Successful interior design can stem from a few different actions; you can focus on light, upgrade your furniture or re-paint the walls. But whatever your course, the aim is the same; to make your living spaces feel more comfortable.
By using clever décor, functional furniture and sensible design, you can make any room feel more spacious. So even if you live in a tiny apartment, don’t despair, just follow these tips!
Step 1 – Lose The Clutter
The more stuff there is in your house, the less room you have, simple really. But that’s not the biggest problem; clutter takes up visual space and makes you feel like you have less space (even when the cluttered area is one you never use).
You can start by having a really good clear out. Anything you find cluttering-up the house, consider whether you really need to keep it. Have a good sort through all of your junk draws and throw away anything that doesn’t get used.
Ask yourself some questions:
- How many hand-towels & table cloths do you really need?
- Are there any clothes you haven’t worn for months?
- Which kitchen items do you have more than one of?
You can also help to reduce clutter by sabotaging yourself. Look out for any items of furniture that are used as dumping grounds for clutter – and if possible, move them so that you can’t dump your clutter on them!
Step 2: Rearrange The Furniture
Having too much furniture takes up floor space and blocks lines of sight. Again, even taking-up otherwise unused space will make a room feel much smaller, so reducing the amount of furniture you own is a good idea.
Hopefully, a good de-clutter will empty a few items of furniture. Try to consolidate your stuff into your favorite items of furniture and get rid of any items that you are able to empty completely.
Switching items of furniture for more functional equivalents is also a good idea:
- Get a sofa or couch with storage under it
- Swap your spare bed for a fold-away sofa bed
- Get a wall-mounted TV stand and ditch the TV cabinet
- Get a kindle and lose the bookshelf
You can go as far as you like really. It may seem hard at the time, but the space you free up will make you feel less stressed.
Step 3: Lighting Tips
Once you have freed up more space in your living room, you will find that the room feels lighter. But you can go a step further and get even more light into the room.
One way to make a room feel lighter is to replace heavy curtains with lighter ones. Make-sure that your curtain rails are long-enough that your curtains don’t cover the windows when fully drawn. Blinds are also a good way to let in more light, since they take-up less room than curtains.
Next, consider investing in a large mirror to hang on the wall. Figure out where the sun is during the day and which direction it comes through the window. Try to hang the mirror so that it catches that sunlight and reflects it into the room.
(If possible, use a mirror to reflect ambient light toward the sofa or seating areas)
Step 4: Redecorating Tips
Finally, if you want to really open up your living room, consider re-painting it! This takes a lot more effort, but you can completely re-invigorate a room with a fresh lick of paint.
Evolutionary thinking suggests that a room should mimic nature. The easiest way to achieve this is by increasing the brightness of a room from floor to ceiling.
- Dark carpets or hardwood flooring will make the room feel warm
- Lighter, pastel-colored walls will make a room feel safe & inviting
- Bright white/sky-blue ceilings will give a feeling of increased head-room
This post was written by Rick, a minimalist who likes makes the most of the space he has. Rick writes for sofasofa.co.uk; learn all about their range of sofas here.
