15 Ways To Decorate Your New Apartment And Make It Look Bigger
Your first apartment may not be the biggest or it probably is not even your first choice. Despite what you want, you should always work with what you have. The easiest thing you can do to make your apartment feel bigger and more cozy for you is to decorate it. This article will showcase some tips that you can incorporate into your own decor to make your apartment look bigger.
1. Use a lot of light/ dark colors
Using all of one color will make your space look much larger than it actually is. Like most tips in this article, this one plays on illusion. If your decor is around the same color, whether it is white or a deep gray, it makes it harder for the eye to zone in on details. Your eyes view the room as wider than what it actually is.
2. Avoid using furniture pieces that are too large
Furniture that is too large can make your apartment seem smaller. Apartments are already pretty small, so you do not want that. Select furniture that is a good size that will not overcrowd your space. It would also be best to decrease the number of unnecessary furniture. Like if you want a coffee, pick one that is thin and not as large, but also does not have multiple end tables in your apartment if you already have one main coffee table in the center of your living room.
3. Pull furniture out and off the wall
Making all your furniture be up against the wall can make your apartment seem smaller because it looks like you are trying to force some space into your area. Pulling all the furniture a little bit off the wall will make your area look and seem more open.
4. Use multifunctional furniture
To cut down on you purchasing multiple furniture sets, try and get a multifunctional piece when you can. Like the picture below, showcases a center table that also can work for storage. You could invest in getting a sofa bed, an entertainment center that can also work as a bookshelf, or an ottoman that also acts as storage.
5. Keep your space decluttered
The easiest way to make your apartment look like jumbled is to keep your space clean. Clean and declutter your area often, so you can enjoy all the space that does not have to been taken up. For example, find a new home to free up space on your kitchen counter, or clean some of those knick-knacks off your nightstand.
6. Hang curtains near the ceiling
Hanging curtains from the ceiling is another illusion trick, which makes your eyes see the room as much taller than it actually is. Your eyes will be drawn upward, which will make your ceiling seem higher and your space seem more open. This trick plays on the vertical lines. The longer the vertical lines in the room are, the loner and taller the room will look to the eye.
7. Utilize mirrors in your space
Playing with mirrors in your decor can really liven up your space. The mirror can work as a way of making your space seem continuous because of the reflection that it gives. Mirrors play with the lighting and make the space look more spacious and wider.
8. Use fewer and larger decor pieces
Instead of having a whole bunch of decor pieces on your end tables and such, use larger pieces but fewer of them. Small decor, especially when there are a lot of them, can make your space look more cluttered than decorated.
9. Use large rugs
Using a larger rug on your floor will make your area seem wider. The larger rug makes one’s eye expand and is another form of using illusions to make your space look bigger. A large rug uses horizontal lines to make your area look wide. It will cause your eye to stretch the room because your eye is following the rug.
10. Hang shelves near the ceiling
Just like the curtains being hung closer to the ceiling, this easy draws your eyes up. Making your focus on the ceiling makes the walls appear larger.
11. Large and vivid artwork
Large and vivid artwork draws attention to the walls. It makes your space seem more lively, which can also make your space look more vast.
12. Furniture with legs
The space between the floor and furniture makes your area look more spacious. The visual will make it appear like you have more room than you actually have. This could be a sofa with legs or maybe even your bed.
13. Monochromatic decor
Monochromatic means to play in the same colors. Using some of the same colors or using the same colors from the same color family makes your room seem more seamless. This smooths out the appearance of the room and makes your eye move across the room very casually.
14. Coordinate furniture and wall color
This tip is similar to using a monochromatic look because using colors all within the same family are more pleasing to the eye. There are less interruption to what your eyes see, which makes the area look grander and bigger. Like in the picture below, you can see the person played a lot with the same greens. They mixed the same color palette with the wall decor, the color on the walls, and the furniture.
15. Storage underneath your bed
When you have an apartment, a lot of the stuff that you have laying around is stuff you can place in storage. Most apartments are very limited in storage, so it is great if you find a way to store it under your bed. There are tons of beds available on the market that have storage already built-in the bottom part of the bed. This could be where you store some of your off-season clothing or bed sheets.
