Tips for making your new home look more spacious.

Declutter

Totally cool to collect stuff but hide it! Get things organized behind doors, under table skirts or on shelves. If you have items neatly arranged or out of sight your home will feel orderly and open!

Furniture

Another great way to make your space feel large is to move your furniture out and away from walkways. You can also choose shorter furniture pieces like an ottoman, armless or open chair or a low table. Place your larger pieces along a wall rather than out in the open areas. When you can see the floor it makes the room look larger.

Color

Dark, warm colors make your living area feel cozy and intimate, light cool colors make a space feel open and airy. Using light soft tones with dark floors can give you a great effect. Pick colors that are in the same color family and use tone-on-tone woven upholstery fabrics, textured wall finishes, and delicate tonal draper fabrics. Cool colors and delicate warm colors on most surfaces give the room a more open look. Contrasting colors tend to break up a space. Pieces of furniture are less interrupting and tend to blend with the space if they are colored to match the wall color.

Lighting

Any room will look larger if it is well-lit, either by natural light or artificial lighting. Get rid of heavy draperies and open up the windows to let the light of the outdoors into the space. Add more lamps or install track lighting or recessed lighting.