The Tardis effect
How to make your home bigger inside than out
IF YOU’RE strapped for cash then space is probably not in abundance. Don’t fret, however, because that does not mean you are doomed to live in a cramped box until you move, as there are numerous decorating ideas for making even the smallest of spaces seem like a lavish palace in comparison.
Go big
Interior designers recommend using large furniture to make a room seem bigger. Though it may go against what seems like common sense, certain key items of furniture, such as a bed, make a room appear larger.
Using a large, comfy bed, for example, makes you cut down on other cluttering pieces, which then puts the focuson the itself as a centrepiece, with space all around it. You’ll have floor space to get up in the morning, walk around, change your clothes or just sit and relax, basking in the breathing space of an unclogged area.
Smart bookcases
Another way to maximise spacial efficiency is to make the furniture multipurpose. Rather than a freestanding bookcase jutting out of the wall, if you have the option then make the wall itself the shelves. Shallow shelves that are a part of the wall are great for storing the same things but take up less space.
You could even place them beside and around your centrepiece bed, allowing you to utilise them as bedside cabinets as well as shelves. Being a part of the wall also means wall bookcases can go up higher, using more of the space a wall provides for storage.
Think about colour
There are two things to avoid when considering colour: darker hues and mixed colours.
Darker colours instantly shrink a room, whereas a different coloured ceiling and wall allows the eye to define where one meets the other and better judge the space.
Instead, opt for lighter colours such as Resene Black White and use it, alongside similar hues, for both your walls and ceiling. With this type of light colour coating everything, your eye will find it hard to judge where the ceiling is in relation to the walls and it will seem larger.
Windows to another dimension
A great way to open up a small space is to add large mirrors.
Like a window to another room, these mirrors will give the illusion that you have more space than you do. For your cupboard door in the bedroom, consider a floor-to-ceiling mirror design instead of something solid.
To curtain or not to curtain?
Leaving your windows curtainless will give the room a sense of openness, help bathe it in daylight and introduce a sense of space as the great outdoors is allowed inside. However, it’s understandable you might want a little privacy, so curtains may be a must. If that’s the case, there some great options to choose from.
If you like the elegant look of a solid fabric, try ceiling-to-floor Resene Waltz curtains to create a strong line that appears to stretch the window, making the room seem taller. Alternatively, you could go for a lighter curtain to cover the window up, but still let plenty of daylight in.