Five tips for increasing home spaciousness

Creating space in your home is not always based on how much space you have to work with, but it is also largely dependent on the home furniture, arrangement and ‘illusions’ that are in place.

CEO of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate Mike Greeff shared the following tips to help you get more space out of your home:

1. Keep it neutral
Neutral colours that are light create a feeling of openness and space.  The effect is enhanced by making walls and floors or walls and ceilings similar colours. The eye does not “see” the corners of the walls but rather the continuation of colours. The correct application of colours to a room can make even the smallest room feel spacious. Correct colour selection paired with a paint texture like eggshell or satin finish that reflects light can maximise light flow into a space.

2. Create unity
Unity in your home helps lead the eye from point to point without breaking the flow of the movement. A good example would be to keep your floors consistent. Different colours and textures of floor in each room creates compartments in your floor space and destroys the seamless flow of your gaze as you move between rooms.

3. Mirrors create the illusion of space
Mirrors are hugely effective at creating the illusion of space. When placed at right angles to windows, mirrors extend views and increase available natural light entering the room. When placed opposite windows they ‘double’ the visible area to anyone looking into its surface. With mirrors available in virtually every shape and size conceivable the possibilities are infinite, and you should just let your imagination be your pilot.

4. Dump the clutter
As time goes by we tend to accumulate the unnecessary and for some reason, our minds label it as important. A simple spring clean can do wonders for your space requirements. The psychological catharsis of spring cleaning can also be your internal signal that you are ready for some new things. Another very relevant point to note is that clutter could very well be hiding or detracting from some of the best features of a room.

5. Hidden Storage / Multi-purpose furniture
There are literally thousands of innovative furniture options available to decorate your home. From bookshelves that double as lampshades to the trusty sleeper couch, home decor has evolved to reflect the adage of form following function. Minimalist furniture is also excellent at performing a function without drawing too much attention to itself. It uses glass, shape and unique angles to be completely practical without being obtrusive. The latest resurgent trend in home decor is folding furniture. Folding tables, beds, shelves and mirrors can all be incorporated into your home to optimise your use of space as well as show off your appreciation of intelligent design.

Your home should reflect your personality and having a limited space to work with should not stop you from expressing your individuality. Smart furniture, creative lighting and use of colours are some of the ways that you can make your home larger than life.

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