HomeBeautiful
  • Open Homes
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor
  • Decorate
  • Hamptons
  • Podcasts
  • Beach House
  • hacks
HomeBeautiful
  • Open Homes
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor
  • Decorate
  • Hamptons
  • Podcasts
  • Beach House
  • hacks
Subscribe
Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

Small space hack: 10 ideas to rediscover your balcony

Small space hack: 10 ideas to rediscover your balcony

Seven clever ways to optimise small spaces

Seven clever ways to optimise small spaces

How to make your living room look bigger

How to make your living room look bigger

7 ways to find more space in your living room

7 ways to find more space in your living room

{headline}

{headline}

Cherie Barber’s top 5 tips for maximising small spaces

Cherie Barber’s top 5 tips for maximising small spaces

Home tour: Small home, big ideas

Home tour: Small home, big ideas

Before & After: from a small depressing box to a bright and airy villa

Before & After: from a small depressing box to a bright and airy villa

{headline}

{headline}

5 ideas to steal from Josh & Jenna's award-winning home

5 ideas to steal from Josh & Jenna's award-winning home

3 tiny things that make a big difference to your small kitchen

3 tiny things that make a big difference to your small kitchen

The bathroom storage space you're probably overlooking

The bathroom storage space you're probably overlooking

Five ways to make the most of a small bathroom

Five ways to make the most of a small bathroom

5 unique ways to use removable wallpaper

5 unique ways to use removable wallpaper

How to make any room appear bigger

How to make any room appear bigger

3 ways to flood your home with natural light

3 ways to flood your home with natural light

  1. Home
  2. Decorate

7 homewares hacks to make a small room feel bigger

The tips and tricks that make a difference  - by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
  • 23 Nov 2019
7 homewares hacks to make a small room feel bigger

Interior designers have a talent at making small spaces appear larger.

When they can’t knock down walls or make structural changes to a room, they have to make clever use of homewares to create a sense of space.

Interiors insiders Athina Bluff and Amy Brandhorst of Topology recently teamed up with British homewares store Habitat to reveal their top hacks to make a compact home feel bigger.

Here are seven tips to steal for your own home.

1. Hang a mirror opposite a window

This is an easy way to reflect light around a dark and poky room, creating a sense of spaciousness.

“If you’re feeling creative, play around with different shapes or multiples to reflect as much light as possible,” Athina and Amy said.

fantasticfrank View Profile
486 likes - View Post on Instagram
Smooth as silk that colored wall - at #Midskeppsgatan new listing 📸 @annamalmbergphoto 🛠 @katiathoger #livingroomdecor #sjöstaden #scandinavianinterior

2. Continue hallway flooring

Extending the flooring of your hallway to other rooms creates a consistent look and lengthen the lines of your home. This opens up other rooms and creates the sense of a wider space.

fantasticfrank View Profile
1,786 likes - View Post on Instagram
Livingroom in #Prentzlauerberg listing now 📸 @anna.cor #Kopenhagenstrasse #doubledoor #berlininterior #fantasticfrankberlin @fantasticfrankberlin #interiorarchitecture

3. Transparent furniture

Lots of bulky and dark furniture makes a room appear cramped and small. Transparent or open furniture creates an illusion of lightness and opens up a small space.

“Glass furniture, sofas raised on legs, skinny framed shelving — these will all help,” they said.

fantasticfrank View Profile
1,311 likes - View Post on Instagram
Almost Ice Cube at #bondegatan listing now 📸 @jockeono 🛠 @mimmistaaf #livingroomdecor #scandinavianstyle #icecube #nordichome

4. Go dark in small spaces

We traditionally think we need to open up a space by painting it in light colours. However, Athina and Amy recommend using colours like charcoals and navies to make a room appear bigger.

“Don’t feel like you have to ‘Brilliant White’ absolutely everything to achieve a sense of more space — trust us, it works,” they said.

fantasticfrank View Profile
854 likes - View Post on Instagram
Kitchen at #luntmakargatan 📸 @jockeono 🛠 @mimmistaaf #kitchen #brickwall #scandinavianstyle #interiordesignideas #goldmirror

5. Light sources

A single light source can create shadows, contributing to a closed-in look and feeling. Instead, you should choose multiple light sources for areas including the ceiling, floor and surfaces.

“You should aim to have around 6 light sources around the room which will ‘replace’ natural daylight and flow through the space, as well as being reflected from mirrored and metallic surfaces,” Athina and Amy said.

fantasticfrank View Profile
1,579 likes - View Post on Instagram
Bedroom at #Pålsundsgatan new listing 📸 @_mikaellundblad 🛠 @katiathoger #bedroomdecor #scandinavianhomes #scandinavianinterior #deco

6. Make use of walls

When you’re limited by space, think vertical. Add floating shelves to a wall or mount hooks, knobs and lights.

“Also make use of dead space areas such as corners – adding wall mounted shelves into corners is a great way of maximising storage space,” they said.

fantasticfrank View Profile
306 likes - View Post on Instagram
Tree at #henriksdalsallén listing now 📷 @emmajonssondysell 🛠 @katiathoger #hangers #scandinavianinterior #scandi #sjöstaden

7. Paint everything the same colour

Athina and Amy recommend that you try “painting your walls, skirting boards and door frames all the same colour.” This elongates the lines and opens up the room.

fantasticfrank View Profile
940 likes - View Post on Instagram
Kitchen at #Stockholmsvägen new listing 📸 @annamalmbergphoto 🛠 @jessicalagerman #kitchen #lightinterior #scandinavianhome #nordiclight #scandinavianinterior

This article originally appeared on Better Homes and Gardens.

FREE Miranda Kerr Mug-SAVE 31%

by Royal Albert, when you subscribe

Subscribe Now
FREE Miranda Kerr Mug

FREE Miranda Kerr Mug-SAVE 31%

by Royal Albert, when you subscribe

Subscribe Now
FREE Miranda Kerr Mug

Recommended to you

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

Small space hack: 10 ideas to rediscover your balcony

Small space hack: 10 ideas to rediscover your balcony

Seven clever ways to optimise small spaces

Seven clever ways to optimise small spaces

How to make your living room look bigger

How to make your living room look bigger

7 ways to find more space in your living room

7 ways to find more space in your living room

{headline}

{headline}

Cherie Barber’s top 5 tips for maximising small spaces

Cherie Barber’s top 5 tips for maximising small spaces

Home tour: Small home, big ideas

Home tour: Small home, big ideas

Before & After: from a small depressing box to a bright and airy villa

Before & After: from a small depressing box to a bright and airy villa

{headline}

{headline}

5 ideas to steal from Josh & Jenna's award-winning home

5 ideas to steal from Josh & Jenna's award-winning home

3 tiny things that make a big difference to your small kitchen

3 tiny things that make a big difference to your small kitchen

The bathroom storage space you're probably overlooking

The bathroom storage space you're probably overlooking

Five ways to make the most of a small bathroom

Five ways to make the most of a small bathroom

5 unique ways to use removable wallpaper

5 unique ways to use removable wallpaper

How to make any room appear bigger

How to make any room appear bigger

3 ways to flood your home with natural light

3 ways to flood your home with natural light

HomeBeautiful
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
HomeBeautiful Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • marie claire
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • All Recipes
  • Practical Parenting
  • 7plus
  • 7News
  • Health Engine
  • The West Australian
  • Perth Now
  • Airtasker
  • Society One
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

FREE Miranda Kerr Mug-SAVE 31%

Shop This Offer
FREE Miranda Kerr Mug