There’s a lot of upkeep required living in a mansion, so many of us choose instead for a smaller, more manageable home. It’s only practical! But just because you live in a smaller space doesn’t mean you want the space to look or feel small. For big jobs, you may want to contact a professional company like Roofmasters to help with some structural improvements. If you want to start out small, here is a list of tips for making your home look and feel open and spacious.

Use the Walls

One of the key mistakes people make when designing the layout of their home is to focus on the centre of each room. There are times that this may be unavoidable, but in your main living spaces, try moving your furniture closer to the wall. If your coffee table takes pride of place in the centre of your lounge, perhaps it would also fit snugly at the end of your couch, or on the opposite wall. Depending on the number of people who use it, your dining table may look great up against the wall, instead of sitting in the centre of the space.

Another trick with your walls is to decorate them. A single, large piece of artwork can make your walls look spacious, whereas multiple smaller hangings can make the room look cluttered and cramped. Opt for a single, wide piece of art, or a large mirror that will reflect the space and make it look larger.

Make the Colours Work

Light colours make rooms look more spacious, so if you have the opportunity to paint the inside of your house, opt for light colours. To make the room pop, and to accentuate this, pair this with something dark. For instance, cream-coloured walls are accentuated with dark-chocolate coloured curtains or couches.

Shelves are Everything

Is your house suffering from clutter? Is your coffee table covered with books, a centrepiece and those odd bits of not-quite-junk that accumulate over the week? The key to spacious living is clean, empty surfaces, so you want to get as much of your belongings out of sight. Drawers are your new best friend. Splash out on a new coffee table with built-in drawers or cupboards, and invest in a slim-line sideboard near your front door for mail, keys, and the other things that accumulate throughout the week. Just utilising the hidden compartments for all the extra little things lying around will give you a more spacious-looking home.

Choose your own Trinkets

This might sound obvious, but much of the clutter we accumulate was initially a gift from someone else. Now, there’s not very much you can do about previous gifts, but you can try to avoid future gifts that aren’t much good to you. When you know a present-giving event is approaching, drop early hints about what you are currently looking for, or even be so bold as to tell them exactly what you want [or don’t want]. Don’t worry – this isn’t rude. Most people struggle to come up with gift ideas, and will appreciate the suggestion.

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Have you found any tips or tricks that make your home feel larger? Share your tricks below.