Having more space at home is a big priority for many of us, especially those with growing families. Our needs for space seem to grow while the space we have available seems to shrink, leading to tension, stress and disorganisation in the home. While we might yearn for a renovation or extension that adds some extra rooms or more living space, the expense of a renovation may outweigh the benefits of it. Here we look at how to create more space and a better atmosphere in the home without having to renovate.
If the space in your home is limited, but you have some space in the outdoors around you, bring the outside in to create the illusion and feeling of more space. This is particularly useful if you live in an area of perennially good weather that you can enjoy year round. For example, installing sliding glass doors in Brisbane to open your living area out onto the patio, you can enjoy an extended entertaining area that is both indoors and outdoors, and perfect for warm, balmy nights.
The benefit of large glass windows or large glass doors is that they allow in more natural light and a window to the outside world, two factors that improve the atmosphere of the room and create the illusion of more space. If you don’t have an outdoor area or space for larger windows or doors, keeping a few indoor plants can help brighten the atmosphere of your home and create a better space for you to enjoy.
A lack of space is often felt in small homes that are overcrowded, messy and disorganised. So getting organised, ridding yourself of excess junk, and making sure that every item in your home has a place to be stored can really help to give you more access to precious space. Clear out your closets, your children’s closets, bookshelves, panty and cupboards and really be brutal with what you keep and what you throw away. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t eaten, worn, read, or used a product in six months or more, it’s probably not worth keeping.
With everything you have left, make sure it has a storage space and everyone in the house knows where it belongs and how to put it away. With more space available and clear floor to move around in, you’ll feel happier and more at ease in your home.
Getting organised and putting things away relies on the proper use of storage and having adequate storage. Try to have your pantry items organised so you can find what you’re looking for and keep track of the use by dates on food. Have clothing sorted according to use (“work”, “leisure”, “exercise”, etc) and get rid of things you don’t need. If necessary, be creative and install more storage by putting up shelves, making a storage space out of bed frames or stools and using any attic or basement space you might have.
If necessary, you can always hire a self-storage facility that provides more storage space away from your home. This is particularly useful if you have antique furniture or family heirlooms you want to hold on to but don’t have room in your home for.
There are always excellent and effective tricks of design and decoration that give the illusion of more space, even if you don’t have a lot. Painting or putting wallpaper on the ceiling draws the attention upwards, and that helps to make a room feel bigger, as does good lighting. Using light colours creates an effect of brightness and openness, adding space also. Using fewer, larger pieces to decorate doesn’t crowd the room as much as using a larger amount of smaller pieces, and glass or Lucite pieces have minimal impact on the space, giving more space to the eye.
With these great 4 tips you can create a space that looks and feels bigger, without having to pay thousands to actually make it bigger.
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