You might be amazed at the simple adjustments to your living spaces that can make them immediately feel more open and more inviting. If that’s your goal for your family room or living room, take advantage of some of these suggestions right away.
Keep the Windows Unobstructed
Natural light is one of the keys to making a space feel clear and open (and can potentially lower your energy bills too). If your home has large picture windows, even better, as this will open the space up and make it feel more airy.
Use Multiple Points of Artificial Light
Don’t just rely on one small floor lamp to light the space, even if the room in question doesn’t have overhead lighting. Add a few small accent lights and table lamps if necessary, and make sure to use bright daylight bulbs.
Long shadows and dark areas can make a space feel small and even cramped, if not ominous; prevent this by incorporating multiple points of light.
Overhead Lighting, Such As Modern Pendant Lighting, Is Key
If possible, invest in new overhead lighting, such as a new chandelier, or if that is too flashy, in modern pendant lighting. This is because, beyond the inherently modern feel it will offer, overhead light fixtures such as modern pendant lighting or other LED lights can help eliminate shadows and can suffuse the entire setting sufficient with ambient lighting.
Remove Clutter
Clutter doesn’t just take up space, it elicits an emotional response of unease and even anxiety in some individuals as it can make it feel as though everything is “out of order.” The simple solution is to remove clutter from the room; keep the floors clear (clutter is a trip hazard anyway) and make sure that tabletops, shelves and other surfaces are mostly if not entirely clear.
Be Strategic with How You Place Furniture
How you place furniture in a room can be just as impactful as what you place there in the first place.
Long, linear pieces should be kept against natural edges – that is, walls – and L-shaped sectionals should be tucked into corners. If you can get away with removing side and end tables without impacting the space, do so – these are just extras.
Add Modern Decorative Mirrors to Opposing Walls
Here’s an insider tip: mirrors will reflect light and create the illusion of a space being broader and deeper than it actually is. Don’t just add one modern decorative mirror – add them to opposing walls where they will reflect light within the space and potentially even create that “infinity” effect.
Also, longer, taller modern decorative mirrors are better as they will make the room feel much larger, and thereby more open, than it actually is.
Think in Terms of Light Colors
If you can’t overhaul the entire scene and setting of the room in question, that’s fine, but if you’re just starting out, remember this: warm, light neutrals, like off whites and creams, will not only make a space feel more inviting, they will make it feel more open.
Darker colors don’t just have a slimming effect; they have a “condensing effect” and make a space feel confined and closed-off, not to mention smaller. So if you can, stick with warm whites for your furniture, floor coverings, and other decorative elements.
Incorporate Vertical Elements and Accents
When it comes to wall decor and other decorative elements, the more tall, vertical pieces you can incorporate into your space, in terms of sculpture, hangings, and other statement pieces, the better. These will make the space feel taller and more open than it may actually be.
Put Some of These Tips into Practice Today
Most of the suggestions contained in this article only require you to make a few adjustments to what you likely already have in your home – move your furniture, tidy up the space, and maybe add a mirror or two. They are accessible, practical, and most importantly, you can try some of them out for yourself today!
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