Make Your Living Room More Spacious With These Design Secrets

On average, the homes in our country are small compared to others around the world. Some would argue that it is because we are a small island nation. In reality the problem lies with greedy developers who have always tried to cram as many properties on a piece of land as they can.

There is little we can do about the developers, but we can make small rooms feel a little more spacious. If you decide that enough is enough, and you can stand your cramped quarters no longer you have come to the right place. Here are a few design secrets to make your room seem more spacious than it is now. Read on and see if you could use any of them.

Tidy Up

If you have no money to spend, you can make a difference in the room by decluttering it. There might be too many ornaments or lots of pictures on the walls. You must attack the room with determination if you are to declutter it successfully. Get rid of old and cheap artwork that has no sentimental value. Throw away or put most of the ornaments into storage. Only keep the ones that mean something to you.

Colour Scheme

Most people can afford a can of paint. Cover the walls in a brightly coloured emulsion. Don’t use a dazzling colour though; think about a pale yellow or cream shade. Dark colours can make the walls close in on you, and so you should avoid using them in a small room.

Patio Doors

If you can afford it, replace a window with patio doors. The installation will only take one day, and the extra light that comes in has a dramatic effect on the room. If you were feeling claustrophobic in there, the new doors would alleviate it because you can see outside. The only downside is that you must keep the garden tidy.

Furniture

Look for corner sofas online and in your local furniture shops. There are modern and attractive units available that allow you to make the best use of the floorspace available. They push back against the walls and make use of otherwise useless corners. There is usually space for four or five people on one sofa, so you might not need extra armchairs.

Mirrors

Interior designers use mirrors to fool the eye, and you should too. Have a large  mirror on the main feature wall, probably just above the feature fire. Make sure that the mirror does not have a bold, ornate frame. Sometimes less is more.

Fireplace

If you have a gas fire that stands on the hearth, pay an engineer to remove it. People rarely use the main fire in homes with central heating, so take up the hearth to create extra room. Use an electric fire with an attractive flame effect instead. They fix to the wall and take up no floor space. You will be amazed at the difference it makes to the room.

Any of the above ideas will make a difference in your living room. If you can afford to use all of them, you will transform it beyond recognition. We don’t have to put up with tiny spaces anymore, we just need to look at things in a new light.