Decorating Ideas for the Home that Expand The Living Area

Decorating ideas for the home do not just include the addition of architecturally appropriate furnishings and fixtures, they extend to the utilization of space as well. Making the most of individual areas imparts an atmosphere that is both productive and well-utilized. Therefore, decorate corners in your home or find out how you can utilize the space beneath a stairwell. Make the best use of space to enhance environmental aesthetics and to increase functional use.

How are You Using the Areas in Your House?

Before you begin any decorating project or come up with decorating ideas for the home, make an assessment of each area in your house. Are the spaces maximized for use? How about the spaces that are already utilized? Are you making the best use of space or could you use an area for a better purpose?

Using space optimally can make decorating fun in either smaller or larger surroundings. You won’t even be concerned about making the most of your decor should you have to downsize. If you do have a small space then, don’t view it as a handicap. After all, it is more affordable to optimize smaller areas, all which can give you more latitude with respect to decorating.

Install Fabric Wall Panels

Designed by Drapery Design

Hang pots and pans from the ceiling in the kitchen and affix shelves to walls to expand on kitchen counterspace. Also, the addition of color is a great way to “increase” the size of an area, particularly if you are working with a space that is under 1,000 square feet. If you live in an apartment that has rules against painting, consider the installation of fabric wall panels. All you need are some inexpensive curtain roads that you can hang at ceiling level. Drape the panels ceiling to floor. The material and hue will convey a sense of luxury.

Relax the Eyes to Expand the Looks of a Room

If you can paint the walls, pick such cool colors as blues, greens or very light purples. A good warm color to add is sunshine yellow.  Maximize the looks of a space by painting the wall, ceiling, trim and interiors for your doors the same color. This decorating approach permits the eyes to relax, all which makes a room appear to be bigger or more expansive.

Let the Sun Shine In

While some decorators will try to “enlarge” a room by excluding window treatments, this technique can also make a room look rather stark at night. Privacy can become an issue as well. Instead, utilize blinds or roll-up shades that can be used during the day in order to permit the flow of natural light into the living space. Besides blinds and shades, hang sheers, swags, valances or other decorative side treatments to underscore both softness and color. Make sure the treatments only cover the trim work around the windows. Your goal, again, is to increase the amount of natural light coming into the space.

Decorative Storage

Naturally, you cannot talk about decorating ideas for the home for space optimization purposes without including storage. Having sufficient storage only becomes an issue when the storage containers being used convey a cluttered look. In order to avoid this problem, cover cardboard storage boxes with complementary materials in order to store such items as in-home office or school supplies, magazines or board games. Use plain tin cans that are covered with a decorative paper to hold kitchen utensils or combs and clips in the bath.

Less is More

Ironically, to make a smaller space look larger, it is better to use bigger furnishings, wall art or rugs, but less of them. That way, your room will look like it has additional space and appear uncluttered at the same time. Indeed, you can make a noted impact just by changing the artwork in your home. Switch out a grouping of smaller pictures with one large piece of art. If you are on a limited budget, stop by the local thrift store and pick up a large picture frame and add a coat of paint. Frame a large piece of material and hang it over a bed or the sofa in a living area. You might also frame a pretty and colorful collage of various fabrics, sewn together, to produce the same effect.

Take a Survey

Just remember, when it comes to decorating ideas for the home, the optimization or “expansion” of space includes seeing which areas are being under-utilized, adding colors that will emphasize the decor and using fewer and bigger furnishings. Also, any unused areas above counters, on bare walls, under stairwells and in corners need to be assessed in order to make maximum use of space. When you follow these basic rules, you can better implement space-enhancing decorating ideas for the home.

Steps to Take

So, before you begin a design project:

• Take an inventory of the space that is not being used in the home
• Assess the areas that are being used
• Consider you decorating budget – (How much can you spend?)
• Determine what colors you want to include in your decorating scheme
• Think about the decor itself – Do you want to focus on traditional, retro or a contemporary theme?
• Take measurements of the areas you will be decorating. After all, if you need to add a furnishing, you want to make sure that it will actually fit.
• Draw up a plan that shows where you will be placing each furnishing
• Consider what you want to include with respect to wall art or window treatments.

One Additional Note

Remember cool colors and a warm color like sunny yellow along with natural light will always expand the “feel” of a living space.

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