How to Make a Small Space Feel Bigger Monday, 28 June 2010 08:13 Written by Julia Taylor

There are so many tiny apartments in Shanghai and if you are not one of those lucky few who swan around in their 150 sqm plus apartments you may be feeling a little squeezed in.  I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we are not in places like Japan or even the fabulous Hong Kong where space is a luxury.  There are many tricks that you can utilize to make that space that you spend a huge portion of your life in feel bigger.

You can use many tricks to make your space feel larger like colour, furniture placement, lighting and different materials.  I will give you some simple tips that will make a world of difference to what is feeling like a cramped space.

1. Less is More

One of the sure fire ways to make a space feel not only cramped, but messy is having clutter laying around the place.  Try and work out spaces to hide things, this could be as simple as buying a nice looking box from IKEA to put things in instead of leaving them sitting all over the shelves.  This works well for all those little items you never know what to do with when moving.  I am very brutal and usually throw this stuff out, but if you are not that way inclined then get some nice matching boxes to put on the shelves and hide the stuff away.  You will be surprised how much more orderly and spacious your place will feel after this small step.

2. Clear the Space

A room feels the most cramped when it is covered in too much of anything.  This also goes for furniture.  Try to clear some spaces, especially walkways so that you can see some of the floor.  Keep furniture in the middle of the room low, so that you can see more of the overall space and put higher furniture near the walls.  It is actually good to use different sized furniture in the room and using the high furniture around the edges will lead people’s eyes up to the roof and make the space feel larger.

3. Choose the Right Colours

Dark, warm colours have an amazing effect of making a space feel warm and cozy.  This is not what we are trying to achieve in a small space, because the space does that itself.  You are best to use light, cool colours, which have the opposite effect and tend to make spaces feel more open and airy.  Some cool colours are blues, greens and purples.

4. Monochromatic Colour Scheme

A Monochromatic colour scheme uses different shades of a single colour.  So this would mean that all things in the room are different tones of the one colour, e.g. the walls are a very pale blue then the rug would have blues in it also.  White can be added to this type of colour scheme and for a small space a light, cool colour would be best.  When doing this also remember to consider furniture and paintings.

5. Let There be Light

What better way to make a room feel small then have it shrouded in darkness.  Open the curtains and get brighter artificial lighting.  If you feel like you have to have the curtains closed then change them for sheer ones to keep the privacy, but still let the light in.  Not only is this good for making a space feel bigger, but it is great for your mood.

6. Let Me See

Spaces that are currently blocked with non-transparent glass should be changed to transparent.  You would be amazed by how much bigger a bathroom will look just by having a clear glass around the shower rather than frosted.  By using transparent surfaces you are totally opening up spaces and making them feel way bigger.  This can also be used for furniture, e.g. glass top coffee table or dining table.

7. Reflection

You remember the trend of the mirror tiled walls from the 80’s and 90’s?  Well there was method in their madness; besides being ugly it actually served another purpose, which was to visually double the size of a room.  The same effect can be achieved without the ugliness by using a large framed mirror.  Think of it as artwork, it will not only fill up an otherwise empty wall, but it will seriously increase the feeling of space in that room.

8. Say No to Patterns

Patterns, stripes, plaids are all ways to make a room feel smaller.  If you have too much going in the room it will feel smaller.  You can still make a statement with your accessories by having them in bold colours, but just make sure they are block colours.

9. Integrate Functions

Really sit down and think about what you do in your apartment.  Do you need somewhere to work on your computer, to watch TV, to read a book then why not try to invest in a multi-functional piece of furniture that can do it all?  There are so many types of furniture these days that choice can be hard.  People don’t always need a dedicated workspace, so you could invest in a small moveable computer table that you can use on the Sofa.  I love the Little Friend, by Kasper Salto (pictured).  It is totally adjustable and very lightweight, oh and not to mention “designer darling!”.

10. Go Bigger

I know this sounds weird, but one large artwork will make a room feel bigger than lots of small ones.  This again reduces clutter and gives the feeling of calm and openness.  This rule can also be adapted to furniture.

For the next article I will be talking about eco-friendly interior spaces, how to do it and the benefits.  Also, if you have any questions about things you are trying to achieve in your apartment let me know and I will try to answer them.

Top image credit: Annie Leibovitz with model Natalia Vodianova for Vogue US December 2003

Comments 

 

#1 RE: How to Make a Small Space Feel Bigger — Kaatje 2010-07-01 15:20

Great suggestions Julia. Our appartment has some typical, hideous, Chinese furniture in it, and to make the picture complete it's arranged in a horrible way. I'm definitely going to use your advices buying some new stuff and arranging the place!

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