It's an issue that plenty of homeowners deal with; the need for more square footage in their homes without drastically breaking the bank. There are several reasons why a home can feel like there is a serious lack of space, but believe it or not, square footage isn't always necessarily the culprit. Large, bulky furniture, unnecessary clutter, and clashing color schemes… These are all things that add up to make home interiors frustratingly inefficient.

Lucky for us, there are some ingenious solutions that can easily be implemented to help give us the illusion of a larger space, simply by utilizing the square footage to it's maximum potential! These can include subtle changes such as smarter repositioning of furniture, decluttering of household items, repainting to convey smarter room contrast, and better lighting to give our homes a more roomier and opened-up flow. But that’s only scratching the surface. Listed here are some amazing and creative tricks and visual deceptions that literally transform your seemingly maxed out space into much more.

Liven Up the Ceilings

This can be done by painting your ceiling with interesting colors or designs. How this helps is by drawing attention upward, giving the illusion of higher ceilings. In this scenario, it is most wise to avoid darker palettes and instead opt for lighter or brighter tones – this creates a more light and airy-feel.

Paint the Trim and Molding Lighter Than the Walls

Much like ceiling colors, walls ought to maintain lighter tones as well, since it helps to better convey a more open-feel to the room. What’s accomplished by painting the trim and molding slightly lighter than the walls however, is the visual appearance of a surface that is further back than it actually is. Color depth is your friend here!

Hang a Picture… in the Next Room

This one works well for homes with an open concept. When hanging a painting or large picture frame in clear site from an adjacent, neighbouring room, it gives the illusion of an object being seen at a distance. This does an excellent job of mimicking the depth of field of a much larger room.

Utilize Mirrors to Give You More

Mirrors are commonly used as just decoration but its useful functions can be brought about in a number of ways. When placed on a wall, for instance, they can reflect focal points to help influence the notion of more space. They can also be extra beneficial in deflecting light from both natural and interior sources, helping to make a room appear much brighter.

Bigger Windows, Bigger Space

Not only do windows have the ability of brightening a room up with natural light, but they can also help in creating a more open-feeling space. Smaller rooms with good usage of windows generally get a sense of being more fresh and unconstricted since views of landscape typically tend to draw the eyes more.

And for homeowners with connected patios or balconies, you may want to consider visual obstructions by implementing glass balustrades to showcase an even grander view of the outdoors from the inside.

Invest in Built-ins

What this is in reference to is built-in desks, seating, and storage. This is useful for rooms that serve as multi-purpose areas such as bedrooms and common rooms. Customized solutions can result in massive amounts of saved space. A smart example could be in constructing a desk and accompanying storage directly onto the walls. The end-result would be a workstation made up of less materials and that works in perfect harmony with the room instead of against it.

Install Large-Scale Flooring

For those in the dark, this is the act of using larger tiles and/or patterns to give a room the look of a bigger room. According to the World Floor Covering Association, this is precisely the reasoning for big tiles in small rooms and shows even more effectively when placed diagonally. Details like this prove to us that in small spaces, everything counts.

Image credits: poshsurfside.com/Flickr