3 Easy Ways To Open Up Small Living Spaces

2.3 children, white picket fence, a spacious, split-level home with a wrap around porch, and don’t forget the dog (or cat for those of us that prefer a feline companion)! We all know the classic American Dream. However, in today’s day and age the dream is very different for most. That dream a lot of times includes a small house or even a downtown apartment. Whether it is for convenience or for budget, many of us have traded in the classic American Dream for a more modern edition. Having a smaller place to live in comes with its challenges. It can easily seem overwhelming when trying to decorate or arrange furniture in your home, but it doesn’t have to be! Over the next 5 minutes you are going to learn the 3 easiest ways to take advantage of small living spaces.

The Sky Is The Limit!

Well not the sky, per se, but the ceiling sure is. When you are decorating small spaces, it is important to think up rather than out. Take full advantage of that wall space. Try adding a floor to ceiling bookcase somewhere. Imagine one around a doorway or as an accent wall. In some cases, the shelving can even be built directly into the wall.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of ceiling or wall mounted fixtures! Getting lights off the floor and tabletops helps free up space and open up the area. Imagine the possibilities of a light and shelf combination…

Another easy way to open up the space by taking advantage of your walls is to hang your curtains as high as you can. Rather than mounting curtains directly above the window, take them up a notch. This will draw your visitors eyes farther up the wall and make the room appear much taller than it is.

But Will It Float?

Consider floating every chance you can. Whether with shelving, desks, or anything really, get it up on the wall and as clean cut as possible. This will help free up floor space while making the space look much less cluttered. Get creative and give your space a unique look.

Kiss it!

We all know the saying, keep it simple silly. (Some might have a different translation…) This holds true when it comes to decorating as well. When working with small spaces, the challenge is always fighting against the tendency to feel cluttered and cramped. The previous tips help free up space and trick the eyes into seeing more than is really there. These steps will allow you to do much more with the space you have, but don’t do too much! Some simple tricks include:

• Use soft colors on the walls and accent colors in your decorations. This allows what you use to really stand out without having to use too many items.
• Take advantage of every place you can for storage. A classic option is turning the underside of your staircase into a fancy set of drawers.

If you don’t have enough storage space, you can turn your storage into its own decoration such as using stacked vintage luggage to hold seasonal items or clothing.

• KEEP IT CLEAN! It can be easy to leave things lying around especially once you have lived in a space for a while. However, having a place for everything in your home and keeping it there is one of the easiest ways to make sure things don’t become too cluttered and cramped.

Take these simple concepts and try them out in your home. See how much more open and inviting your living spaces begin to feel. Then invite us over to enjoy it with you!