12 Simple Tips To Make Your Living Room Feel More Spacious

Downsizing and micro-living are become more trendy as people choose to simplify their lives by living with less and living in smaller spaces. After all, there are a number of benefits to living in a smaller home, like less cleaning, reduced running costs, and of course the affordable price tag. Smaller spaces can be a practical option over mansion-style living; it means less furniture and a certain feeling of cosiness and homeliness.

 

While it may have been your choice to live in a small townhouse or apartment, creating the feeling of space is a very high priority for many. Having a small home is one thing but living in a pokey space that feels cramped and claustrophobic is another thing entirely.

Many people simply don’t have the space for a giant media console or a 10-foot sofa, especially those who live in small apartments or urban neighbourhoods. Some of these people choose to look at their limited space as a creative design challenge by combining multifunctional and space-saving solutions, all the while ensuring their space still expresses their own personal style. By making careful and smart decisions, these home-owners create living rooms that that are welcoming, yet extraordinarily trendy.

 

Your living room should feel comfortable and inviting, not cramped or cluttered. Let’s face it, this is the room we do most of our living in, so we don’t want a living room we avoid and resent. Fortunately, there are ways to create a living room that feels much bigger than it actually is utilising clever styling and furnishings. There are a number of ways you can trick your eyes into seeing, and believing, that a space is larger than it really is, so in this post we’re going to present a few ideas to make your living room feel more spacious.

 

By implementing some of the following handy tips you can change the focus of your space from its small-ness to its style.

 

No. 1: Mirrors: If you’re looking for a quick solution to make your living room feel larger, use mirrors. A mirror has the ability to create the illusion of space, which it does by retracting sunlight and allowing it to bounce around the room. To maximise a mirror’s potential it should be strategically placed to create the impression of infinity by faking the length of your living room. Consider going bold and installing wall-to-wall mirrors, or alternatively position mirrors so they reflect a window and the outside view. Mirrors can be placed to reflect things you love, like artwork, pendant lights, or plants. A large, round mirror can reflect lots of light and space and break up rectangular furniture.

No. 2: Hang a Statement Item: By hanging a statement pendant light or chandelier you add drama to a room and draw the eye upward, making your living room appear taller than it actually is.

No. 3: Create Zones: If you have a living room that also functions as a workspace or dining area, you can create zones with console tables, bookcases, and rugs. These can effectively divide the room into sections. Ensure you use the largest rug that each section will allow for.

No. 4: Choose Furniture Carefully: The furniture you choose for your living room should actually fit into the space, meaning you should carefully measure and purchase appropriate furniture. Choose furniture items with exposed legs that are light in colour and not bulky: think sofas with thinner arms and backs.

 

No. 5: Less is More: This is certainly true when trying to make a room appear more spacious. Instead of choosing lots of smaller artwork pieces, choose one large piece in a natural or simple white frame.

No. 6: Stay Clutter-Free: Clutter-free definitely doesn’t mean limiting your décor, but don’t put too much on the floor and consider creating little ‘scenes’ on shelves, consoles, and coffee tables. This might be in the form of coffee table books, an ornament, or candles. Also consider playing around with different textures; aim for contrast between light and dark, shiny and matt, curved and angular, and so on.

No. 7: Use Colour Wisely: Painting the walls of your living room white will create the illusion of a larger space. But it doesn’t have to be white; you can use any light, neutral colour that feels fresh and bright – it will have the same effect. Overall, maintain a limited colour palette in your dining room because your room will look and feel cluttered with too much visual distraction.

 

No. 8: Let There Be Light: Natural light can make any space feel larger than it actually is, so don’t inhibit any natural light sources you have. Consider going without window treatments, certainly no dark curtains, or simply install a shade for privacy. In addition, when it comes to electric lights, don’t rely on just one ceiling light. Consider table and floor lamps, as well as wall sconces, to introduce several light sources and create a warmly lit, layered dining room space.

No. 9: Use Your Walls: When you’re styling a small room don’t forget to take advantage of the vertical real estate on your walls. Make ceilings look taller by drawing the eye up with shelves hung high for plants and books. If you wish to incorporate a large statement piece, hang a strategically placed mirror or large piece of artwork.

No. 10: Clever Furniture Tricks: Remember that any piece of furniture with legs holding it off the ground lets the eye see the floor continuing under that furniture piece, making it believe that both the floor and the room are bigger than they actually are. Clear acrylic chairs and tables, also known as ghost furniture, can be your best friend when decorating a small space – because they don’t take up any visual space they automatically make the room look bigger and less full.

 

No. 11: Open Your Dining Room Up To Other Rooms: Consider creating a flowing space by opening up walls or doorways to incorporate your living room, thus blending adjacent rooms together. By removing separating walls, your living room could be a larger combination of a dining room, kitchen, and living room. Similarly, by widening doorways and opening them up to the ceiling you automatically create a more open, larger feeling. If it’s not possible to make structural changes, you could simply remove the doors to each connected space. This would improve the light in each room and promote an easier flow of movement in your home.

No. 12: Create a Focal Point: Create a design feature to take advantage of your living room’s size. We suggest you select one aspect of your room to highlight with something that’s visually interesting. This standout feature will immediately draw the eye, leaving less emphasis on the challenging size of the room. Consider designing a feature wall behind a couch or sofa with wall décor, colour, or texture. You could use a wall covering like grass cloth, place mirrors or different framed artwork, or a featured mural on a brightly coloured wall.