Lots of space in a small home

High and airy rooms, a large, spacious bedroom and a huge bathing oasis. These are things many would wish for within the confines of their home. However, in the housing market, things usually look a little different. The rooms are not quite as big, the entrance hall rather narrow and the bathroom is at first glance no wellness oasis. But, with good planning and a few tricks, even smaller apartments can be turned into very cozy homes. Here's how it works:

Bright walls make rooms look bigger

Before furnishing the home, you can make the rooms look bigger by choosing the right paint for the walls. Bright colors make living spaces look bigger, while dark colors or coarse wallpaper will make the place look smaller and narrower. Adding color accents is best done with colorful accessories such as pictures, vases or cushions. This will save you the time-consuming painting and these colored accessories can be easily changed and replaced. Repainting a whole wall, is much, much more expensive.

Providing storage on the walls

If you don't have a lot of space in your home to set up large cabinets and chests of drawers, you can put shelves onto the walls. This creates additional storage space that does not look too bulky. Use decorative or simple boxes so that your shelves don’t look messy and choppy. If you own big and bulky things for which you can't find spots in your home or even if you have small things that take up valuable space, you can store them (❯ How to rent a storage room). For example, a few boxes can be easily accommodated in a 1 m3 box from placeB. In a larger storage boxes from placeB, for example, in the 9 m3 box, you can fit several pieces of furniture and boxes at the same time. When you store your things at placeB, you'll make room for yourself - valuable living space - within the confines of your home, while still having access to your cherished belongings.

Choosing functional furniture

For small living spaces it helps to choose furniture that fulfills several functions at the same time. For example, beds with storage space underneath are very useful. These can then replace the wardrobe, for example. Another idea is furniture that can be easily moved or folded. For example, folding tables, chairs, bed sofas or side tables with storage space. With such furniture, living spaces can be flexibly and quickly redesigned.

Let there be light

The lighting in living spaces is essential and not only for smaller apartments. Warm, yellowish light creates a cozy atmosphere at home. Lighting not only illuminates, it can also expertly set the scene for your furniture and decorations, whether as a standard lamp or using chains of lights as decoration. For rooms with low ceilings, it is a good idea to use lights that illuminate the ceiling indirectly. Again, a bright wall design will work wonders. Bright walls reflect the light making the room look brighter and friendlier.

Keep floor coverings uniform

Unified floors in small apartments make the rooms look larger. This prevents fractures and makes the floor visually stretched. If certain floor coverings in your home do not suit your taste, try covering it with laminate flooring. For plank floors, you could also create new, stylish floors with your favorite pattern using "tile stickers".

Mirror, mirror on the wall

A small bedroom or narrow entrance to the home can be made to look bigger by hanging a mirror on the wall. Ideally, the bright surface is then, not necessarily reflected by a fully packed bookshelf. Some models also offer a little storage behind the mirror or on the side. So, the mirror is not only a decoration but also functional.

Dividing a single-room apartment

If you live in a single-room apartment, try to create different areas. For example, keep sleeping, living and working spaces separate. Shelves or a cleverly placed sofa can function as room dividers. If you prefer fabric, you can also use curtains to divide the room.

You see: with a little bit of creativity, you can also get a lot out of a little space. And enjoy more living space.