Make a Small Space feel larger! Tip and Tricks by Sherri Scott, Interior Designer

How to Make a Small Space Feel Larger

Our old house was a small, quaint, three bedroom home.  There were a lot of things that we loved about it and as usual, a number of things we compromised on.  The main level did not have an open floor plan.  The kitchen/eat in area was completely walled off from the living room.  What it did have was a great cathedral ceiling that helped the main living areas feel more open and spacious, but we also had to get a creative with our décor and layouts.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind when putting together a small room.

1. Clean up your space and keep the clutter at bay.  Often with a small room storage can also be a challenge.  It means that organization is that much more important.  Use baskets and multi-purpose furniture pieces to minimize what is out visually.  Try not to over accessorize; keep it simple.
2. Selecting the right paint color.  Neutrals are typically the best way to go with small rooms.  I am not talking white, but a warm gray or even a very subtle cool blue can be a neutral.  Then throw in accent colors of cool, soothing colors such as light greens or blues to give pops of color without closing the space in on you.
3. Mirrors.  Mirrors will give the room an illusion of being larger.  Here are a few ways to use mirrors: place them near a window to reflect the natural light, use a tall mirror to give the space visual height or use mirrored furniture for fun.
4. I touched on this in a previous post.  Hang your window treatments at your ceiling to create height.  Also keep as much of the window open as possible to allow the natural light in.  Window treatments are meant to frame your window when they are open, not cover them (accept of course when you close them, right?!)  Have the fabric stack overlapping the window slightly and the rest stacked over the wall.
5. Keep the furniture at a proper scale. Who doesn’t love a great, comfy sofa to lie down on?  My husband is tall so one thing that was important when shopping for furniture was buying something he could stretch out on.  But sometimes you have to find something that fits in your room. Buy furniture at the correct scale.  Often smaller furniture is referred to as apartment scale in stores.  Try a sofa or entertainment stand that is on legs for more openness.

As mentioned on first house we compromised a lot.  And now the second house…we compromised on different things.  The space is much larger, but the home doesn’t quite have the same character or open ceiling. We are continuing to work away on projects and I hope to share some with you soon.