Make a Small Home Feel Gigantic!
A lot of us wish we lived in a slightly bigger home. When you don’t have a lot of space in your home, it’s easier to feel stressed and overwhelmed with day to day life. And all of this goes twofold (at least!) when you have kids at home to look after.
So maybe you’ve got a lot of stuff taking up room in your home that you need to do something with. Maybe you don’t have that much clutter but you’re still looking for ways to make the place roomier. Maybe you’re even willing to use interior design hacks to make the place feel bigger than it really is! In any case, this guide has no shortage of suggestions for those who need more space at home.
Decluttering
For a lot of people, this problem is really a case of figuring out where they’re going to put all of the stuff they’ve been accumulating over the years. But before you start trying to introduce more storage space to your home’s structure, you may want to think twice about what you’re looking to store. After all, most of us have a lot of stuff that we don’t really have any use for. If you’re feeling a bit stuck, you might want to check out http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/get-rid-of-stuff. You may find that your home is much roomier than you thought it was if you just got rid of the stuff that’s doing nothing but cluttering the place up.
Additional shelves
Most seem to just put up with whatever shelving came with their home. Not enough people consider the possibility of simply adding some more shelving to their home! The great thing about this solution is that it’s something you can do with relative ease and minimal mess even if you don’t own the place; it’s unlikely your landlord will object to it, though make sure you ask them first regardless! Free floating wall shelves are a great way to increase shelving space without changing the walls behind them too much. Just be wary of how much the shelves may jut out from the wall!
Recessed storage
Because of the fact that they jut out from the walls, a lot of people aren’t too keen on the additional shelving solutions. That, or the things they want to store are way too big for a regular shelving unit. One thing you can consider is a recessed storage cabinet. You can build these yourself; there are DIY instructions for such a project over at http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-recessed-storage-cabinet/. It may be worth getting an expert in if you’re unsure, though; after all, a recessed storage cabinet requires you taking a huge chunk out of your wall! You need to be careful that there’s no wiring, plumbing, or duct facilities in that area. One popular location for such storage is under the stairs if you don’t already have storage space under there.
Overhead storage solutions
When people try to think up storage solutions, they tend to look around them horizontally. Few of them think to look up! But this is certainly a possibility you should be considering. Think about it: how much room is there between your head and the ceiling? There’s quite a bit, and you could use that space instead of allowing it to go to waste. Overhead storage is admittedly better placed in a garage, but a lot of people use these solutions in bedrooms. ‘Sliding’ overhead storage space, detailed further at https://www.familyhandyman.com/garage-storage-space-saving-sliding-shelves, is a great way of creating more room for yourself and your family at the floor level.
Sheds
If you have a garden, then there’s a lot of potential for additional space! Many people with gardens already have sheds, but a lot of sheds tend to be quite dank; most just use sheds as a place to store tools, and only go in there when absolutely necessary. (Bugs and spiders tend to take over the shed’s interior in the meantime!) It could be worth revamping your shed so that it’s a more suitable for the storage of items from your home. Clean it out, replace the wood, get some good lighting in there, and turn it into a nice little storage hub.
Home extension
If you want to take on a bigger project for your outdoor space, you could look into undertaking a home extension. Of course, this is the most expensive job on this list, and it’s hardly the most suitable solution for a lot of families. While conservatories are great for creating an extra space for storage or chilled activities, it’s hardly something you can get on the cheap. Having said that, such a project isn’t usually quite as expensive as people think. If you’re interested, consider checking out https://www.realhomesmagazine.co.uk/10-ways-to-cut-the-cost-of-your-extension/ to make sure you slash whatever costs you can.
Attic conversions
While converting your attic can be fairly pricey, it’s a lot more achievable than a lot of people assume. It depends a lot on what sort of state your attic is in currently. If there aren’t any windows up there, for example, then you’re going to need to look into installing windows. The bulk of the work may simply be cleaning the place out (it’s another place that bugs and spiders tend to invade and call their own while you’re neglecting it!), but you may also need to look into reworking the floor and replacing (and maybe increasing) the insulation up there. Attic conversions can end up making amazing bedrooms or studies.
Smart furniture and appliances
A lot of people make mistakes when it comes to the furniture and appliances they buy. Let’s take seating, for example. If you don’t have much room, you may assume that buying a few armchairs instead of one bulky sofa is a way of saving space. But the opposite is true! It ends up taking up much more space to seat the same amount of people. When it comes to appliances, you should look into models that are smaller and sleeker while still retaining the same amount of power. Vertical radiators, which you can read more about at http://www.onlyradiators.co.uk/radiators/vertical-radiators, can offer strong heating while taking up less floorspace than your average radiator. As long as functionality isn’t affected too much, look into getting yourself space-saving furniture and appliances!
The psychological tricks
We’re going to have a quick look at some of the psychological tricks you can take advantage of that make a place feel much more roomy. These are actually pretty important regardless of the size of your home; they make you feel a lot more comfortable and much less overwhelmed.
Natural light is one of the most effective tricks in the book; with more natural light, the place feels a lot more open. You can check out some useful tips over at https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/8791544/list/so-you-bought-a-cave-7-ways-to-open-your-home-to-light if you need more light. This doesn’t always require you to add more windows; it could simply be a case of moving certain pieces of furniture around, or changing the curtains or blinds you use.
The colour scheme you use is also a big part of this. If the colours are a bit too bright and bold, the space around you may start to feel a bit suffocated. When the colours are light and neutral – colours such as white, light blues, subtle greens and yellows – the room starts to feel much more expansive. Remember to consider your ceiling, too – even if you don’t spend a lot of time looking at it, it’s usually in your peripheral vision, which means it is making a difference when it comes to your perspective of space!
