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The Illusion of Space
Make your Home Feel Bigger with Some Simple Interior Tips.
During the pandemic many of us learnt the value of our homes and how crucial interior design really is when our lives cease to exist outside of it. From the importance of an organised and designated work space and how it can affect our proficiency when working from home, or just simply how the light effects our mood are all factors changed by the way we chose to decorate our homes. One issue many struggled with was space, hence why this week I’m going to give some interior tips on how to create the illusion of a larger indoor space.
Light
Probably the most important factor to consider when not only evaluating the mood of your habitat, but how large it may seem. Lighting is often overlooked when overhauling a home, and my first tip is to check your bulbs to make sure they have a warm, orange hue, rather than a cold and blue. This tip will not effect the perception of space per say, but is a simple and important tip to make your home feel immediately cosier and more inviting. On that note, natural lighting will make your home feel larger, so draw back any heavy draperies, roll up the blinds and remove any furniture or objects blocking windows to attract as much sunlight into your home. If necessary, adding track or recessed lighting is an easy way to add an extra source of brightness. To give the room more depth, make sure your light sources are spread evenly around rather than relying on completely overhead lighting.
Mirrors
Another way to bring more light into a room is with mirrors, which not only will brighten up your home, but create an illusion of space by creating a divide in a solid wall. If you feel confident, go large and cover as much of the wall as possible. Other options I love to use in my work is mirrored furniture and accessories, which will match almost any colour scheme and add a real sense of opulence and glamour. Here are a few affordable recommendations of my own:
Left To Right: Mirrored Cube Vases (Wedding Mall), Aleanor Mirrored Dressing Table (Laura James), Edna Mirrors (Cotswold Company), Monica Mirror (Perch & Parrow)
Glass
Similar to ‘invisible’ mirrored surfaces, glass is also a fantastic choice when creating an illusion of space as it allows light to travel freely through a room whilst looking less heavy and imposing. Glass coffee tables have always been my go to when decorating a smaller space, and there are some great affordable options out there for those who maybe didn’t plan on replacing and purchasing new, but trust me if your space is on the smaller side this tip is worth investing in:
Left To Right: Christie Glass Coffee Table (Very), Vittsjo (Ikea).
Rugs
My last tip for my first entry of Illusions of Space (yes there’s more to come!) is rugs. Not only are rugs a fabulous way to accessories a room without taking up any space (and a great way to cozy up a home), they allow for something I call Zoning. Zoning is just as it sounds, creating zones within a home that separate sections of a room. For example; your living room and dining room share a space- there is no partition or wall between them. By adding a large rug under the sofa and overall living area, you are creating the feeling of a different mood and separate space to that of your dining room! Simple.
Left to Right: Santorini Grey Vintage Floral Rug (The Rugs Outlet), Vistoft (Ikea), Indulgence Shaggy Rug (Dunelm Mill).
Luxury For less
Achieving Luxury on a Budget.
Whether you’re looking for a complete makeover, or just a ‘zhuzh’ up of your current living space, likelihood is your Pinterest board is full of some very glamorous, but rather pricey looking furnishings and accessories that may have left your doubtful of the potential of your perfect pad.
Fortunately, there are some simple tips and tricks for achieving this look for less which i have gained through experience of creating luxury for my clients, regardless of the budget!
Fabulous Throws
When restyling your living room, your first thought may be your sofa. It’s only natural after all; sofas ARE integral to our home. We work on them, watch movies together on them, maybe even eat or sleep on them! They are the centre point of your living room, so its not surprising that you may prioritise a new sofa when updating your living room.
New sofas however are not only expensive, but can be a hassle when deliberating what you do with your old one. So my solution? Don’t. Sofas can be quickly and easily restyled with soft furnishings such as cushions and throws. Here are a few of my affordable suggestions to get your sofa looking chic (and cozy!).
Left To Right: Fringe Cushions (Made), Faux Fur Throw (Dunelm Mill), Mongolian Cushion (Made), Knitted Throw (Argos).
Luxury Lamps
Likelihood is you already have lamps which are perfectly capable of providing your home with an intimate warm glow (I always recommend warm colour bulbs- though the importance of lighting will be in next weeks blog!) so if they aren’t broke, why fix them? Most lamps have a non-offensive, minimal base which can be easily dressed up by swapping that boring white lampshade for something a bit funkier without having to replace the lamp entirely. I recommend complimenting your soft furnishings with your lampshades to give the room an overall matching aesthetic. Etsy is a great place to find unique fabric shades whilst supporting small and local businesses!
Left to Right: Bespoke Lampshade (Etsy), Oro Lampshade (Made), William Morris Forest Lampshade (Etsy), Metal Shade (Wayfair).
New Knobs
We all have that reliable cabinet or chest of drawers that is the perfect size for all our bits and bobs and fits into the room just right; the problem- it looks dated and boring. It’s a hassle to move, and a replacement is costly, so why bother? My final top tip for today is replacing those knobs. This is such an effective tip that is often so overlooked when redesigning a room, but when the devils in the details what a better way to add some glitz to a space whilst up cycling your persisting pieces! I recommend going bold, choosing large designs over understated ones to really utilise your cabinets creatively as their own statement piece.
Left To Right: Crystal Knob (Not on The High street), Ceramic Knob (John Lewis), Art Deco Knob (Make it Fabulous).
