Living Room
9. Mirror an entire wall to double your visual space You may not be able to enlarge your space literally but you can trick the eye into thinking there is more room. Mirrors are an easy-peasy, affordable addition to any space and can really work to open up a room and allow more natural light to flow. Opt for black tinted mirrors for a sleek, mysterious finish or choose clear ones for a crisp, clean image.
9. Bring in the mirrors Mirrors double the visual space of an area while reflecting light around the home. They also break down the solidity of the walls to give the illusion of a more open space. Windowless small rooms also have a tendency to feel boxed in, so bringing in a framed mirror creates the resemblance of a window, adding a focal point to the room, and brightening the space to make it feel larger. If you’re looking to counter a small kitchen in your apartment, consider investing in a mirrored backsplash. I also like using furniture with reflective surfaces.
6. The wall mount Like vertical storage, wall-mounted furnishings are essential to a small apartment. If you’re grappling with floor space, wall-mounted electronics are a life-saver. You can then choose to do away with the usual console set-up to free up the area. I also like to use wall-mounted lighting instead of table lamps in small homes. Overhead lighting alone is harsh and flat, but table lamps can take up precious space you cannot afford. Simple wall sconces are a great trick for illuminating darker areas, and remember: if you want a space to feel larger, it has to first look brighter.
5. Trick the eye with your window treatments Swapping out the material of your curtains isn’t the only designer trick in the handbook. Remember: it’s all about making the room seem larger than it actually is, which means you should maximise the height of the room as well as the available natural light. To give the illusion of a high ceiling, hang curtains above your window frame – the ideal height is about two-thirds of the distance between the top of the window and the ceiling. To let in as much light as possible, extend the curtain rod about 6-10 inches (about 15 to 25 centimetres) to the sides of the windows. If you’re using store-bought curtains, you may notice that the curtains look disproportionate to your windows when they’re open. A simple fix would be to buy two panels (and not just one) for each side.
Not all of us like open-plan living. If your apartment has smaller adjacent rooms, a unified colour palette that runs throughout the house will help it feel larger as it decreases the visual noise. I like to use predominantly neutral palettes in small homes as it makes the spatial flow feel less choppy. I also look for paints that have a slight sheen to them: this helps to reflect light and give the illusion of a more spacious home.
2. Declutter Now, lacking storage isn’t an issue specific to small homes. I’ve worked on many large homes that have storage issues, and the real reason is because we have a tendency to hoard things. I like interior stylist and TV host Emily Henderson’s method of decluttering where any object must be two of these three things: beautiful, functional or sentimental. If you have more discipline to KonMari your home, do it.
1. Go vertical Let’s begin with a basic guiding principle: think tall when small. Floor space is limited and everyone always needs storage options, so make those walls work doubly hard. Keep curios and books in the living room on shelves that span the height of the wall. Apply this principle to your closet organisation too: whether you have built-in wardrobes or standing dressers, make full use of the space by storing things on top of cabinets if they don’t already go up to the ceiling.
5. Make it look deliberate Although LS2 Design and Construction merged two rooms into one open-concept study-and-lounge in this flat, a change of flooring (from screed to wood-clad platform) and different lighting treatments indicate the functions of the two spaces. The beam seemingly completes the demarcation of the two spaces.
In order to generate a little privacy for the owners of this Singaporean apartment, interior designers from Versaform created a mini entryway by erecting a simple floor-to-ceiling screen in front of the door. Constructed from narrow vertical posts, the screen also cleverly doubles as a bike rack. For close-up details, see more of this project here.
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