Guest Blog from DIY Expert, Dmitri Kara

6 simple tips to make small spaces feel bigger 

Dmitri Kara is a top DIY expert, founder of Home & Love and contributor to home sites such as Cleaner Confessions and Handymantips.org. We’re delighted to welcome Dmitri to Urbablogg for a fantastic guest post on ways to make small spaces feel bigger.

The main idea behind interior design solutions for small living spaces is to trick the eye. You need to make it ‘think’ that the area is more spacious than it actually is. You can accomplish this through the use of numerous creative design techniques. The main focus is to reflect as much light as possible and to use as little room as you can.

Try to smartly distribute colour, scale, and weight. Traditional interior options are not always the best solution for pocket-sized living spaces. For example, if you cramp up your bedroom with a classic dark-brown, heavy-looking bookshelf you can invite a claustrophobic vibe in. You should always try to find functional and room-saving answers to your interior problems.

1) Get creative and hang decorations from the ceiling. The solution for your shortage of space is located literally above your head. Look up! You can use the ceiling to make your home feel a bit roomier. To achieve significant volume in any area of your house, hang some decorative elements from the ceiling. It will free up space below, create a focal point and will draw the eye upwards.  So for instance, instead of using the Urbaboxx Grid Mesh on the wall, attach it to the ceiling instead.

2) Opt for pendant lamps instead of boring bedside ones. If you need reading lights, forget the idea of buying bedside table lamps. Instead, get yourself some unconventional pendant lamps and hang them from the ceiling. Light has a big impact on your circadian rhythm. Plus, these type of lights look amazingly stylish. You can find them in intricate forms and designs. It’s all about the vertical lines – they create the optical illusion of lightness and airiness.

3) Hang window drapery from the ceiling. The same rule applies for curtains. You don’t have to hang curtains the traditional way, instead dangle them from the ceiling. If you are concerned about how to install them, don’t worry, as most hardware for window treatments is flexible. Just turn the bracket up and fix it on the surface. By putting the drapes on the ceiling you introduce more breathing space into the room.

4) Shelve it. If you have furniture devouring most of your floor space, a great way to create more room is by installing shelves. For starters, you get more storage space. In addition, having shelving gives the area a more streamlined appearance.

5) Why not float it on the wall? But shelves aren’t the only piece that can be hung from walls. Bedside tables and even small dressers can be hung in this manner. Before you roll up your sleeves and channel the DIY God within, make sure to consult with a professional. You need to know if the walls can handle the weight. Of course, if you don’t feel the urge to paint or drill, you can always purchase the shelves from a store and call a handyman to install them for you.

6) Place mirrors in strategic places. A lot of home interior designers will put a huge mirror in the centre of the main living space. The reason being that you create a focal point and you reflect more light, thus cheating the eye that the room is bigger. However, to make a space bigger, it is best to place a mirror opposite a natural light source like a window.