Discover simple, smart upgrades that make your space feel bigger, brighter, and more organized. These easy improvements can transform your small home without a big budget.
We live in a time when homes are getting smaller. In fact, the average house size in Australia is just 236 square metres, a far cry from the homes we grew up in before. But what you lack in square footage, you can always make up for in smart upgrades that let you make the most of your space to enjoy that you get the same comforts of home that you’re used to.
From using hinged doors to installing built-in storage, here are just some of the ways you can maximise your space in a small home:
Before you can upgrade your home, it’s best to downgrade your things first to free up some space that you can turn into something more functional. Decluttering may sound like a very old trick, but it’s actually the most important step that you can take if you want to enjoy more space in a small home. Go through your things and get rid of anything that you haven’t used in the last 6 months, those that you have duplicates and anything that you’ve outgrown or don’t use anymore. You’ll be surprised at how much space you actually have if you get rid of things that don’t serve a purpose in your life anymore.
Small windows and closed doors are the last things that you need when you have a small home. The goal here is to get as much natural light to come inside your house so it looks bigger than it is. So if you’re going to invest in a huge upgrade, make it your windows and doors. Hinged doors, for instance, are made of glass, which helps to get more light inside while also offering full access to your doorway. These types of doors are especially ideal for kitchens and back entryways. It’s also better to choose bigger glass windows as opposed to small ones that won’t give you as much sunlight and can make your home look and feel cramped.
One of the simplest tricks in the book when it comes to upgrading a small home is to use your vertical space. Install floating shelves in your living area where you can display memorabilia and photos. You can also do the same in your kitchen to put some mugs, plates and kitchen utensils that also double as decor. Built-in storage also helps to maximise your space, so you can install them in your living room, kitchen and bedrooms and keep things out of sight to maintain the neatness of your home.
You can’t just build cabinets, shove your things in them and call it a day. If you want to enjoy your home, you need to make sure that your storage cabinets are organised properly by following a proper system. For instance, you can use drawers, boxes, bags and other storage options where you can keep smaller things before putting them inside cabinets. You can even label these units to make it easier for you to find things that you need without having to take out everything.
If you don’t have a huge budget to work with, paint is easily one of the cheapest upgrades that you can do to make your small home look and feel bigger. A foolproof trick here is to paint your ceiling a lighter hue than your walls so that it gives the illusion that you have high ceilings, thus adding to that feeling of having a bigger space. It’s also best to opt for neutral palettes for the rest of your home to keep everything bright and spacious.
Since you have a small space to work with, you need to be mindful of what you put in your home. But that doesn’t mean limiting yourself with decorations. The trick here is to make sure that every decor is intentional. For instance, if you love art, invest in one large artwork to put on your wall to keep the look cohesive and clean. This is a lot better than creating an entire gallery wall that could make your home look busy and cramped. Choose pieces that speak to you and mean something in your home so you can enjoy them instead of just taking up space in your home. Keep in mind that you’re putting up decor that will serve as a focal point in your house, so choose your pieces well.
A huge home can still look small if it doesn’t have enough lighting. So if your house feels dark and cramped, maybe it’s time to upgrade your light fixtures. Choose brighter lights for areas with high foot traffic, such as your living room, kitchen and dining area. While you can play with mood lighting in more private spaces like your bedroom. Good lighting can make such a huge difference in how your home looks and feels. So if you want to achieve that illusion of a bigger space, choosing the right fixtures can really do the trick for you, and without ruining your budget.
Mirrors can do magic in making any space feel bigger and warmer. Install large mirrors in your living room, dining room or bedroom to create that illusion of a bigger area. Mirrors are also great at reflecting light from the outside, so you don’t have to use a lot of artificial lighting during the day. Learn how to play with different mirrors around your house because it’s one of the cheapest ways to achieve that spacious look and feel.
Indeed, there are so many ways to make your home look and feel more spacious. You just have to be extra creative and resourceful in doing these upgrades to ensure that you can achieve your goal for your home. And if you’re renting, you can also find some nifty tricks for decorating your space here.
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