How to “Open Up” Your Space Without Tearing Down Walls
Creating a more open space at home is becoming a trend. It creates better traffic flow, feels larger than it actually is, can be so much easier for entertaining, and gives your layout more flexibility. The problem is, tearing down walls is not always an option. Fortunately, there are some simple solutions.
Before you start smashing down walls and making irreversible changes to your home, find an Ft. Myers furniture sale with these tips for opening up your space.
Bring More Daylight Into Your Rooms
Once you make the changeover to more natural light in your home, you’ll never go back. It’s simply the best way to open up space and bring more comfort and wellbeing to you and your home. Even better, it’s not an extra expense and can be done without tearing down walls.
Start opening up your curtains so that light shines right in and reflects off of focal furniture/design pieces. This will not only make your space look bigger, but it will also feel more welcoming to guests while increasing your overall health.
In fact, Cherwell reports that natural lighting can “reduce the production of harmful bacteria and organisms that can grow in any house, boosts your immune system, [help you] sleep better at night, [and] boosts energy and strengthens organs.”
Use the Floor to Differentiate Rooms, Not Doors
When you can, consider replacing doors with open walkthroughs and using a flooring change to differentiate rooms. Taking doors off your living room or dining room spaces connects living spaces more openly without huge structural changes. This increases natural lighting and makes two potentially small rooms look much bigger by removing the barrier between them.
HGTV agrees, “Changing materials creates a subtle boundary [and] can be an excellent way to make a clear and pronounced differentiation.”
Wainscoting
Dining room apartment interior with wooden chairs and table, green plan decoration.
Wainscoting is paneling that you can put on your wall to make your space seem bigger without actually being bigger or tearing down walls. It’s a great way to trick yourself and your guests into thinking that a specific room is taller and wider. The key is to place it only halfway up the wall (not cover the whole wall) and complement it with contrasting paint above it.
The style isn’t for everyone, but if you follow a similar design strategy with a material you love, you can create some of the same effects on your living space.
Square Deal Remodel explains that wainscoting can create the illusion of more space without actually making more space in your home, “Higher wainscoting can make your living room look smaller, especially if the ceilings are low, but shorter wainscoting in a light color can make the room feel grander and the ceilings seem higher.”
Use More Functional Furniture
More people realize the luxury of switching from only having single-use furniture to incorporating more functional items into their homes, especially if you’re concerned with the space being or feeling too small.
If you’re unsure what makes a furniture piece more functional, think about how many purposes that piece can serve you and your area. Take, for instance, a sofa table with backless upholstered stools: it serves as a table for decorations, drinks, and whatever you need the surface to be while on your sofa while also adding extra seating for when you have more people over. The stools take up no extra space, and they’re ready for immediate use when necessary!
Insider reports another great furniture tip from HGTV expert Emily Henderson you may like: use a mix of short and tall furniture pieces to make your space look larger. “In a small space, we like to mix it up with having the larger pieces be raised off the ground to make those feel less visually heavy,” she explains. “And choosing smaller items that have a solid base touch the floor.”
Declutter, Declutter, Declutter!
One of the best things to do for your small space is remove pieces that don’t serve a purpose. This means taking on the big task of getting rid of the old and replacing it with new. Then, multi-purpose items that allow you to entertain as many people as you’d like without taking up tons of space in your room.
If you can, you’ll want to set aside a whole weekend to make big decisions and go through with them.
Make Space says there are at least 5 health benefits that should motivate you to declutter as much as possible:
- Reduce stress and anxiety — “Research from the University of California reveals that clutter produces high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and in turn causes anxiety and depression [and] the quicker you get it done, the less clutter and stress there will be in your home.”
- Sleep better — Clutter can get in the way of your sleep patterns.
- Allergens — Decluttering reduces allergens by eliminating several surfaces and items for them to cling to.
- Nurture a happy environment — Clutter doesn’t only affect you but also the people who visit your home. Getting rid of it allows everyone to feel more emotionally healthy and is even said to encourage healthier relationships.
- Boost your physical health — Once you get moving, you’ll notice all the work that goes into decluttering and cleaning that can contribute to your physical well-being, especially since you should do it regularly to keep your space fresh and clean.
Find Your Perfect ‘Open Space’ Additions
It’s not always easy to find what you’re looking for, especially if you’re not completely sure about your options. Several furniture pieces can add to your space without taking up too much and serve multiple purposes. The key is to find the right team to assist you in your buying journey. Our team at Matter Brothers Furniture is ready and waiting to safely help you when you need it.
Feel free to visit us at one of our 5 convenient locations. Contact us for more information about turning your small space into a more open, welcoming area without tearing down walls.
