While homes in Singapore are seemingly going the way of Japan and Hong Kong space-wise, it doesn’t mean that having a smaller home means having to live with less. All it takes is a bit of imagination to make your home not only look bigger and better but reflect your personality well too.
Here are five interesting and modern interior design tricks to make your home appear brighter and more spacious:
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The key to getting this done is to remove the furniture that are visually heavy away from the entryway. The area just beyond the the entryway should have visually light furniture, or preferably an empty space.
Furniture pieces that are visually heavy should not be grouped or clustered together. Instead, they should be evenly dispersed throughout the room. For instance, the storage boxes might take up too much space if all three were put together in a corner. By using one of them as a coffee table, it not only reduces clutter, but is super practical as well!
Look over the room carefully to determine just how visually affected the furnitures are. Experiment with the arranging of the furniture to ensure that guests would keep their eye moving throughout the entire space.
Furniture with bold or eye-catching colours and design elements should not be grouped together either. They cause too much of a distraction and would result in difficulties in trying to keep the overall area visually light.
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Window coverings are responsible for the uncomfortable ‘heavy’ feel a room gives off. If you have no real need for privacy in your room (i.e. you’re on a high floor and/or away from the eyes of prying neighbours), it’s highly suggested that you get rid of the dramatic coverings on your windows and opt for lighter ones.
If your room is optimally-primed for privacy even without curtains, consider keeping your windows free of coverings altogether. This permits the easy entry of natural light and automatically gives the space a brighter, more airy feel.
It might be easier to do so in the living room, where you might want to go for tinted windows to screen out sunlight and provide a bit more privacy at night.
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However, if you feel the need to have window coverings in your room, opt for ones that are streamlined, and keep flowing curtains from pooling on the floor. Blinds are also a great option, whether roman or roller, as they don’t take up floor space at all!
At all costs, counters should be kept clear of unnecessary items. If you do feel the need to make use of the space available on your counters, keep in mind that they should be items that are used on a daily basis. Especially in smaller rooms like the kitchen, clutter counters can even make you want to eat more (which may not be healthy).
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Objects on tables and countertops will be on full view and if there should be clutter, it should be clutter that is necessary. Clutter placed on surfaces of visually light furniture automatically makes it appear visually heavy, hence resulting in the immediate space looking constricted.
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Get creative with expanding your storage spaces in order to create appropriate areas to store items that are not in use. For instance, consider installing a streamlined floor-to-ceiling cupboard in a neutral colour.
Bonus tip: Use glass (or mirrors) where possible, as these help create the illusion of more space. A glass partition visually opens up a space, and is a great way to link the kitchen and dining area to create a sense of cohesion.
Plan the “traffic flow” in your home out. This refers to the manner in which to get around from one place to another. The arrangement of furniture plays an important role in this aspect, especially if your home is tight on space.
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If you’ve never given thought to the traffic flow in your house and have no idea how it works, take a few minutes off your time and carefully walk from room to room. Here’s a few key pointers to take note of when determining the flow of your room:
– You should not stumble over random objects that get in the way.
– Furniture, especially tables, should not be placed so closely to walls that you find the need to squeeze between the small space.
– Wall hooks should not be placed at entryways to prevent unnecessary cluttering.
– You should be able to get to the next room with ease.
For a small dining space, determine whether the table should be situated horizontally or vertically, as this can make a difference between how small or big the area looks. Placing a bench along the outer edge of the table instead of using chairs can also visually enlarge the space.
Removing a whole wall or just parts of it is a sure way to make your home not only look bigger but feel bigger as well. This homeowner cleverly enlarged the entire living space by hacking down parts of a wall of the room behind the TV. This is especially useful if you don’t really need an extra room, and can convert it into more space for guests.
In this roomy apartment, wallpaper is used to visually combine the living room and dining area in a seamless fashion. The room on the right also creates a more airy, open feeling without using walls or a door.
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Text: Shyra Nurullah, Loftez / Additional Reporting: Elizabeth Liew
This article first appeared on Loftez, South East Asia’s premier social media platform for home owners, interior designers and product owners.