When you buy your first property, it may not be the dream home that you are expecting. To make your home look and feel more like you’d imagined, there are a few things that you can do to create your ideal space, like maximising the space around your home so you can live comfortably and stylishly. Read on as we look at 10 ways that you can get the most out of the space you have, from creating dual-functioning rooms to maximising floor space.
If you are creating your perfect home from scratch, new build architects can help you through the construction and internal fittings of your new dream property.
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Mirrors
If you are working with a small space, adding a mirror can be the solution to your problems! Adding a mirror makes your space appear bigger by bouncing light around the room, giving the illusion that the space is larger and more open than it is. Lighter rooms always look bigger than small, dull rooms – this method can work well in living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms. All you have to do is hang your desired mirror, it couldn’t be easier.
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Light
As mentioned above, making sure that you are allowing plenty of light into a room can make all the difference, whether that’s natural light or bright lamps. If you are going for a simple and minimalist look, you could mount wall lights as a feature, or spotlights to your ceiling. If you prefer a lamp, you could choose from a few designs to stand on a table – you could even make them a feature by choosing lamp shades in contrasting colours for your room.
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Less is more
When it comes to maximising your space, you’ll find that less is more. A mistake that people commonly make is thinking that they need lots of accessories to make an impact in their living room or bedroom, but this can lead to the room becoming too cluttered. Choosing larger pieces of furniture gives you the impact you’re looking for, as well as functionality, without looking too over the top.
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Neutral tones
This is one of the best ways that you can trick the eye into thinking a room is bigger than it actually is. Neutral colours like creams, beige, white and grey look modern, whilst also working with the light in the room to create an illusion of a larger space. You should stick to the main colour scheme and play with additional feature colours and textures so you can get the most out of your small space.
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Free up floor space
When you have a small room, floor space is crucial. For example, bathrooms tend to be the smallest room in the house, so mounting cabinets and shelves mean you can move freely and have access to everything you need in one place. In the living room, if you need to free up floor space, you can install shelves, and mount your TV so there is no need for a stand. This will make it feel like your room is more spacious.
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Dual-purpose
Dual purpose rooms work well in all homes and can save you money and means you can make the most of the space you have. For example, many of us have kitchen diners, meaning that our kitchen also has a table so that we can eat and entertain, combining the space. You could also create a dual-purpose office that doubles up as a spare room. Dualling a room means you won’t need to create more space with an extension or have internal building work done to accommodate.
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Declutter kitchen
Having a small kitchen can be difficult to work with, as we need it to be as functional as possible, which means we need space. One of the best ways you can create space in your kitchen is to declutter. Get rid of anything you don’t need and create a space for what you use frequently. You can create storage by hanging utensils on the wall and hanging shelves for instant access whilst maintaining floor space. Keeping your kitchen tidy means, you can make the most of your space and find everything you need easily.
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Strategic Storage
There are many storage options you can choose from so that your home remains tidy and uncluttered, for example, there are stools that can be used for comfort in the living room that can also store items inside like blankets and coasters. In your bedroom, you could choose a bed that can be lifted and has storage in the base. This type of storage is so helpful and means you can keep a simple and tidy home.
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Art
If you are adding the finishing touches to a small space, it can be difficult to choose a piece of art that suits the room. And you may not realise it, but the bigger the artwork the better. As a rule, the frame on your chosen artwork should take up two-thirds of a wall – this makes the room look bigger than it is, similar to the way a mirror does.
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Furniture
The type of furniture you choose has an impact on the way your room looks, for example, if you choose a sofa with high armrests, your space will instantly look smaller. However, choosing furniture with exposed legs and chairs and sofas with no sides, means you can open up the room and create a space that looks larger.