Living Areas
When choosing flooring use the same floor throughout the main living spaces in your home, especially if you have an open-concept feel. The more you divide your space with different types of flooring, the smaller the semblance of the space. You can divide the spaces with area rugs to soften the look rather than having carpet in the living room and a mix of and hardwood and tile in the rest. This can get very complicated and again, just aids in cluttering up the space.

Furniture also plays a huge role. Most people go out shopping and don’t really know what their needs are. Before heading out to buy your furniture pieces, take a minute to measure your space and know what size of sofa will work. Leave about two feet of space between the sofa and coffee table to accommodate movement, and try not to place all your furniture pieces against the wall. This will not make your space look larger! Also, a large over scaled piece may look comfy in the showroom, but once you get it home, that’s basically all

you will be able to see in a room! Stick with more streamlined upholstered pieces, such as condo-style sofas available that are smaller in scale and work perfectly in smaller homes.

Adding glass, chrome, or Lucite with coffee tables and end tables aids in adding a reflective quality, opening up the appearance of a pared room.

Paint colours are also a huge misconception when it comes to small spaces. If you like the look of dark shades on the walls, don’t be afraid to go with it, regardless of the size of the room. Just make sure to balance the darkness of the walls with light furnishings and reflective surfaces. Mirrors are a great way to visually expand a space. Placing one over a sofa or one leaning against a wall will go a long way in making a room look larger! Just make sure whatever the mirror is reflecting is pleasing to the eye.

Kitchens
With the open concept becoming a huge trend in homes these days, the kitchen has become more of a prominent feature. Attention is now being focused on the beautification of a kitchen, through amazing cabinetry, backsplashes, countertops and fixtures. In doing a kitchen you don’t want to do anything too trendy!

It’s best to incorporate trends, but in more subtle ways.

Be sure to keep your cabinets and counters fairly neutral. When thinking about smaller spaces, glossy cabinets are the way to go—they reflect light and are easy to clean, a definite bonus in a kitchen. Modern kitchens are now coming out with fantastic all-white cabinets with little to no hardware, creating a simple, sophisticated, uncluttered look. Keep in mind that the more you add to a kitchen as far as profiles on the cabinetry, mouldings, hardware, backsplashes and counter surfaces, the more cluttered it will look. The more the eye has to see in a small space, the smaller it will look.

When picking out a counter top it’s a good rule of thumb to think about a neutral palette—which will save you money, as you won’t have to change out your counter with next year’s trends. Granite is a little busy and overused; I prefer the slick look of Caesar Stone or Corian. These glossy surfaces are durable and come in a wide range of colours to suite your needs. It’s also smart in a small space to try to eliminate the use of too many materials. The trick now is to extend your counter onto your backsplash to create a seamless look. If you do want to go with a different-looking backsplash, think shiny surface—again, along the lines of gorgeous glass or stainless steel.

Bedrooms
When it comes to the bedroom, what I find in most homes is over scaled furniture. Yes, everyone wants a king-size bed because it is luxurious and comfortable, but you should only have one if your space accommodates it. If you are finding you have no room for side tables or have little space to even enter your bed, then you have made the mistake of getting a bed too big for your space. Always measure your space and know what size of bed is going to fit. Accommodate for side tables as well.

Lighting plays a big role as well. With having accent lighting such as table lamps, you are adding more light to the space. One ceiling mount light fixture doesn’t cut it, and can sometimes make a room dim and a little dreary. Adding light will not only beautify your home, but also aid in visually expanding it as well. Colours in the bedroom should be ones that are calming and tranquil, to promote restfulness and sleep. Think of light greens and pale blues. If those are not what you are into, richer, darker colours also will do. Burgundies and saturated reds are fantastic in create more of an inviting space. Be sure to use lighter colour furnishings and mirrored accents with these.

Bathrooms
Most everyday bathrooms are pretty small to begin with. The key to the bath is to make it look luxurious no matter how small or big. You can have the largest room, but if the materials and finishes are not right, it can look like a disaster! Tiling the whole bathroom and creating an almost wet-room type look is fabulous!

Large, 12-inch-by-24-inch tiles placed on the floor and walls of a bathroom look stunning, and in doing so allow the eye to travel seamlessly throughout with no visual starts or stops. Incorporating a standup shower with a simple glass divider is a huge space saver. If you’re a tub person and absolutely need one in the bathroom, then think about doing a simple glass divider. You can now get simple glass sliding doors for the tub that are sleek and modern. As far as a tub surround goes, think of tiling all the way up the wall around your tub—leaving no space of drywall above. Spend the extra money to tile all the way up and you’ll be glad you did.

Again, the use of reflective, glossy surfaces will aid in visually expanding a small space. Mirrors are also fabulous to create the illusion of space. If you have a wall-to-wall vanity, think about installing a mirror the full length of your vanity. Make sure to have a frame around it to give it some pizzazz, and avoid looking as though something is missing. Installing sconces right on top of mirrors is a huge trend right now and goes a long way in visually expanding a space.

Renovating and new home buying can be overwhelming, with the seemingly million-and-a-half choices one has to make when considering either of these housing options. In our market, where homes and condos are getting smaller and space is at a premium, knowing what to look for and what to do to give the illusion of space is coveted. By using these easy tips and tricks, you will go a long way in creating that much needed space in your home, even if it just as illusion.

Happy Decorating! NL