Sometimes, it’s not enough to welcome a new piece of furniture or a new accent into a room. When you stick to the same old plans time and time again, it’s never really going to look that much different. Instead, you need to think about the shape and size of the room as a whole. Here, we’re going to look at updates that fundamentally change the way a room works. You won’t have to go as far as extending the property, either so don’t worry.
Rearrange it
Sometimes, the best way to start with a room if from the very beginning. If you’ve had the furniture arranged the same way for years but you’ve just been replacing one bit for another, then the amount of space in a room will remain much the same. That’s despite the fact that the actual size of the pieces has changed drastically. It’s worth taking the time to rearrange it, bearing in the mind the measurements of your current furniture choices. You might be able to make use of the nooks and crannies and odd spaces that weren’t accessible to any of your furniture before, for instance.
Think about the footprint
You can make additions to the room more sensibly in future, as well. When using a finite amount of space, getting more efficient with your choices can give you a lot more room for arrangement and much more room around every individual piece of furniture. The way to do that is to think about the footprint of a piece of furniture vs. the amount of space you actually use. For instance, chairs with arms wider than their bases are using space that otherwise might be useful.
A focus on the vertical
Standing space in any room is important. There are some items that could seriously alter a room just by getting lifted up and focusing vertically with them. For instance, grab a column radiator instead of one that ranges horizontally across the room. It might give you more wall space to place a seat without worrying that you’re blocking the heat throughout the room. Elevate what you can. For instance, floating the sink in a bathroom can give you space beneath it to add more storage.
Have some visual follow through
From the entry to the room to the farthest point. If you create a line of sight and, even better, a path that cuts directly across, it makes a room look much bigger. This goes against some of the assumptions that, in a living room, the very centre should be where the coffee table goes. If it frees up some follow through, consider orienting the coffee table off to the side, instead. The illusion of more space is just as effective at making a room feel different as actually changing the available space.
It’s not too difficult to drastically change a room without having to shell out for a renovation or extension. Hopefully, the points above give you some ideas on how to open a room out and give it an entirely new feel.