How to Make Your Apartment Look More Spacious

Rents and real estate prices are skyrocketing while apartment sizes are shrinking. We are always competing for space and we never seem to have enough of it. That huge living space looks enticing but also comes with a heavy price tag. 

So what do we do? Do we not buy that cute chair because there’s no space at home?

 

What makes a small place look even smaller? Clutter and junk lying around. So that chair with half your wardrobe on it - yeah, you need to get that in order. Walk around your home and make a list of things that you have not used in a while and get rid of them. This might sound stupid but is the first step to make the best use of one’s space. We have evolved into this being where we love to collect and hoard things hoping they would be of use someday. What we fail to comprehend is the cost we bear in the long run in storing and maintaining it. Take into account the opportunity loss of the lost space in storing it and you’ll realize why this is the first and most important step towards making your apartment look and feel bigger than it is.

Living in a 3D space and not utilizing one of the dimensions is a total waste. And while most people think of space in terms of carpet area, they fail to understand how vertical space can be utilized to create a much more elegant and larger space without compromising or discarding any of your decor or belongings. Having a bunk bed system rather than 2 separate beds for your kids is a great way to start. Storing things in overhead cabinets and having a floating bookshelf instead of a glass cabinet are also ways you can think about. A lot of things in your kitchen can be stored vertically using hooks making more room in the drawers and cabinets. Once you start thinking about vertical space, the possibilities of freeing up floor space seem endless.

When it comes to choosing your furniture, make sure you make smart decisions while also keeping aesthetics in mind. Opt for a standing shower instead of a bathtub, this increases your bathroom space significantly. Wall mount dispensers for shampoo, conditioner and body wash are also great to reduce clutter on your shelves. For your living, use multipurpose furniture which can mold itself to offer multiple functionality. Opt for ottomans that hold video game accessories and coffee tables that have drawers and open shelving below. Choose furniture that is sleek and has straight lines; curved furniture blocks a lot of good space and also makes the space look even smaller. Once you have your furniture in order, the rest is relatively easy to get right to make your apartment look and feel bigger than it is.

Light plays an important role in how open and spacious or congested and tiny your apartment looks. Lightning is by far the most effective tool in making your apartment look and feel a lot bigger than it is. Natural light is one way to go with. Letting your apartment get lots of natural light through windows and glass doors creates a continuity between what’s inside and what’s outside thus making the room seem bigger than it naturally is. Another way to go about it is to place light fixtures higher up towards the ceiling. The idea behind this is to make people look up and acknowledge vertical space. It takes the focus off the width of the room and pushes vision upwards . This helps create the illusion of more space in areas of your home that are dimly lit.

If you feel your hallway or lobby is too small for anything pretty to fit, just let it be. Sometimes when we try to push more and more things into our homes to make it look bigger we are just achieving the opposite. Adding things and décor to narrow spaces creates traffic and makes the place congested. Hallways and lobbies are meant to be places that connect different rooms which is why trying to decorate them sometimes negates the purpose behind them and adds to the clutter. If you have the space then adding a couple of chairs or a table is great, but if you have a hallway that is narrow, it is considered best practice to leave it as it is. You can hang a few paintings and pictures for aesthetics but leave the floor space empty.