Do you have a tiny kitchen or a closed-in living room? There are numerous tricks you can use to make the space appear larger and more functional. Playing around with color and lighting is just one way to visually expand your interior space. The materials you choose for your home also have an impact on its atmosphere. Want to know how you can make your living area appear larger than life?
Choose open shelving
Taking the doors off your cabinets won't necessarily add space to the room, but it can help to visually expand the space. While doors can keep a room looking clean, they actually take away from the visual space. By removing them, you can use the shelving as a way to quickly find dishes and display your nice things. Use baskets to organize smaller items. If you absolutely cannot keep the shelves looking neat, then removing the doors may not be a good idea.
Incorporate glass finishes
Glass is a great way to visually expand an interior space. It allows light to pass through, and can give the illusion of extra space. You can replace opaque doors with glass, build walls of glass block in a walk-in shower and even install glass countertops in your kitchen or bathroom.
Visually expand with lighting
The lighting you choose for a particular space can make a world of difference. Naturally, lots of light will visually expand a space while less lighting can make a room look smaller. Also, you can play around with accent lighting to help make a room look bigger, simply by lighting up a reading nook or highlighting a particular wall.
Consider your colors
The colors you choose to decorate a room can definitely have an effect on how large or small it appears. Typically, lighter colors expand a space while darker colors make it seem smaller. Another trick is to use darker or lighter accents on certain walls to make them visually closer or farther away.
Make it functional
Instead of trying to make a small interior space look larger, embrace the space you have and focus on making it functional. Don't try to fit a desk or laundry area into the kitchen; rather, make sure you have plenty of room to prepare food and clean up after a meal--unless you never cook in your kitchen. Then turn a spare closet into a laundry room or a corner of the living room into your kids' homework area.
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