remodeling this life

It’s been a couple years living in our smaller home. I am still learning tricks to maximize our space and make what we have more functional and feel more spacious. Here are a few things that I have learned along the way for making my small home feel bigger. A lot of these were just trial and error to find what worked for us.

Open It Up

One of the best changes we made in this house was opening up the wall between the kitchen and living room. Instead of a boxy, broken up main area of the house, we have one big open, flowing space and it makes everything feel bigger even though we didn’t add an inch of square footage.

Build It In

By adding built in storage to a bedroom and bathroom, we were able to take advantage of precious space. Instead of cabinets on the floor or jutting out from our walls in the bathroom, a built in storage shelf makes all the difference for making the tiny space feel as big as possible.

Vault It

Our three current bedrooms are all pretty close in size to each other. 2 have low ceilings and one we were able to vault. It makes a huge difference in the open airy feeling and makes that room feel like there is a lot more to it than there is. It also provided more space for storage above the ceiling.

Go Outside

We added a patio off of our living room and it immediately felt like additional living space – extending what we have already. Making a courtyard or patio can make a huge difference in how your living space feels.

Let The Sun Shine In

This is one of the easiest (and it’s free!) things to do to make a space feel bigger. Open the blinds, let the sun shine inside so your space is brighter and feels more open.

Go Dual (Or Multi) Purpose

By having pieces in your home helps do more with less. In my home, a dresser as an entry table gives me the storage I need in the drawers and the function I need on top for the things that come inside the front door. Storage ottomans, end tables and a coffee table with drawers, a tv wall cabinets with bookshelves, a kitchen island with cabinet space, and a captain’s bed in my sons room are all examples of furniture we’ve incorporated that help make the most of the space we have – we need less in each room so everything feels bigger.

Remove the Clutter

Even a big room feels too small if it has too much stuff in it. Remove the things that aren’t providing function or beauty and the space will feel bigger and more spacious. The smallest of rooms can feel cozy, functional, and spacious without too much stuff in the way.

Do you live in a small house? What are some of the things you do to make it feel roomier for everyone? I’d love to hear other ideas. I am still learning!