With the cost of space constantly increasing, people are looking for ways to create the feeling of space within their homes. This is especially true if you are a homeowner looking to sell your home. Space is key when trying to sell your home to potential buyers so any techniques or tips you come across to help give off the feeling of space is a massive help. There are many ways to do this, using the art of design to make the eyes believe a space is much larger than it actually is. After consulting with some of the best designers and interior decorators in the country, I’ve finished writing up the top five, space creating tricks and tips to make a house sale go through just that little bit quicker.

Bright Airy Colours

Colours play an important role in making a space feel bit. This stems from the fact that our eyes use colours to judge; size, distance, space, and feeling. Using colors to play tricks on the eyes is a great way to create the feeling of space in small or confined spaces. Successfully making a space feel bright, airy, and large has a lot to do with colour choices and shades. A common trick is to use variations on a monochromatic pallet to create the illusion that there is more space in a room than is actually present. Colouring distant walls with a slightly darker tint of the same colour creates this illusion. Another great layer to adding the feeling of space is to buy a new carpet that matches the atmosphere and tone of the room, but try to make sure it’s of a light colour.  Old carpets can often make a room feel cluttered so beware of this when trying to sell. Another way it too choose a room colour that is bright and warm to begin with. Light yellows, soft blues, and whites all work to create space. Dark, harsh colours, and reds have the opposite impact. This helpful BBC article is great for more information on what colours can do for a room.

It’s All About the Lighting

In interior decoration, as in television, so much of what is seen has to do with the lighting that is present. Dim rooms tend to resemble a cave, or small space, while brightly lit rooms have an air of space. Using lights that shine directly upward towards the ceiling can create additional vertical illusionary space. By making the top half of the room brighter, it will seem to be larger to the occupants of the room.  While making the room universally bright will make it feel generally larger.

Mirror

Mirrors have a huge impact on the illusion of space. This is for the same reason that lighting and colour all make a room feel larger. The fact is mirrors are yet another trick of light. By placing a mirror in a room it creates continuity, and the illusion of space in place of the wall, where there may not be any. It also reflects light, making it possible to make a dark hallway or room brighter than it actually is.

De Clutter

When it comes to making a small space look big, clutter is the enemy. The more stuff you have in a space, the fuller it will look, and the fuller it looks, you guessed it, the smaller it looks. Simplicity is best, take time to pack up all the little knick knacks and put them into storage.

Placement of Furnishings

Placement of furnishings is key to achieving flow in a space. This flow is important because it also helps to create the illusion of space, and impression that a room is in fact larger than it is. Furnishings should be placed next to adjacent walls, and should never block the flow from one room into another. Blocking the flow creates a closed-off feeling, and therefore makes the room feel much smaller than it is. Remember in design, an open space is a big space.