Everyone wants a spacious living room where they can sprawl out and relax with large groups of friends and family without feeling crowded; a place where kids and pets can run and play without the fear of bumping into everything and people can walk around and socialize with ease. While not all living rooms are created equal, particularly in the square footage department, it’s always possible to squeeze a little bit more out of the space you’re allotted. With that said, here are five ways you can make your living room feel more spacious without actually expanding it.
1. Create Better Ventilation
Airflow has a huge impact on the way we perceive the airiness and openness of a room. This step might involve installing a new ceiling fan, adding wall/window-mounted air conditioning units, or upgrading your home’s central air conditioning system in order to noticeably enhance ventilation. Being enveloped in fresh air makes you feel less cramped, while being stuck in a poorly ventilated room can make you feel trapped and restricted. Companies like Quality Air specialize in 5-star ventilation systems that can make anyroom feel airier.
2. Position Furniture Along Walls
Blocking the middle of the floor is a sure-fire way to limit the amount of available floor space you have for moving around and congregating. Even if you don’t often have guests, obstructing your walking path with furniture can make it difficult to move from the living room to another attached area. Plus, too much furniture can crowd your vision and give the perception of the room being smaller than it actually is.
3. Use Mirrors, Armoires, and Cabinets
Mirrors have been scientifically proven to enlarge special perception in roomsfor obvious visual reasons. Likewise, armoires and cabinets give you wall-side places to store items and decorations without taking up much floor space. Even better is to have an armoire or cabinet with a mirrored background, as this gives you extra storage along with the depth-extending effect of mirrors.
4. Expand Windows and Bring in More Sunlight
Larger windows can make a room feel larger by giving your eyes something to look at outside. Furthermore, natural sunlight has been shown to make rooms feel more spacious according to interior design surveys. Darkness tends to close in around your vision and makes spaces feel much smaller than they actually are. Thus, having a bright room tends to give a much more spacious feel than a dark and gloomy tone.
5. Wall-Mount the TV
There’s really no need to take up space with an entertainment system just to sit your TV on a big hunk of furniture that doesn’t really need to be there. If saving space is a concern, wall mounting the TV can make a surprisingly big difference. Mounting also puts the TV at eye level when you’re standing, so you don’t have to look down or at an angle as is often the case with entertainment systems.
6. Space is All About Perception
All of the above tips take advantage of one simple principle – special perception is not determined by the actual amount of space you have but by how that space is perceived by the viewer.
With that in mind, you can probably come up with a few ideas of your own to make your living room look even bigger than it really is.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
