Tips to Create the Illusion of Space Inside a Small Home

Living in a smaller home has some advantages such as lower utility costs, a lower purchase price and mortgage an also a smaller property tax bill. The home will also require less time to clean, especially if you are able to keep it organized by using efficient storage procedures. The disadvantages of living in a smaller home is that it may feel crowded when your entire family is home. If you are someone who likes to entertain friends and family, the available space in a smaller may feel far from adequate for the comfort of your guests.

Laneway Homes of Toronto, Canada specializes in building family homes with less square footage than average so middle to lower income families are able to purchase a home of their own. Fortunately, there are some design ideas that can give the illusion of more space in small rooms. While these ideas will not expand the actual size of the home, the occupants are able to feel more comfortable and less restricted in their home.

While the dining room is a place where families gather for meals, it is not necessary to fill the space with a large table. Choose a round table or smaller table with only as many chairs as there are family members. There are many tables available that can be expanded with the addition of one or two leaves that are handy for special occasions when additional space is needed. Additional seating can be added with a few folding chairs that are stored when not needed.

Living rooms are where families are able to relax, but seating can be limited in a home with less space. In order to use the floor space most efficiently, the television can be mounted on the wall. This option makes space available for another easy chair or even a love seat.

Many modern homes have a dedicated room that is used as a home office, but this is unlikely in a small home. One answer would be to install a system of shelves on a wall. The lower shelf can be wide enough to offer a workspace while the upper shelves provide storage for books, office supplies and other items necessary for a home office.

Homes with less square footage often have three or more bedrooms; they just happen to be smaller in size. One solution for this problem is the use of a day bed. This can be especially useful in a kids room, and these beds can be very versatile with the option of a trundle underneath for when the child may have a friend stay for the night. A day bed could also be used in the living room in the case where no guest room is available for overnight visitors.

Color can make a huge difference in a smaller room, so painting the walls of every room in light colours is a great choice. The walls are not the only color influence in a room; light-coloured furniture opens up the room and gives the illusion of more space than there really is. Mirrors are also a great design trick to fool the eye into seeing more space than is actually available.

No living room is completely functional without tables to make the area more usable and comfortable. However, it is important to avoid large tables that fill up the floor space and interfere with traffic flow. Smaller tables can be placed strategically for the most convenient use, and they can also be moved easily when necessary.

Efficient storage is essential in smaller homes so unused items can be put away until needed. If the home has a second story, there is quite a lot of unused space under the stairway. Enclosed closets can be built under the stairs, or space can even be used for a built-in desk and shelves for a mini-office. The stair steps can also be used as storage when each step is a slide-out drawer where many items can be kept within convenient reach.

Kitchens are important rooms since this is where food is prepared, so there should be enough space to store all the dishes, cooking utensils and food. Just because a kitchen is on the small side does not mean it cannot function as well as a larger space. Some women prefer working in a smaller kitchen since everything is within easy reach. Modern kitchen cabinets are built to store everything necessary for preparing a meal with room to spare. It is important to extend the cabinets all the way up to the ceiling since this space is often left open and wasted. Items that are used only once and a while can be stored up there, but the kitchen should also include a safe step stool to reach them.

Even a small home can seem bright and spacious when there is a lot of light coming in through windows and doors. Canadian winters are cold, so all the windows and doors should use double or triple pane glass to avoid heat loss. Some people suffer from lack of sufficient light during the winter months, so getting enough outdoor light in the home is not only aesthetically pleasing but healthy as well. French doors in the kitchen or dining room that open onto an outside living space are a great feature for grilling and outdoor entertaining in the warmer months.

Open floor plans are very popular these days, and this design option also opens up smaller homes to make the area seem more spacious. If the home does not already have an open floor plan, perhaps some walls that are not load-bearing can be removed to improve visibility from one room to the next. This is not an update that most homeowners are capable of doing on their own, so a contractor should be hired to complete the work.

Although living in a smaller home can feel cramped, space can be greatly improved through the use of some or all of these tips.