most of a small space. Here are 7 easy ways to make your home feel bigger.

Choose the right furniture

Transparent furniture, like a lucite coffee table, will help make a small apartment feel larger, as will pieces with built-in storage. Beds often take up a lot of unutilised space, so look for a headboard with storage shelves or a bed frame with drawers underneath.

Multifunction and moveable furniture is wise for a smaller space. A fold-down desk, moveable bench seats, and sofa beds can all help a single room to serve multiple purposes.

Storage for small spaces

When space is limited, make sure that you put all nooks, crannies and empty spaces to use. There are lots of tips on the internet to find simple storage hacks like installing high shelves along the perimeter of walls, adding magnetic strips to a kitchen wall to store knives and fixing hooks to the back of your bedroom door.

Take advantage of gaps under the bed or couch to store boxes and look for timber chests that can double as coffee tables.

Fool the eyes

There are a few visual tricks to make a smaller space seem bigger. An old favourite is mirrors. If you’ve ever sat in a cafe and thought you saw an extra room out of the corner of your eye only to realise it was a mirror, you’ll understand. A large mirror can make a room seem twice its size and even a smaller one will give an impression of more space.

If you have low ceilings, try hanging curtains all the way from floor to ceiling, and paint skirting boards the same colour as the walls to make ceilings appear higher.

Go large where it matters

Avoiding cluttering rooms with small items of furniture, especially when you are about to welcome prospective tenants or buyers.

A single large piece with space around it will make a room feel bigger. A generous couch, for example, is better than a few armchairs cluttering up the space.

A small rug in the centre of a small room will emphasise the limited space. Instead, try filling the space with a large rug with a simple pattern. Rugs can also define separate areas, turning one room into two distinct zones, and making it feel more generous.

Think about your lighting

Even a large space can feel confining if it is poorly lit. Bright and even lighting will open up a space, as will introducing as much natural lighting as possible.

Floor and table lamps take up valuable floor and table space, so opt for ceiling or wall lamps instead.

Be strategic with colours

Lighter colours always make a space feel larger, while light furniture against a darker palette can add depth to a room. You might even consider painting bookshelves the same colour as the walls to make them blend into the background.

Customise

If you are able to, customise your space to make it work harder. A built-in bookshelf, for instance, can make an impact as a headboard for your bed while saving valuable space. Desk and bed combos are perfect for smaller kid’s rooms, giving them a cool bunk bed feel with space for schoolwork underneath. And a built-in desk in an unused nook or hallway is great for working from home.

Looking for more advice to enhance the value and appeal of your property? Contact HPA.