What you may feel you lack in space in your place can be made up for with some innovative and thoughtful decorating. Try these tips to add visual square footage to your rental home.
Scale your furniture
Avoid large pieces of furniture in a small rental home, except as select focal points for a room. When you choose your furniture style, make it as streamlined as possible, avoiding thick, dark wood and opting instead for lighter-colored pieces that utilize glass and metal. Because these materials reflect light, they appear to occupy less space.
Go double-duty
With less space to spare, nearly all the furniture you own should multitask for you. As you have no room for clutter and possibly limited closet space, as well, purchase pieces which offer storage either with drawers, shelves, or space underneath.
Limit your stuff
A small space requires every surface to be as clean as possible. In the kitchen, stow away small appliances under the counter, on shelves or in a pantry closet. To get pots and pans out of the way, ask your landlord if you can hang a rack above your stove.
To further streamline your décor, kiss knick-knacks goodbye. Fewer items mean less to dust and less to take up space in your home. And the less surface area you give yourself, the less tempted you’ll be to stack things on it. With that in mind, buy a shredder for documents, and stow a filing cabinet or filing boxes in a closet out of the way.
Don’t spare the color
The general recommendation for decorating small spaces is to keep to a neutral palette, but if that’s not your style, why limit yourself? You may choose to surround yourself with the colors you love, but consider avoiding the darkest shades of your favorite palette.
With limited space, you may probably be able to see one room from the other; avoid abrupt color changes, which will halt the gaze. Instead, use shades of the same color family that will blend together. For contrast, paint an accent wall at the end of the house, where your eye would come to rest naturally. Also, try small color accents that pop in the form of throw pillows, wall hangings, and area rugs.
Let there be light
Accentuate the natural light your rooms receive by using sheer window dressings that don’t sacrifice privacy. Mirrors can also amplify light. Enlarge your rental home instantly by placing one or more mirrors across from a bright window.
You really can make more space out of less with some thoughtful decorating in your home. The added bonus is you’ll be able to enjoy the feeling of extra square footage without an increase in rent!
By Amber Courtesy rentals.com
No comments:
Post a Comment