How to make your home feel bigger and more spacious

When selling your home, it is natural to want to get the biggest financial return. Two of the key factors that affect the asking price are location and size of the property. Neither can be changed or replaced, however we can make a house feel bigger and more spacious by adhering to a few basic rules.

• First and foremost – Declutter, Declutter, Declutter. Remove all unwanted pieces of furniture, books, toys, accessories, boxes, etc. The rooms will naturally feel more airy and organized. Even, you yourself, might feel happier, more empowered and focused in the process.

• Light, neutrally painted walls will visually open up the space of your home, reflecting and attracting more light. As an added benefit, neutrals appeal to a wider buying audience as they never really go out of style.

• Proper use of scale and proportions – A small room requires smaller-scaled furniture pieces, accessories and fabric prints. A large room calls for larger scale designs, furnishings, art pieces, floral arrangements, etc. Pay close attention to choosing appropriate scale of art. Smaller art pieces should not be placed on a large wall or above a large sofa/sectional, as it will look odd and out of scale, and vice versa. Apply the same strategies with proportions. Example: a smaller shade on a large lamp base will look out of proportion to the lamp as a whole.

• Lighting – Leverage all lighting sources. Keep drapes and blinds open, where and when possible. Clean your lighting fixtures and replace light bulbs with higher volt LED bulbs, especially in areas that do not have any windows (i.e. bathrooms, basement, closets, etc)

• Use of appropriate shapes – Aim to select appropriately shaped furniture pieces while keeping in mind the shape of the room.Example: A round dining room table will look out of place in a square or rectangular shaped dining room, whereas a square table will complement the shape of the space.

• Last but not least, when accessorizing, remember that less is more or you might have to go back to the first bullet on this list.

When in doubt, engage a professional, as they are the true artists that are capable of uncovering hidden opportunities in making smaller homes appear more spacious. Reach out to our team at Trillium Home Staging and Decor to help you unlock the potential of your home.