Everything you need to know about how to make a room bigger

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ADVICES TO MAKE A ROOM BIGGER

The living room, kitchen or bedroom of your rental is small and cramped? If you can’t push the walls, you can make it more spacious. De-cluttering the room, clearing the space with storage space, dressing the walls or floors, choosing the light… with a few little tricks and even a small budget, you’ll work miracles.

WHAT MAKES ONE ROOM SEEM SMALLER THAN ANOTHER?

For an equal dimension, it is undoubtedly the way it is decorated. A dimly lit room, overloaded with furniture or objects, dressed in dark shades will always seem smaller. The furnishings, the furniture, the carpets, the color of the walls… all contribute to the effect of space.

On the other hand, a light room, in which you play with depth and relief, will be a room in which it is good to live and evolve, where you don’t feel cramped.

ARE THERE ANY RULES ABOUT SPACE?

Everything must be taken into account: the brightness, the shape – whether it is rectangular or square. If your room is full length, you will have to work on its width, and vice versa. If the ceiling is low, you will have to work on its height. An example: if you put floor to floor, lay it in the opposite direction of the room, if it is long, it will have to be laid in its width.

Above all, the rooms must be uncluttered, keeping only the essentials. And the essential does not only mean functional: a single beautiful object with a bit of design will give it cachet.

HOME WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE?

Yes, It is usually just decoration and you can work on walls, furniture, carpets, paintings or light at a lower cost. It is also possible to consider knocking down partitions if they are not indispensable. This is a little more work, but you will gain perspective.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO FIRST, IN FRONT OF A SMALL ROOM

You should first take care of the walls and paint them in neutral tones – beige, blue-grey, green-grey… You could paint a slightly darker wall to create relief, or put wallpaper on it, or even a panoramic photo that will add depth. Stripes can be effective, but in the width direction if you have a narrow room, or in the height direction if it’s low in the ceiling.

WHAT YOU SHOULD USE FOR THE FLOORS

Parquet or tile is preferable to carpet. And opt instead for large format with small joints for tiling. Your floor will be more uniform and will really make your room bigger. Choose a baseboard medium that you can paint in the same color as your walls.
You can put in a nice carpet. It can be striped, for example.

THE CHOICE OF FURNITURE

They must not be too imposing, of course, and rather clear. Rather choose a convertible sofa and small nested tables for the living room, for example.

If you need storage space, you should prefer a piece of furniture that runs the full length and height of the wall and is the same colour. And you should rather have shelves than a bookcase. A few cubes to modulate as you wish on a wall…

AND FOR DECORATION?

Not too many objects! Candles on a small piece of furniture or a table. A nice vase, some cushions…

As far as light is concerned, you should avoid ceiling lights or suspended luminaires, preferring instead spotlights integrated into the ceiling – a little more expensive – or wall lights, table lamps… you should not hesitate to multiply the points of light.

Also don’t clutter up the windows either. You should prefer blinds, either boat blinds or simple blinds, or even nothing if you don’t have a opposite side. If you want curtains, why not, but there has to be enough ceiling height.

Don’t put too many plants, one or two are enough, and rather small. One or two cacti – watch out for children! – or fat plants that do not require too much maintenance.

Also think about the large mirror, but be careful what it reflects. It’s best to put it in front of a window – especially not a door.
As for the paintings, one may be enough.

ARE THERE ANY COLORS TO BE FAVORED?

Light shades, of course, and neutral shades that you will play with to make monochrome. Be careful though: too white, your home will look cold and soulless. Prefer beige, taupe, grey if it is light enough and exposed to the light… which doesn’t prevent you from adding a few touches of bright colors. Pillows, for example, a lamp, a painting…

A colorful painting on a light-colored wall can make a very nice effect.

IN SUMMARY

A right and light room will always appear larger
Take into account the shape of the room: if it is rather rectangular, you will have to work on its width; the lower the ceiling, the higher it will be.
Choose light, neutral tones that can be brightened up with a few touches of vivid color.
Prefer a refined decoration and de-clutter the room by keeping only the essentials.

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