How to Make a House Look Larger
One of the trickiest parts of making a small house appear larger lies in their often-limited storage space. Creating the appearance of large open rooms usually requires a serious de-cluttering of the household. Consider purchasing sizable entertainment units, storage cabinets and bookshelves if you have storage issues, to reduce visual clutter inside of the room. Painting, lighting and a few furniture-placement techniques can also help visually expand room interiors, lending an airy appearance to an otherwise restricted space. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Paint the rooms with light, bright colors that open it up to give the appearance of space. Choose tones in soft creams, light greens or blues, and paint trim and molding in a slighter lighter tone than the wall, to give the illusion it is farther inside the room. This will visually enlarge the room and make it look longer.
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Remove clutter on the floors, tables, counters and any cabinets you can see into. Remove heavy rugs, floor vases, stereo equipment and standing plants, and reduce excess counter clutter such as mixers or appliances in the kitchen. Do not overfill china cabinets and open storage units. Limit the number of items on the coffee table to no more than three. Clean spaces will open up the room, while overcrowded floors and shelving will make it appear smaller.
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Move larger or more distinct pieces of furniture to the back corners of the room; this will draw the eye to the farthest reaches of the room, making it appear larger. Avoid clunky furniture that blocks pathways, and consider purchasing a few furniture items that match the coloring of the walls. This will help them blend into the walls and widen the room. Glass-top tables help filter light and also lend a bright appearance to the room.
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Expand the room by letting in plenty of bright natural lighting. Large picture windows reduce the appearance of wall barriers and can offer scenic views to expand the room. Mask poor views while still allowing in light by using sheer drapes and hanging decorative plants and potted flowers near windows. Brighten rooms that lack ample natural lighting by adding pretty decorative lamps, strategically placed near walls to draw focus and enlarge the rooms.
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De-clutter walls from small multiple pictures or paintings; both can make a room appear cramped. Use sizable mirrors and large, single focal points on the walls to add depth to the room. Point mirrors so they reflect doorways into another room, a fireplace or an outside window.
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Tips & Warnings
Rooms with poor lighting will benefit from lighted mirrors; long, narrow rooms can appear wider if a large mirror is placed alongside a long wall.
Never use patterned wallpaper. It's busy and distracting, and it can make small spaces appear cramped.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Mirrors image by Gonçalo Carreira from Fotolia.com
