12 Hacks To Make Your Tiny Flat Look Bigger
Very few things can be compared to the frustration one feels upon arriving to a new flat and having your Pinterest-fuelled dreams broken by the layout, aspect and size of your apartment. In such a scenario, you have two options: either you waste your time complaining about your tiny flat, or you follow our advice on hacks to make a small apartment look bigger. Here’s 11 tips you can start with!
- Cool colours
Dark, too bright and heavy materials absorb too much light, making your place look smaller. Try going for a softer, cooler palette instead and your flat will immediately look airier and less cramped. If you keep it balanced enough, perhaps you can slip a few bright coloured details to add personality.
2. Look up!
Put the extra space between your window and the ceiling to use! Mount your shelves near the ceiling and save the rest of your wall for a cleaner look. As an alternative, put up fairy lights or pictures diagonally across the ceiling, so that your eye is drawn upwards. This will make your apartment look longer.
3. Invest in a wall mirror
If everyone’s heard about the mirror trick before, that’s only because it works. Whether you install a mirrored surface on one side of the apartment, or you decide to strategically place a tall mirror against the wall, the effect will be the same: an illusion that will have the flat looking twice as big.
Since bigger mirrors are often pricier, you can also buy a few smaller ones and put them together to get the same result.
- Off the walls
Avoid pushing your furniture against the walls and marvel at how a few inches can make such a big difference (no pun intended). This hack will give an uncluttered appearance to any space.
- Smart dividing
Living in a small space sometimes means your sleeping and your living areas will eventually collide, which isn’t the best for your sleep patterns. To prevent this, use bed curtains in order to isolate your bed from the rest of the house.
In the same way, placing a rug under your couch is a smart way to divide your flat without using any space.
- Sent to the corner
Move that standing light away from your bed right now and put it in the corner instead. Much better. Placing tall lamps and bookcases in the corners makes for a more organised looking room.
7. Keep your windows uncovered
Let the sunshine in! Even if you live in London and sunlight isn’t abundant, you will still appreciate the depth uncovered windows will give to any room. In the case that you live in a ground floor, invest in shades or blinds instead of curtains.
8. Glass furniture
A glass coffee table or a Lucite night stand will not only filter the light beautifully towards your floor, they are also perfect for smaller spaces because they take, at least visually, considerably less room.
9. Show those legs
Your legs are fine, but your sofa’s will leave some space in between its base and the floor, which can instantly make your room appear clearer and wider.
10. Go low
Sofas, chairs, coffee tables… keep them lower to the ground. The extra space left above them increases the sense of airiness. Retro furniture, for example, has a low profile and it looks fabulous.
11. Cleanse and declutter
Have a look around your room and ask yourself: “Do I really need all this stuff?” Organisation is key when you live in a small apartment, and having too many things does not particularly help. Turn your decoration process into an opportunity to get rid of clothes you no longer wear, or trinkets that you bought in an impulse during your last trip to Fara.
12. Remember less is more
Keep it simple and as monochromatic as possible. Be organised and remember that every space in your flat, no matter how small, must have a purpose. And last but not least: if you’re the kind that always comes back from Camden Market with an army of knickknacks, group them in one place. Otherwise it’s back to square one.
What do you think of these hacks to make a small apartment look bigger? Let us know in the comment section below!
