With the right attitude and a good imagination, anyone can turn their tight space into an elegant ballroom! Of course, rearranging an entire room will no doubt take an hour or even a day, so dedicate a weekend to this task and plan it right.
The art in making small spaces look big lies in the owner’s ability to create an illusion. Tactics like hanging long curtains over large windows can make the ceiling look higher than it actually is, or placing large mirrors in key locations can give make the room is larger.
Decluttering
- Purging your room
Identify which among the items around your house are useful. You could have beautiful but barely used furniture that end up as space-fillers in a room. If you have items that end up being used for purposes other than their original intention, decide if they are still worth having around. Donate or sell what you think you no longer need. If you want to focus on improving the quality of your living space, now is not the time to be sentimental.
- Space Management
Moving your furniture around in a room is like solving a Rubik’s cube- it can end up a mess or something you can be proud of. Start by using the power outlets in the room as your guide. This will help you decide where appliances and electronics should be.
Space management also means utilizing uncanny spaces for decoration. For example, your walls might be perfect for hanging things like small shelves or house plants. Invest in space-friendly, multi-function furniture. These usually have hidden compartment features that you can take advantage of.
Creating Illusions
- Size over quantity
Just because there is still room on the desk or the shelf does not mean it should be filled up. The case of cluttered neatness refers to an impasse of an owner maximizing every space a place offers. Two good examples of this is a garage that is also used as a storage room and a workshop, or a novelty collector trying to have every bit of his collection on display.
All this can make a person claustrophobic in a way. Minimalism can solve this. Instead of having a desk that holds your alarm clock, your favorite items, and your favorite book, opt for removing everything and just leaving your alarm clock. Alternately, only use one to three small novelties or one large trinket as a desk design. It is not only tidy, but it also makes the furniture seem larger than it is, affecting the room in a passive but positive way.
- Lighting techniques
Lighting manipulation can profoundly affect the way a pair of eyes can perceive a room. For example, too many shadows from a dim light source will make any area feel drab and cluttered, especially over large furniture. But a well-lit room can prevent that, all while enhancing its visual presentation. Natural light can also be manipulated through clever window placements. It can also make a room feel connected to the outside rather than relying on artificial light sources that might make it feel isolated.
- Room colors
The rules of room colors are similar to that of lighting. If the colors are soft and easy on the eyes, it can make a room look comfortable. Keep in mind that there have been studies that show how the use of hard colors affect the moods of the people living in that space.
- Rugs and carpets
Even floors need a bit of decoration, and nothing is more popular than rugs and carpets. The main idea is simple: The more rugs there are in a room, the smaller it is. One large rug in the middle of the room, on the other hand, will give the opposite effect.
Rearranging a room can be hard work. The technique is investing time and effort in applying subtlety and creativity to a space. If done correctly, it would seem like you had a part of the house renovated for free!