Make Small Spaces Feel Bigger

One thing I've found about small spaces is that they can easily become cluttered or displays that look nice in larger homes just look messy in my small one.

There are a couple things I think that help the space feel larger and more open:

• Letting in as much natural light as possible. I leave my blinds up as much as possible. Being able to see outside makes the room feel larger. For this reason I also don't have big bulky curtains-even though I love how they look!

this photo is from back in July, the room arrangement has changed! for one thing the papasan chair is now in the bedroom making the living room feel bigger.

• Keep larger pieces of furniture in neutral colors. My couch takes up a full wall (the longest wall) in our living room space, the cream color makes it blend with the wall a little bit and allows the eye to travel further without being weighted down by a large dark object. I also painted my book shelf and dining table chairs white. Keeping larger pieces neutral also allows for more ease in redecorating. It's like having a clean slate to decorate with pillows, pictures and all those things that you really want to focus on- grandma's vase or a favorite figurine.

this picture was taken the week we moved in but you can still see how even though the couch takes up most of the living room, and the picture for that matter, it's color makes it not distracting.

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• Keep your surfaces clean. With small spaces we inevitably have to use a lot of counter space just for appliances but by keeping the unnecessary things stowed away, and dirty dishes out of sight, things feel much more open. Also, try stacking what you can to open up more space- I stack my toaster oven on top of my microwave using a board cut down to the right size. I would like to eventually paint that board white or black to make it blend in better.
• Hide things! I LOVE BASKETS and other such storage containers!You can see some of them in this picture on my shelves. They corral food, movies and other things we use frequently and need in easy to get to places but that we don't want to see. 

This picture was taken in July if you can't tell from the chalkboard. :)

 See more of this series here.