5 life-changing interior design ideas for small spaces – maximizing the space you have available.
Owning a home that’s very small–like a tiny home–can provide better living than an apartment, but at lower total cost; making home-ownership attainable at low-income, and so more cost-effective. You can build a tiny home much nicer than an apartment for under $30k, and own it inside ten years or less.
Paying the $30k loan off at $600 a month—low rent by most reckonings—will have the property in your ownership inside ten years; even less than five, if you pay in more than $600 and outpace the loan interest. The main downside is the size of the space itself.
But just because you own a small space doesn’t mean living there has to feel cramped. There are a lot of little things you can do to spread light, open the space, and get the most use out of it. Some of these strategies involve mild remodel—good for property value—but most won’t. Following are five suggestions to help maximize interior space.
Image by terimakasih0 on Pixabay
Mirrors, Paintings, Tapestries, Windows
Mirrors spread light and additionally increase that which your eyes perceive—even peripherally. This creates an impression of largeness. Many smaller taverns use this technique to make interiors seem less confining, and it’s effective. Adding mirrors to your home can be an essential step in maximizing space.
Paintings have a similar effect. Rich colors reflect light, but more than that, paintings in the right place tie a room together, giving a space character. Too many pictures can be visually “noisy”, but the right paintings, portraits, or pictures in the right place can work wonders.
The same is true for tapestries; especially for room corners which are otherwise difficult to decorate. There’s certainly a balance. Windows can be installed, too, depending on the space you’re looking at maximizing. Sometimes such remodeling isn’t possible.
Capitalizing On Vertical Space
Bunk-beds can give children twice the utility with half the space. If you have enough headroom, you could even install a loft. You might also consider raising your own bed, and using the space beneath it to function as a closet would normally.
Furniture which has a vertical quality to it can stretch storage capacity of a small space without making it feel claustrophobic. Also in this vein, get seating that is lower to the ground. This will make a room feel much larger.
Image by callmewillen on Pixabay
Reducing Decorative “Noise”
Paintings, furniture, and tapestries can open up a space, but if you go overboard, they make it feel less open. There is a balance to seek. Don’t have too much decoration in a space. Start on the light side, and see if you need to add anything over time.
Your strategy should be maximization, then beatification. Go the other way, and you’ll get less use from space, and even if everything is decorated in a way that suits you, others will feel constrained.
Cabinetry Considerations
You can purchase Ready To Assemble, or RTA, cabinets that can be made to specifically conform to your space. While there are certainly going to be outliers, with RTA solutions, you are able to get more diverse solutions into your home, and this can allow you to be strategic in terms of space conservation, allowing you to balance space maximization and beautification more effectively.
Compartmentalized Space
Room dividers can split a dining room in half, allowing equal dining space, but making it possible for you to turn the other half into an entertainment center. This technique can also be used decoratively. There are foldable wicker dividers which look fine and make a small space seem like there is more to it. You can do the same with conventional cubicle dividers; just decorate appropriately
Small Spaces With Big Heart
Compartmentalized spaces with the right cabinetry, decoratively balanced arrangements, vertical space properly maximized, and mirrors, pictures, portraits, tapestries or other similar accoutrements can really make a room feel larger. Techniques of this kind applied in a balanced way give tiny homes big heart.
How do you decorate your small space?
Leave a Reply