How to make your house bigger without a hammer

Do you love your home, but wish it was bigger? Probably. But unless you are flush with cash, a real estate tycoon or otherwise independently wealthy, your budget, and the housing market is going to dictate your move up the property ladder.

While you bide your time in your small space, there are solutions to increase your sense of space.

Open the blinds

Distribution of natural light is perhaps the easiest way to promote the sense of space, especially if a space is physically small.

Pull back those curtains, lift those blinds and let the sun shine in. Clean those windows inside and out, and you can really harness the power of natural light.

Get rid of stuff

Nothing can make a space feel closed in than jam packing it with clutter. Get rid of as much as you can. Not only will be tidy, it will appear larger. Pay particular attention to stacks of books, magazines and knick knacks. If something is not serving a direct, function purpose, remove it.

Rethink your furnishings

Yes, I know you love to curl up on your overstuffed couch with a trashy novel/magazine/vampire show. But nothing cuts through space and screams “small” then having furniture that is disproportionately sized for the space that it is in.

This is especially true if you are in an apartment or condo.

How’s the paint?

While I covet the dramatic reds and popping pinks to cover walls, these are not for the faint of heart (or for those who are short on physical space). Darker colours will box the space in, whereas neutrals will help to diffract the light and augment the sense of space.

The eyes have it

Be always mindful of the sightline and of the optical illusion of space. When it comes to lighting, for instance, choose recessed or flush mount lighting rather than pendant lighting or lamps. Anything that is hanging down from the ceiling, or protruding out and up with cut up the space unnecessarily.