Annual Homes & Design Issue
To get the most out of the small spaces in your home, you have to think big. With strategic lighting, the right furniture, and other expert tricks, even the smallest of spaces can be made larger than life. Here, we have six experts give us the inside scoop on making these small spaces in your home feel much more spacious.
There are several ways you can trick the eyes into thinking a small room is larger. Mirrors, rugs, and lamps are all quick, easy solutions. A well-placed mirror or two gives the illusion of depth, and a room-sized rug will bring the room together, creating a unified space. For the right fit, the rug should be at least a foot from the surrounding walls so it doesn’t crowd the room. Replace heavy draperies with sheers or light-colored blinds. Add lamps, especially hanging or floor lamps, for more light and to free up table space. Furniture that matches your wall color will blend with the space and make the room feel more open. Neutral colors such as white, cream, beige, and light gray, or soft tones of blue and green make rooms feel bigger and brighter. Use minimal patterns and textures so they don’t overwhelm the space.
There aren’t many spaces in your home that are smaller than your closets. Luckily, there are still several tricks one can use to increase organization and create more storage space. First, we recommend installing additional shelves or cabinets and drawers. Extra shelving provides space for items that don’t need to hang such as blankets, t-shirts, or workout gear. This creates extra storage space and frees up room on your closet’s hanging rod. Cabinets and drawers also provide extra storage space in your closet but with an added bonus of keeping clutter concealed. This makes the space look cleaner and more organized. Another simple trick is to add items to the back of your closet door. Whether you want to hang a mirror, coat rack, or shoe caddy, this allows you to expand your closet without having to fully renovate the space.
Small spaces can be tricky, but there are lots of simple, effective ways to use the space that will make it feel bigger. We love including club-style swivel chairs in smaller spaces. They’re typically smaller and the swivel feature means it brings the whole room into view from one location but maintains a small footprint. A cleverly placed club chair between a living room and kitchen, or the corner of a nook, opens up the space to the occupant of the seat and makes everything feel more visible and accessible. This is especially effective if you can position the seating to capture multiple vistas, such as the front door and back door, or a couple of different windows looking outside.
Smaller spaces in the home can be cozy, but sometimes making a space feel bigger can bring a refreshing sense of comfort and peace. Adding natural light is one of the key ways we encourage our clients to create a more spacious appearance. Whether it’s opening up the sight lines to another room or creatively planning a wall of windows/doors, natural light brings any space to life. Another economical option is to consider light and bright paint colors that envelop the whole room, or try a vertical-stripe wall covering that brings a sense of height. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are a great way to add aesthetic functionality while leading the eye up and giving the appearance of a taller space. One of my favorite solutions is to opt for a wider-planked, light-toned wood flooring that broadens the room size and gives it organic texture. Finally, keep the space cohesive and soft with tone-on-tone furnishings that blend with the walls, sconce lighting that takes up less space and adds brightness, and personalize with subtle patterns and pops of color in art and accessories.
Lighting is my favorite way to add depth to a smaller space. When possible, installing a window to bring in natural night and elongate the field of view can elevate and enhance the experience of a space tremendously – I love to pop these into walk-in closets and pantries to create a sense of place. Have fun with overhead and layered lighting. I prefer to see decorative surface-mounted or pendant fixtures instead of basic cans or discs in smaller spaces. Put an overhead ornamental fixture on a dimmer and layer in task lighting with lamps or sconces to play with light and shadow to add further interest and depth to a small space. Lastly, avoid overbearing furniture that is stuffy and heavy on the eye. Opt instead for pieces with legs that allow more of the floor to be visible. This will give a smaller space an inviting sense of airy openness. Happy designing!
You can add to the spacious feel of your home given the trim that you choose and even the style and accessories selected for your home’s staircase. Home décor, including crown moulding, can be used to help draw the eye up to the ceiling and in doing so, give the illusion of extra space and depth. When choosing crown moulding, the size and profile can open the room up, as well as the colors chosen to paint the crown moulding. (A nice contrast of the wall and the crown mould color.) When choosing the elements needed to accentuate your staircase, choose a minimalist look surrounded by lighter colors that lead to the next level. For example, the sleek look of iron balusters surrounded by brightly colored stairs and wall panels that lead to the next floor’s hallway, trimmed in contrasting crown moulding, will add to a spacious feel for your home.
