How to Tips to Make Your Home Feel and Look Bigger
Homes are limited in space, but there are ways to make them feel more spacious. Interior designers Tim Hobby and Candace Griffin share their tried-and-true methods to make your home feel and look bigger.
Small Changes, Big Impact: Tips to Make Your Home Feel Bigger
Transform a room and make it feel larger with paint, one of the easiest and most affordable methods, according to Tim Hobby, an Atlanta-based designer.
Using shades of white strategically can make a difference, instead of just one shade, use two or three shades, one for the walls, trim, and ceiling. The lighter shade should be kept on the ceiling, while the other shades can be used on the walls.
Additionally, to make the wall appear taller, paint crown and base moldings with the same color for a clean and simple look.
When dealing with a small room or home, paying attention to the scale of furniture is paramount.
Furniture that’s too large can overwhelm the space, while furniture that’s too small can make it feel empty. It’s essential to select appropriately scaled furniture and keep the seating height and depth in mind.
Chicago-based designer Candace Griffin advises removing unnecessary clutter and selecting the right-sized rug.
Drapery can add drama and make a room feel larger if hung from the ceiling to the floor.
It creates an illusion of higher ceilings and taller walls.
Consistency in decor is also crucial.
Using the same floor materials, color palette, and furniture style throughout the rooms will help achieve this, making the home feel like a connected space.
Transform Your Home with These Big Changes to Make It Feel Bigger
Upgrade Your Home’s Windows for a Spacious Feel Maximizing natural light and enhancing the view of the exterior can make a small home feel much larger, says designer Tim Hobby.
He suggests adding windows or enlarging existing ones to create a brighter, more expansive ambiance. Hobby recommends converting a set of windows into double glass doors that open onto an outdoor space like a porch or courtyard.
The taller the windows and glass doors, the better.
Reconfigure Your Home’s Layout for More Space Reconfiguring the layout of a home can transform it into a more functional and spacious living space.
Hobby advises that reconfiguring a room can also better suit your lifestyle. For instance, you can convert a large, underutilized dining room into a media room or expand the kitchen into the room.
Designer Candace Griffin suggests opening up a kitchen wall to create an open concept that is great for entertaining and can instantly make the space feel larger.
Expanding Your Home by Enclosing: Tips and Ideas
Transforming a porch or terrace into an enclosed sunroom or adding a wall of sliding doors to open the house to the exterior can expand your living space and add value to your home, suggests Tim Hobby, an Atlanta-based designer.
He recommends using a metal and glass enclosure, which can work on the front or back of a house. Finishing an unfinished attic or basement also offers potential for introducing new rooms with different purposes, such as a home theater or media room, says Candace Griffin, a Chicago-based designer.
Both designers encourage homeowners to think creatively about upgrading their living space beyond the constraints of the current layout.
*The information is for reference only.