Interior Design Hacks for Maximising Space

Most of us could do with a bit more space in our homes. Space for a growing family, for our ever-expanding collection of home technology or for furniture to accommodate visitors. Sadly, we don’t all have vast living rooms — in fact most of us struggle to find the floor space we really need.

Thankfully, there are plenty of easy ways to make small spaces seem bigger — and they need not cost a fortune either.

Furniture to Maximise Space

A small living room  does not have to equal small furniture. In fact, choosing statement furniture, such as large coffee tables or over-sized sofas, is a great idea. The reason this works so well is that just one large coffee table rather than lots of smaller tables reduces the sense of clutter in a room and acts to focus the eye.

The colour of your furniture will play a role in making the living room seem bigger too. Whilst colour is not a complete no-no in small living rooms, opting for a large white coffee table as opposed to a heavy, dark wood piece will definitely work towards creating a sense of space. Transparent, perspex furniture works in a similar way to a white coffee table in that it reflects light and brigtens up dingy or dark living rooms — any colourful decorative objects will also stand out all the more.

If you can find furniture which also offers storage, all the better. Coffee tables with lift-up lids or shelves beneath are a great example.

Finally, don’t forget to consider the shape of your furniture. Choosing curved or circular coffee tables as opposed to those with harsh, sharp edges not only makes it easy to manouvre around them in tight spaces, but also tricks the eye into seeing more space around them than there really is.

Layouts for Small Spaces

Rather than push all your furniture up against the walls, as is the temptation in small living rooms, consider pulling it out in to the room instead.

In fact, pulling a sofa or armchair just a little way out from the wall can really help create visual breathing space in a room. Place a narrow console table behind it — not only will it create a handy spot for lamps and photographs – with storage underneath being a possibility too –but it will also make the room seem bigger.

Using several different rugs to create ‘zones’ within the living room will also increase the sense of space, as will including shelving that acts as a divider in open plan spaces.

Colours That Make Rooms Look Bigger

Avoid dark colours on the walls. Admitedly they can add a cosy, intimate feel, but pale colours such as grey, white, cream and pastels will increase the sense of space in a room. Keep flooring light in colour too, whether that is through the use of a pale carpet or bleached wooden flooring.

This doesn’t mean you have to avoid colour altogether, but use brightly coloured furniture and accessories rather than saturating your walls with deep shades.

Opting for a bespoke coffee table in a bold or eye-catching shade will not only add some much-needed colour within a neutral colour scheme, but it will become a focal point that draws attention away from the compact proportions of the room.

Top Tips For Maximising Space

• Stick to pale paint colours for walls and floors

• Increase the sense of height in a room and draw the eye upwards by using colour or pattern on the ceiling — or by using floor to ceiling shelving

• Choose light-coloured or see-through statement furniture — such as a white coffee table

• Avoid harsh, straight lines and blur the boundaries of the room by using curved and circular furniture

• Don’t push all your furniture up against the walls — give it some breathing space

• Hang bold, large pieces of art on the wall to distract from the room’s proportions

• If you have high ceilings, think about creating a mezzanine level or fit high-level shelves above doorways and windows — it will provide useful storage as well as drawing the eye upwards